There exists an inherent tension between the value placed on tangible possessions and the lasting impact of lived experiences that often demands a choice in how we seek to pursue a fulfilling life. As life’s impermanence remains inescapable, rather than selecting between the two, supplementing engagement in experiences with material items evokes a self-discovered, intrapersonal meaning to life.
These supplemental material items have the potential to evolve beyond just physicality and possess a connection to the intangible memories of experience. As a result, they can spark conversation and inspire experiences that will outlast the original memory owner. Through tying material items to experiences, their long-lasting influence defies impermanence, inspiring an ideology befitting of overcoming the indifferent nature of the human condition.
The human condition refers to the inherent limitations of humanity, such as the inevitability of endings. According to absurdist beliefs, this ending renders life and all endeavors meaningless. Rejecting the inevitability of their demise, humans, in conflict, search for life’s meaning and methods of fulfillment to stave off the disorientation of existing in a doomed state. To do so, individuals must recognize the ephemeral nature of life and use it as a motivator for acting on freedom to pursue desires. As mentioned, this pursuit is most commonly expressed through the acquisition of material objects or experiences, which both come with a unique set of desirable qualities. Whereas material objects exist concretely in time and space, allowing touch and perception by onlookers, experiences, alternatively, live and die with the owner’s time and are only kept ongoing by memory.
While material objects, when in good condition, prevail throughout time, the fleeting quality of experiences makes them more desirable to those grappling with their end. Seniors, reflecting on their lives, often regret not spending more time on experiences such as education, family activities, careers, mind development and travel, choosing later in life to ease the pain of regret by reengaging with lost opportunities. For these individuals, retrospective fulfillment does not stem from the number of items they own but from the engagement they have with a vast and diverse world.
Unfortunately, memory, like life, is finite and ever-diminishing. While nothing guarantees absolute memory retention, supplementing experiences with material items turns once fleeting moments and memories into long-lasting, tangible memories contained within these items.
Existing as photos, videos, memorabilia or souvenirs, these supplements transfigure an object into a vessel with sentimental value and the ability to evoke thoughts and feelings of a past event for a more complete remembrance.
With the presence of such an item within a person’s belongings, the material item acts as a catalyst for a chain reaction of interconnected experiences, beginning with conversations regarding the item and its deeper connection to a past time. As a result, the owner relives the memory through conversation while also inspiring the acquisition of a similar experience in the life of the listener.
Experiences supplemented by long-lasting tangible items strike the best balance of life fulfillment and defying impermanence. But it is not that simple. Due to the rampant consumption of this era, the desire to overconsume these supplements dilutes their capacity to fuel memory, leading consumers to rely on material items as a means of fulfillment.
A prime example exists in the tourist and concert attendee scene. Discussions of poor concert etiquette — the crowd records while quietly observing through their phone — and the deterioration of travel from sightseeing to photo opportunities exemplify the overconsumption of and an overreliance on material items and negatively characterize these behaviors. In these cases, consumerists rush to acquire material evidence of their experiences without paying mind to actually experiencing anything.
When life becomes more about taking the photo than living the experience, the material item becomes their primary source of fulfillment. Although in opposition to what is recommended above, for some, in the moment, or due to the current trend of publicization and commercialization of our lives on social media, this approach may feel successful in giving life meaning. These people may find meaning through the experience of taking the photo, monetizing their life or simply documenting their existence. Therefore, choosing either the acquisition of experiences or material items aims to immortalize a person.
Regardless of a person’s methods to immortalize themselves, we are still left with the question of how to defy impermanence. Is it leaving evidence of your physical existence in material items that will outlast you? Or, by inspiring actions in others, leaving your influence to prevail through time?
Instead, it is the rejection of the need to be immortalized. Through defying the desire for impermanence, a person’s limited lifespan no longer feels disorienting, but rather suggests things aren’t worthwhile because they last. As Albert Camus, a French author and absurdist, suggests the inevitability of an ending invites a person to explore the full extent of freedom through which they may create their own meanings.
Recently, the absurdist ideology trended on short-form social media with phrases along the lines of, “remembering I have free will.” This trend features a shift as someone reduced to normative conduct suddenly recognizes the vastness and diversity of their world, changing their behavior or activity to express their personal freedoms and desires.
This trend exemplifies a positive pursuit of meaning. From there, in everyday life, individuals must use the ephemeral nature of life as a motivator to fill life with desirable experiences, supplemented by tangible material items, which will outlast them and inspire others. By doing so, individuals boldly highlight their personal freedoms, life exploration and a rejection of discomfort in the human condition.
Allison Bonaventura is a freshman double-majoring in comparative literature and anthropology.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.