> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.cjchilvers.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Buy Experiences, Not Gear
- URL: https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/buy-experiences-not-gear/
- Published: 2014-12-28T21:19:49.000Z
- Updated: 2014-12-28T21:19:49.000Z
- Author: CJ Chilvers
- Tags: photography, gear, cameras, live first

From the [Journal of Personality and Social Psychology](http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.6.1193?ref=cjchilvers.com) (via [99u](http://99u.com/articles/22557/7-habits-of-incredibly-happy-people?utm%5Fsource=99U&utm%5Fcampaign=e4888a0352-Weekly%5F12%5F28%5F2014&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5Fbdabfaef00-e4888a0352-148001737)):

> In two surveys, respondents from various demographic groups indicated that experiential purchases-those made with the primary intention of acquiring a life experience–made them happier than material purchases. In a follow-up laboratory experiment, participants experienced more positive feelings after pondering an experiential purchase than after pondering a material purchase. In another experiment, participants were more likely to anticipate that experiences would make them happier than material possessions after adopting a temporally distant, versus a temporally proximate, perspective. The discussion focuses on evidence that experiences make people happier because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are a more meaningful part of one’s identity, and contribute more to successful social relationships.