Once again, science proves what would appear obvious: people who have rich lives are more interesting and are more liked than people who are centered around their collecting habits (sadly, I seem to be part of that group, which would mean I am headed straight for depression unless I start getting out some more soon).
Van Boven has spent a decade studying the social costs and benefits of pursuing happiness through the acquisition of life experiences such as traveling and going to concerts versus the purchase of material possessions like fancy cars and jewelry.
"We have found that material possessions don't provide as much enduring happiness as the pursuit of life experiences," Van Boven said.
The "take home" message in his most recent study, which appears in this month's edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, is that not only will investing in material possessions make us less happy than investing in life experiences, but that it often makes us less popular among our peers as well.
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