British Author and trend forecaster James Wallman says it’s time for a new way of life. He calls it the ‘experience revolution’: up with experiences and doing stuff; down with possessions and owning stuff. In Issue 16 you can read an article about it, below you can find a snippet.
Why do experiences make us happier than possessions?
Well, one of the reasons is that you get used to stuff very quickly. When you walk out of the store with your new cell phone, you are very happy with it. But it quickly becomes normal and, after a few months, when a new version is released, you’ll want to replace it with that one. It’s called ‘hedonic adaptation’. This doesn’t apply to experiences because they are always different.
Another reason why experiences cause happiness is that they can inspire moments of ‘flow’. When you are walking, running, skiing or painting, washing your car with your children or listening to a good friend, something beautiful happens: You drop into the moment. You don’t think about what you are doing, you just do it. That is what makes an experience so rich.
- You can read the article in iisue 16, which is available in our shop.
Text Sjoukje van de Kolk Illustration Valerie McKeehan
