What our objects tell us about ourselves
We live surrounded by objects we hardly look at any more.
And yet, if one pauses with them, many have a story.
Not a mysterious story, but ours: that of the moments in which they entered our lives.
Memories, not powers
I do not believe that an object possesses a particular force or that it acts upon us from a distance.
What it holds is what we have placed in it: a memory, a person, an era.
A cup, a book, an inherited tool have no value in themselves. They have value through what they bring to mind.
What one chooses to display
The objects we leave in plain sight say something about us.
What one displays, what one stores, what one hides: all of these small choices sketch a picture.
It is rarely calculated. That is precisely why it is revealing.
An exercise in lucidity
From time to time, I find it useful to look at my belongings differently:
- why am I keeping this?
- is this a genuine attachment, or merely a habit?
- what does it say about what matters to me today?
Without falling into excess
All of this remains light. It is not a matter of attributing hidden meaning to every thing, nor of being suspicious of what one possesses.
Simply, paying a little attention to our objects is often a way of understanding oneself a little better.
Conclusion
Our objects do not govern us.
But they keep trace of who we have been, and sometimes of who we are seeking to become.
Yannick Costechareyre