The Tyranny of Things

In this season of materialistic orgy, I thought this post to be quite apropos.


Everything you have, have ever had, or will ever have, at some point, will cease to be; nothing is constant except change. In the modern western world we are lucky. We have plenty, more than we can want. All it takes is the drive and the means and presto, you have the item of your desire. While people in Haiti literally eat dirt, a person of average means in the US lives better than most nobility in past ages. From gold plated shower curtain rings to sneakers that light up to plastic novelty Santa Clause’s, ours is a world of things.

However, owning things, while a blessing, is also a curse. Things need to be safe guarded; protected. Other people may covet your items and take them. Things can get lost or broken. Many things require maintenance and updating, such as cars and computers. In addition, you have to have a place to store your things, closets, garages, etc. We may have to account for or track our things, such as the registration for our automobiles.

We also get attached to our things. If something we are bonded to gets broken, we may experience real emotional pain. If we can’t find something we are looking for, we can become frustrated and angry. I know that this is a situation I often face; Where the heck is that special cable adapter thingy to the new black box I just purchased? AARGH!

The more things you have the bigger these problems are. In addition, not only do we have the aforementioned issues, we also have another problem. Many things today are designed to break or wear out. Planned obsolesce, its called. How many of you have records ( LPs, remember them? ), eight tracks, cassettes, VCRs etc, which you can no longer use because you can no longer play them. I am on my 4th or 5th version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon for this very reason.

So now we have to go through the hassle of replacing these things too, beyond just caring for them in life, what happens to them in their “death”? We have to plan for this too. Many pieces of electronic equipment can’t be just thrown away because they are loaded with toxins.

Shopping and the acquisition of things has become a hobby. I often ask people what they do for fun and many people reply “shopping”. It has become a sport. It is what has replaced the hunting and gathering of the past. How many of you have collections? Stamps, coins, etc. I collect shot glasses. At least these are somewhat practical. These items take on a life of their own. Beyond what they are, they also stand for, or represent, something else. Like the collectible silver spoons you often find at touristy type places. These come to symbolize the good times we had and reflect the places we have been. By holding on to these things, it makes the past and it makes us more real… in some way.

But, to return to my opening statement, all of these things are impermanent. The intrinsic value will place upon these items are an illusion, something our mind created. While some things are needed ( like warm clothes ), other things are just “nice to have”. We must realize that while we are indeed fortunate. This can change. If we keep this in mind, that we too will one day be gone and you “cant take it with you”, it will help us see this impermanence and this oppression we experience, but don’t often acknowledge.

I think by acknowledging that there is a certain tyranny inherent in our possessions ( by owning things, they own us ), it will go a long way to helping us be healthier, happier and better adjusted people. Look around and ask yourself, do I need this item, whatever it is? Do I even still want it? And you may find that the answer is often, no. In this way we experience a feeling of lightness, of freedom. And this is the first step on the road towards getting out from under this tyrann... the tyranny of things.

May 2009 bless you with that which matters most… whatever that may be for you.