Interesting article, Jock. Thanks for posting.
"Need" is the operative word. The article is mainly talking about new things. Many of us don't "need" the antique and vintage tools we collect from a utilitarian perspective, but as I have long argued, collectible tools have a value to collectors that transcends the utilitarian for the same reasons people collect other things.
Arne73 posted a link to an article I very much enjoyed and connected with on the Garage Sale thread this year, in
Psychology Today, a blog, linked
here.
Not that we need justification (okay, maybe we do at times with our better halves!), but it explains why we do what we do - scientifically. My first thought was, every person on GJ already knows all this - and we didn't have to drop $500,000 on medical school to figure it out. HAHA.
But I thought it was perfect, and short.
But if you want it even shorter...
A Psychiatrist just basically bailed us all out of the doghouse and into the bedroom again, for these reasons...
- Up to 40% of the population collects something
- The urge is scientifically natural, normal, and healthy, and they used an MRI to prove it (certain collected objects light up parts of the brain connected to our pleasure centers)
- The pleasure instigates:
* Pride in owning rare, exquisite objects
* Thrill of a bargain
* Visceral feeling holding artifacts of history
* Intellectual satisfaction (i.e., research!)
* Social networking (i.e., GJ forum)
* Organizing, arranging, and rearranging a collection shows off your taste and knowledge
