Why we are so attached to our stuff
Why does a childhood blanket or teddy bear hold so much meaning? Why do we find it so hard to part with certain objects? This hour, our emotional connection to things.
Listen 50:54![IMG_6885 Marty's childhood teddy bear](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_6885-768x728.jpg)
Marty's childhood teddy bear
Did you have a favorite stuffed animal or blanket when you were a kid? Do you still have it today? Childhood possessions are filled with memories and meaning so we hold on to them for many years.
In this hour we explore the uniquely human behavior of owning things and why we become attached to our belongings. We’ll look at how they connect us with a person or experience and become part of our identity. And we’ll talk about the downsides of having too many possessions – there are more than 50,000 self-storage facilities in the country filled with our overflow. Our guest is psychologist Bruce Hood author of Possessed: Why We Want More Than We Need.
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