Our belongings express a lot about ourselves. First of all, it determines what part of society we belong to (or we would like to belong to). Secondly, each thing has a strong symbolic meaning. Ernests Dihters, a psychologist of motivation, discovered that objects affected our relations with others very substantially a long before lifestyle advertising appeared. Sometimes things could form an impression of their owner. Predetermined response. Thus it can be assured that all those luxuries are not only hot air which physically needs a place on the shelf, in the garage, or closet, but they possess a psychological significance. Dihter calls it a thing’s "soul." We and the world we live in determine what is this “soul’s" nature and extent to which it affects us. Furthermore, this "soul," has a significant emotional role in our daily lives.
Your belongings serve as your personal power’s and ability’s “extension." Their goal is to make you feel more powerful, and they somehow recompense that sense of inferiority that overtakes you when an encounter with the sinister outside world. (Be honest at once!) Therefore it is not a surprise that numerous researches confirm what we already know - shopping is a kind of therapy.
Things around you, partly, are like a mirror where you can see yourself and where you can find out more and more your personality traits which you have never noticed before. One who had never had a motorboat before after he had obtained it would discover a lot of new things about oneself. He will develop new contacts with other boat owners; they will discuss engines and how beautiful mahogany deck covering is. He will discover himself in a different light after realizing how pleasant it is to sail or drive a motorboat (very fast) or how great he was able to drive a boat (like a god). And, of course, age-old desire to have power over the forces of nature also will do its job when he, the owner of the motorboat, will capture the water.
We perceive our belongings as touchable evidence of our existence, as evidence for who we are. If someone dares to doubt about that, there is nothing for it but to show the splendid DVD collection. Thus we part of our beloved things so adversely. When you see a child convulsively pressing to his chest his favorite toy while sleeping, you start to realize how incredibly important it is that you've got something to belong to. I own, therefore I am.
