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Experiences vs. Things: It’s a debate that seemingly has an undeniable answer. If you identify with the concept of minimalism in any way, you’ve probably already asked yourself this question and figured out what the answer means to you.

When thought about in a strictly literal sense, material things cost money, take up space, and eventually become outdated or a burden that collects dust in some part of your house.

When defining “experience,” we tend to think of it in terms of feelings and emotions. Activities that don’t cost much or take up room but instead leave us with memories that last a lifetime – Quality time with your loved ones, higher education, live music and theatre, and travel experiences that create long-lasting memories.

In his book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari discusses the concept of romantic consumerism. 

(If you are looking for a book that essentially simplifies life on Earth since the beginning of time until today, this is the book I recommend. Harari explains evolution, philosophy, psychology, cultural evolution and more. I read 60 books throughout the pandemic, and this book is in the top 5. The Amazon link to purchase is at the end of this post or click the title link above).

Romantic consumerism is a concept specific only to the modern-day human race. Harari states that:

“A chimpanzee alpha male would never think of using his power in order to go on holiday into the territory of a neighbouring chimpanzee band. The elite of ancient Egypt spent their fortunes building pyramids and having their corpses mummified, but none of them thought of going shopping in Babylon or taking a skiing holiday in Phoenicia. People today spend a great deal of money on holidays abroad because they are true believers in the myths of romantic consumerism.”

This means that modern-day humans are unique in their ability to create fiction. Our entire existence is based on it. Often, unknowingly, we temporarily brush aside our definitions and personal boundaries of minimalism and ethical consumerism when building a story around why an experience will somehow enhance or improve our lives. So we book the flight and take the trip. Because, I mean, I NEED that change of scene for my wellbeing, right?

But if you think about this from an environmentally friendly perspective, is spontaneous air travel the most sustainable choice?

As another example, we spend thousands of dollars (and in most cases, collect inevitable debt) on university degrees – But would that be considered “minimalist” from a financial standpoint if financial health and zero debt was perhaps your value?

Psychologically, we are programmed to have a cognitive bias to take the physical things we know will be with us for a long time for granted. That’s why emotionally rewarding short-term experiences like travel or a once-in-a-lifetime performance from your favourite musical artist make us feel so alive. There is a defined end to it.

Let me go back to material possessions and the bad rap they get from the minimalist and sustainable living community – The house, the car, the expensive furniture, or the extensive wardrobe. Upon first glance, and if we are leading with a very basic, nuance-lacking definition of minimalism, then yes, these items are collectible and don’t go anywhere until we intentionally get rid of them.

But what if the feelings that those items evoke make you feel amazing?

If the car and the clothes give you confidence or if the furniture makes your day-to-day life more comfortable in your home where you spend the most of your time, why wouldn’t you put thought, time and money into those things?

The phrase “experiences are better than things” tends to be oversimplified and overused. Sometimes buying “things” facilitates an experience that is satisfying and meaningful for you.

It all comes down to your values. Once you pinpoint your values and answer the WHY behind your consumer or experiential purchases, everything you do after that will make sense and bring you peace of mind. Try not to get swept up in any overly-hyped trends dictated by social media or otherwise. The words experiences and things are simply labels for the feelings that they evoke. Identifying those feelings helps you identify your values, and you can then spend your money accordingly.

In a related post I recently talked about the Nine Things I Thought I Needed to Be Happy, but Don’t. Please do have a read if you are interested!

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO PURCHASE THE BOOK “SAPIENS” (Absolutely recommend!)

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