Other than the fact that the guy on the right is strikingly good looking, the similarities between compulsive collectors have been studied and documented...
I recently finished this book called 'Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things', and a lot of it was eye opening...this is the first of 3 posts summarizing a few of the interesting (and relevant things I learned - keep in mind this book released in 2011)...a few interesting tidbits below..
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Central Idea 1: Collecting and Hoarding as Human Behavior...
- People across different cultures have engaged in collecting as a hobby for centuries, with evidence of collecting dating back to ancient times (The earliest documented evidence of collecting comes from the excavations of the Persian tombs at Ur in what is now Iraq. A collection of eleven hundred seal impressions on lumps of clay found there date to the fifth century BCE!!!!!)
- A significant number of adults in the United States are collectors, with hoarding behaviors reported on every continent. (It always makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone)
- Hoarding has been associated with a pathological condition known as 'Oniomania' or 'compulsive buying,' affecting nearly 6 percent of adults in the U.S. (6 percent!!!)
- Compulsive buying and hoarding behaviors may be linked to feelings of ambivalence or uncertainty about self-worth, leading individuals to seek validation through possessions. (This one hits kinda hard)
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I think it's kinda cool that people have been collecting for as long as they have...who woulda thought? Any of those hit you hard?
Last point kinda hit me hard...I can definitely own up to that. Especially growing up I never really knew what was what. I definitely felt worthless for a time...I'm still working on that TO THIS DAY lol