Why Buying Experiences Give You More Satisfaction Than Buying Materials?

Source: Traveller all around

Imagine if you just won a lottery or you find your bank account infused with stacks of money, then what would you wish to do with that money? After all the intellectual notions about savings and investment, how would you spend the rest of the amount? Would you go on to purchase your dream car or go to explore new scenic places and indulge in adventures such as paragliding, bungee jumping, hiking, sea diving, etc.?

Confused! Studies say that an average person tends to choose materials first as they are tangible and can be used. On the contrary, expenditure incurred on getting experiences lasts in memory only. But the same studies have revealed that while majority of the masses spend more on shopping for high-tech devices, clothes, jewellery, appliances, etc., the satisfaction received is exponentially high when money is spent on buying experiences. When we gain experiences, they leave an incredible impact on our minds making us gradually feel that it is worthier than any of the materialistic goods. While the value of things depreciate over time, the value of such unforgettable memories appreciates.

If you perceive that decades later you will cherish the same Playstation game over your trip to US, Europe or Asia, then you probably need to know why buying experiences give your more satisfaction than buying materials:

1. Experiences Come Associated With Loads Of Memories

Many researches have concluded that it is the newness of the materials that brings certain amount of joy. But as the newness starts fading, we get accustomed to owning that thing and it soon becomes a part of our routine that contributes nothing in the amount of happiness we feel everyday. For example, if we are eagerly waiting for purchasing the latest edition of any smartphone by accumulating money for it since a long time, then we surely would make most of it in the initial weeks. You cannot resist yourself from operating every single function but once you get habitual of using it, then you start considering as a mere thing that is doing nothing to bring a smile on your face. It becomes equivalent to any other smartphone and gradually we stop taking care of it, due to which many of us actually have phones that are partially damaged!

But if you invest the same money in buying an experience, then the scenario will be quite different. Many people love to explore new places and they have a learning attitude due to which they travel to get exposed to new cultures, traditions, living practises, etc. They don’t need to keep on purchasing new things to keep their motivation level high or to satisfy their egos. In fact, they nurture their life experiences to keep them enthusiastic and for that, they just peep deep into their memories.

2. You Get To Learn Various Life Lessons

In many countries, people believe in making long-term investments such as in education and travelling instead of buying goods that have high depreciating rate in a bid to make most of their hard earned income. It is certainly true that you have the choice of spending your money on shopping impulsively for goods that you can stock up for showing off your wealth but you certainly need to build your identity. For this, you need a strong foundation of education and learning.

After stepping out of university, you can have endless opportunities for learning and one of them is getting experiences. Experiences are of various kinds and suppose you wish to experience the life led by the tribes of Africa, then you will get to know the insights of their culture and beliefs by reading books, watching documentaries or visiting such places. When you start travelling to your places of interest, you will come across various people of various creeds who will give your varied experiences. When you observe how life is led in different parts of the world, then you will surely gain knowledge that no college or institution can give for any huge amount. Many researches have said that such life experiences leave influential marks on your minds and you realise what life is all about and how fortunate you are to confront such experiences.

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3. You Get An Opportunity To Share Your Experiences

The best part of gaining experiences over materials is the joy you derive from sharing your experience. You feel mentally and emotionally satisfied when you are able to converse about what you saw and narrate your whole travelling tale among your friend circle. You get recognised as a knowledgeable person among them. It gives you immense pleasure when you get to share your memories and recollect the incidences that made your experience unique. This uniqueness however, lacks when you purchase a commodity. It is normal to buy these materials and we generally find our colleagues and friends carrying similar phones, tablets, jewellery, apparels, cars, etc.

Suppose you are waiting to watch a movie that is to be released in a week or so and one of your friends is waiting for purchasing a laptop that is to be launched in the same week. Though the curiosity level will initially be high in both the cases, but as time passes by, you will have opportunities to experience more happiness by sharing your opinion about that movie and you can have conversations with your friends about it. You will be able to establish a deeper connection with people when you share your experiences. On the other side, as time lapses, new and latest editions of the laptop will get introduced in the market and you will find yourself carrying a piece of obsolete technology.