We live in a time of great production of goods, but also of wants. Few among us have taken Thoreau’s advice to “Simplify, simplify” to heart. Quality of life has become synonymous with consumption, almost in direct proportion. A little observation reveals a slightly more complex relationship because ownership has overhead expenses.
Stuff not only uses space, it requires maintenance, needs protection from unsavory individuals, and needs an inventory system. When it takes little effort to accomplish this, having stuff enhances our happiness. For every person, though, there comes a level of accumulation where the responsibilities of ownership become an outright burden.
I intend to move into a condo or townhouse in a few years. The excess furniture and other belongings will be a burden unless I get rid of them before the move. I'm working on it but it's an effort to keep more clutter from getting into the house even as I clear some of it out of the house.
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