Why do we bother owning so much “stuff?”

Recently I’ve moved away from Sydney and come back to my hometown in Perth. During that exercise, I realised how much stuff I had. I had couches, arm chairs, multiple tables, desks, bookshelves, cabinets, etc. And all of it was just full of “stuff”. And I truly believed that, in moving to Perth with just a suitcase, that I would miss my “stuff”.

Lo and behold, I don’t miss any of it.

Sure, it is worth highlighting that while I’m over here I have a TV, a couch, a bed, etc. so I’m not just living in an empty room. But what it did highlight for me is how inconsequential this stuff is. Oh no! I don’t have my exact favourite arm chair! Who cares? I have something pretty close to what I want.

This exercise has made me realise how little I need to be happy. Honestly, all I need is basically a laptop to be happy. A laptop enables me to be productive, to socialise, and to entertain myself (via Netflix and Spotify). I think I could truly pack my life up into one suitcase - clothes primarily - and be completely content with life.

I also learnt that a good life is having a small space in a central location surrounded by public infrastructure. I loved sitting in parks in Sydney, taking public transport, and visiting local cafes. It is just a nice way to spend your life. I don’t need a mansion that I have built and maintain myself. I pay taxes, why don’t I just use public infrastructure and feel like I’m a part of society, not isolated from it? My only gripe is that there aren’t enough “public working spaces” full of desks and powerpoints where you can go be productive. Basically a men’s shed, but for tech people.

Renting is given this really dirty aura to it. To rent is to be “throwing money away” and “losing out long-term”. I believe this is only the case if your greatest care is money. Then, at that point, it is throwing money away. But if your greatest care is flexibility and freedom of responsibility then I’d argue that renting is an amazing feeling. Who cares about this house? I can leave it in a year.

The only downside to renting, really, is that you have very few rights. The landlords and owners of the “things” make you feel like a piece of shit. There is no back-and-forth, no reasonableness. It’s a case of “I own you, and you will pay me”. Funny how humans are.

My other thought here is how you don’t need the latest and greatest stuff. Do I really need an amazing, expensive couch? Not really. My cheap couch is just as comfortable and loved. What about an expensive TV? Expensive table? Paintings on the wall? This is where I think the First Nations had the right idea. They let things be disposable. Move from one camp to another? Well there is no need to take that bowl with us. We can just make another one on the other side. Same with jewellery, with weapons, and with more permanent constructs like furnaces. Your spear broke? No worries, let’s fashion you another one.

I think we can take great lessons from the indigenous Australians. Is it possible to get the utility of “things” without the encumbrance of ownership? I think buying and selling second hand items is as close to this as you can get. Move to a new city, find everything you need secondhand, and then sell it again on the other side. That way you get the benefits of “stuff” without the attachment of the thing.

At the end of it all, you can’t take stuff with you. So don’t let your stuff control your life and prevent you from doing the things you want to do.