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ORIGINAL: Aileen1968

Wow. He makes me incredibly happy. My children make me incredibly happy. My family makes me incredibly happy (sometimes).
I can live without material things. People I cannot live without. It's people that make things worthwhile for me. Dogs and cats and guinea pigs and hamsters too....
I absolutely rely on others to bring joy to my life. I rely on myself as much, but it would be pointless to not be able to share that with those I love around me.
I do not like being alone. I like alone time. That's completely different. But I do not like being alone.
Being in love and loving those close to me is a key component to my happiness.
I am happier since I've been with him. He enhances my life and I'm so lucky for that.

Rambling....

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ORIGINAL: Aileen1968

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ORIGINAL: Icarys

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ORIGINAL: Aileen1968

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ORIGINAL: jbcurious
As to material possesions... I completly agree that these are things which may bring convenience or pleasure to our lives and have a difficult time relating to those who derive happiness from aquiring them...but I honestly don't see how one puts relationships and people into the same category as material possesions.

A lot of people on this planet do just this...

And the world is full of people who are about as self-aware as a turnip so what's your point?

She seemed a bit unaware that there were materialistic people...or at least unable to relate. Just thought I'd point out that there are a lot of people that equate happiness to having lots of stuff. Whether or not they're successful or not in finding happiness through those means is a whole other thread. right back at you.

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ORIGINAL: lucylucy


The people I know who equate happiness to having lots of stuff are generally miserable. I'm thinking of one particular person I know who really treasures his stuff--obsesses over it being kept in the ideal conditions (temperature and light are monitored, etc.), spends large amounts of time looking at his stuff, cataloging his stuff, researching his stuff, talking about his stuff, using his stuff . . . and treats the people in his life like shit. He is miserable (and admits to being miserable). I want to tell him that if he treasured the people in his life the way he treasures his stuff, he'd probably be a lot happier . . . but he doesn't listen to me, so why bother.

Yeah, just one person--not enough to make a grand statement about people who love stuff, but my gut feeling is that this guy is typical of people who equate happiness with having lots of stuff.

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ORIGINAL: heartcream

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ORIGINAL: lucylucy
The people I know who equate happiness to having lots of stuff are generally miserable. I'm thinking of one particular person I know who really treasures his stuff--obsesses over it being kept in the ideal conditions (temperature and light are monitored, etc.), spends large amounts of time looking at his stuff, cataloging his stuff, researching his stuff, talking about his stuff, using his stuff . . . and treats the people in his life like shit. He is miserable (and admits to being miserable). I want to tell him that if he treasured the people in his life the way he treasures his stuff, he'd probably be a lot happier . . . but he doesn't listen to me, so why bother.

Yeah, just one person--not enough to make a grand statement about people who love stuff, but my gut feeling is that this guy is typical of people who equate happiness with having lots of stuff.

I adore my stuff and for the most part take really good care of it. I name my stuff. My bike has a name, my guitars have names, I love my stuff and feel really blessed and happy to have my stuff and look forward to more stuff to love. I adore beautiful things and good design. I would love to have stuff in my life to go with my really great friends and one day a partner would be lovely too.

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ORIGINAL: lucylucy

Stuff just doesn't do it for me. I do name some of my things (I always name my car, for example) and I do take good care of my things (part of being an environmentalist) but I'm not attached to them. When my husband and I divorced, I didn't quibble about any of the stuff. I wanted our daughter and that was all that mattered to me.

Stuff is nice, but it requires upkeep. I hate to dust.

Edited: This post sounds judgmental. Sorry.