“I’m breaking my attachment to physical power and possessions because only through destroying myself can I discover the greater power of my spirit” ~Tyler Durden – Fight Club

While I chastise myself not being more imaginative than quoting Fight Club, when I am feeling very anti-materialistic or anti-consumer culture, it is quotes from the book/movie that always pop into my mind. But I do love the irony that Fight Club rails against consumerism, material goods, and promotes the destruction of the self and yet manages to inspire the opposite in the legions of fans who buy things in order to express that Fight Club somehow represents who they are. And it is this push away and pull towards objects that I want to address.

While we may rail against consumerism, sometimes we are just pulled to certain material things. They bring us joy and excitement.  Aaron C. Ahuvia argues in his article, Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers’ Identity Narratives, that some “loved” objects that we own help us create a coherent story of ourselves. Loved objects and activities help to structure our social relationships and support our well-being.

Objects can tell stories. They can hold family histories. They can represent friendships and symbolize marriages. They recreate our culture. We pass them down from generation to generation.

I can find beauty and love embedded in objects – from amazing works of art to my father’s neckties. However I have a hard time putting my finger on the point when this craving for objects goes from meaningful storytelling, family heirlooms, or culture regeneration to excessive disposable waste. When do objects become disposable? When do they go from loved items to just the latest fashion trend?

I know people who love shoes. I mean really love shoes. To them, they are loved objects of intense personal meaning. They tell a story (“I bought those shoes for a party in the Spring of 1986 at a wonderful store in Paris”). They can’t be replaced. They are seen as works of art and beauty. But how long will they last? How many pairs of shoes can you love? How many resources did they use up? Are you really your shoes?

Do we truly work towards giving up all material objects in our lives? Do we learn to no longer express our “selves” through material objects? Do we give up the history and meanings that arise from objects as well as the meanings are embedded onto them by our minds and collective culture? What would that look like?

“The liberator who destroys my property, is fighting to save my spirit. The teacher who clears all possessions from my path will set me free.” ~Tyler Durden, Fight Club