And finally...the last little bit that resonated with me from reading that book about hoarding (sneakers)... --- Central Idea 3: Materialism and the Pursuit of Happiness - Materialism, characterized by a 'having' orientation towards the world, can lead to reduced life satisfaction and happiness (always trying to fill that void) - Experiences and events tend to bring more happiness than material possessions, emphasizing the importance of 'being' rather than 'having.' (this is IMPORTANT) - "Affluenza", described as a contagious social affliction where possessions overwhelm our lives, may lead to a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction. (I often wonder if there's any amount of 'stuff' that would make me feel satisfied) - Anthropomorphizing, ascribing feelings to inanimate objects, is a phenomenon not uncommon among hoarders, suggesting a strong emotional connection to possessions. ----- I think the *lasting* point that I really caught...was this idea that most people tend to lean towards one of two dispositions: either 'having' or 'being' 'Having' is the process of making it your life's work to 'have' as many material possessions as you can gather. 'Being' is really just the act of that: 'being'. Possessions vs. experiences. It seems so simple when you think of it like that...and maybe that's why COVID messed a lot of us up there for a while because 'being' was just so damn hard. I like to consider myself a 'being' person, but know that when I'm not actually 'being', I use the 'having' disposition to try to fill in the gap. Anyway...if you're concerned about your own reasons behind buying all of these goddam shoes, and want to take a peak as to why...I'd suggest you pick, up the book 'Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.'