Many people see nothing wrong with having things you don’t need. Their philosophy is that it is better than needing something you don’t have. While this is true in some situations, it can cause problems in others. The first step in understanding this is to define things you don’t need. The next step is to understand the nature of material things. This will give a basic understanding of what can be wrong with getting things you don’t need.
Things you don’t need
Before we can understand the things we don’t need, we must first define the things that we need. In the most generous definition, you need something if it meets 2 criteria:
1. You have a use for it.
2. You don’t already have something else that works as well
So if something doesn’t meet both of these criteria, you don’t need it. Things you don’t need can fit in one or more of the following categories:
Things that don’t work
These are things that don’t serve the function you want. These can include defunct electronics, stale food, or clothes that don’t fit. These things are garbage.
Hopelessly redundant things
It can be good to have a spare if something vital fails. But this can be excessive. So, you probably don’t need the 50th spare pen or the 100th extra wire hangar.
Just in case items that are not for emergencies
Keeping things “just in case” only makes sense if they are for emergencies. An emergency is a situation that can get much worse or even dangerous if it goes unchecked. If this is not the case, then you don’t need the “just in case” item.
Things you never get around to using
These are things you plan to use someday, but the someday never arrives. They can include clothes you never wear, pictures locked in a box, or even things forever stuck in storage. It is best to admit that you will never use them and get rid of them.
What we need to know about material things
We need to know some important qualities about man-made things. This knowledge will help us to view them from the proper perspective. Otherwise, we risk over-valuing them and degrading our quality of life for them.
Man-made things are meant to be tools
Our desire for material things is based on us being tool users. In fact, other animals only care about material things if they can use them as tools. So, a dog only cares about its bed because the bed is a tool to lay down in comfort. Also, useful man-made objects are meant to be tools of some sort. So, even a decorative object is a tool for adding beauty to the home. Also, a cup is a tool for holding and drinking liquid without spilling it. If you cannot use an object as a tool in any capacity, then it is useless to you.
All things use resources
Every material thing you own uses resources. These resources include space, time, money, and effort among others. So, the things you own use the resources you need to maintain them. So if you have no use for something, then keeping it will only waste your resources. Even if it’s free and needs no maintenance, it will still waste your space.
The things you don’t need are unlimited compared to the things that you do need
For every pen, garment, or cellphone you need, there are thousands that you don’t. The same goes for every other thing you can own. The point here is that the things you don’t need will always outnumber the things that you do by a long shot. So if you get things you don’t need, there is no limit to the things you can justify getting. As you will soon see, this can cause a major problem.
As we know, every room has a finite amount of space. Some of that space is necessary for the furnishings and function of the room. If there are too many things in the room, they can start to encroach on this space. If this happens, then the clutter will start to pile up on horizontal surfaces. Too many things can even overwhelm the space. In this case, the room will function poorly and will be impossible to keep tidy. In fact, clutter is the most common and severe decor problem that plagues American households. It’s because many people have too many things that they don’t need.
Buying things you don’t need can drain your bank account
As I said before, things you don’t need are limitless, unlike things you do. So if you only get things you need, you will have a natural limit on your spending. Buying things you don’t need is quite the opposite. It puts no limit to the things you can get or the money you can spend, and the result can devastate your bank account. It explains why so many shopaholics are broke while living in cluttered spaces.
In summary, things that you don’t need are things that you won’t use. These can include things that either don’t work or are hopelessly redundant. They can also include “just in case” items that are not for emergencies or other things that you won’t get around to using. Everything you own demands resources. So if you don’t use something, then it is wasting your resources. Also, man-made things are meant to be tools, and a tool you don’t use is a waste. Also, things you don’t need are unlimited compared to the things you do. So there is no limit to the number of things you can get or the amount you can spend to get them. So, things you don’t need can cause you to empty your bank account while cluttering your space.