Wishing, Desiring & Having Everything

I'm sure I could think of things my little heart desires. Human beings seem to spend a lot of time wishing they could have something else or do something else. We desire to be someone else, be somewhere else, have someone else in our lives. Seemingly we are never satisfied with what we have already got. Satisfaction seems hard to come by.

Wishing has a long & ancient history. Just think of all the fairy tales for example. Customs & rituals can be traced back to ancient cultures. People believed that wells were home to gods and that throwing coins or other tokens into the water would grant wishes. Some wells were also thought to have healing powers, and people would bathe in or drink the water. The Etruscans, believed that chickens could predict the future and that the "wishbone" of a chicken could be used to make wishes. We make a wish when we blow birthday candles out. 

I am interested in why we humans are never satisfied with what we have got. Apparently a combination of psychological factors including our natural inclination to seek new things, a tendency to compare ourselves to others, high expectations, the "hedonic adaptation" where we quickly adjust to positive changes, and a biological drive to constantly improve and evolve, which can make contentment feel stagnant and unmotivating, all play a part. Essentially, our brains are wired to always be looking for "more" rather than appreciating what we already possess. 

Shopping was the UK's favourite leisure activity. But Covid & online shopping seems to have changed that. It is still enjoyed by 70 - 80% of people according to Statistica. (I'm one of the minority who don't enjoy doing it regularly). There's very little I want that makes shopping worth the effort.

https://www.microbizmag.co.uk/ecommerce-statistics/ - interesting website.

I am tempted to try not to buy any new clothes in 2025. I'm sure I have enough to last the rest of my life, apart from possibly underwear & shoes. (Actually I've got a lot of shoes - Mental note take the ones that don't fit to the charity shop.) 

Similarly, I don't want to buy anything else for the house. I can't resist plants for the garden though.

I actually do think that I have more or less everything I want. There is nothing I really desire. On the contrary, I spend a lot of time trying to have less stuff in my life. Christmas brings this home to me every year. The sheer consumerism of it & the waste that follows from it. 

 

The most important thing about Christmas is who you spend it with. Enjoying the company of your friends & family. It seems easy to lose sight of that. It's easy to lose sight of the many people who don't have anything like everything.