This is a question to which each of us may give a different answer.

However, the key is to realize that:

  • happiness is not in possessing the things you desire, no matter of their quantity
  • we can feel happy with the things we already have by reevaluating our value system
  • redirecting our continuous desires for new things/possessions into experiences may bring a lasting feeling of happiness.
So it’s not the maximum possessions that make people happy but the maximum experiences. They say you can't buy happiness, that's not true, you can buy happiness by paying for experiences (vacation, concert, hobbies, etc.) and not material objects (smarter phone, fashionable clothes and shoes, etc.).

The satisfaction that new possessions bring tends to disappear over time, as people adapt to them quickly and stop seeing their value, whereas the memories of experiences are long lasting. It doesn’t matter if they are ordinary (that are regularly repeated) or extraordinary (that are unusual, exceptional and infrequent) experiences. However, as studies show, extraordinary experiences tend to bring more happiness.

It is interesting to mention that even if those experiences have been stressful or unpleasant, they can become funny with time or be regarded as a learning experience of a great value.
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