We have all accumulated a lot of stuff in our lives. Our possessions become extensions of ourselves and help us define who we are or where we want to be.
Early attachment to things starts for most of us around the age of two when we can first have an understanding of possession. Most children will develop an unusually intense relationship to a specific object at this age. Whether it is a toy, stuffed animal or blanket they believe that the object has a uniqueness to it and a magical quality that shows up again in adulthood as related to memorabilia, heirlooms and inherited items.
The progression of attachment to objects in teens becomes a ‘crutch’ for the self and helps adolescents define by material objects “what makes me happy” at a time when their self-esteem is at it’s lowest. Transitioning from adolescence to adulthood is the crown jewel of possession and attachment; the person’s first car.
In adulthood our possessions signal to other people who we see ourselves as. Additionally certain possessions convey a ‘group membership’ and this is most often seen with the collection of items and memorabilia as related to sports teams. There also many people who like to simply “collect” things and have extensive “collections”.
As time goes on these things accumulate and the intensity of how we identify ourselves gets stronger and therefore their value to us increases. For this reason victims of vandalism or robbery often say they “feel violated” because it is more than the financial loss that is upsetting but rather the loss of “their things”.
Many people willingly get rid of possessions in the time of a “life changing” event. Or they hit a crossroads and it is time to “clean house”. In either case this is carefully thought out and executed with some strategy. There are also “keepers” and “hoarders” and both experience guilt when faced with having to get rid of things. Keepers generally have more of an emotional attachment to the object. Hoarders feel that they are preserving an identity by holding onto the object.
Our relationship with our things gets more powerful as we age as they provide us with comfort, fond memories and are highly valued in human society. Even in death our once valued possessions become “family heirlooms” to be passed down for generations to come.
RedBin Storage is providing consumers with a safe, convenient and affordable solution for maintaining our relationship with our things. RedBin’s sophisticated software system allows customers to log in to their account and see their items any time they want so they always feel connected to their “things”.
Want or “need” something back? It can be redelivered it within 24 hours.