Buying experiences, not things

GaryProtein

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I find myself to be in tremendous disagreement with statements in the article. Killingsworth sounds like the typical psychologizing dope. There are others who find that one's degee of happiness is a more "chronic" (my term) sensation, NOT based on moment to moment feelings.

On the simplest level, I would rather buy something for $20 or $20,000 that I continue to own and enjoy over an experience costing the same amount that will be over and done.

Just to pick one example, the $20,000 pre-amplifier will always give more "pleasantness, happiness and excitement" (to use the author's words) than the $20,000 vacation.
 
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edorr

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I find myself to be in tremendous disagreement with statements in the article. Killingsworth sounds like the typical psychologizing dope. There are others who find that one's degee of happiness is a more "chronic" (my term) sensation, NOT based on moment to moment feelings.

On the simplest level, I would rather buy something for $20 or $20,000 that I continue to own and enjoy over an experience costing the same amount that will be over and done.

Just to pick one example, the $20,000 pre-amplifier will always give more "pleasantness, happiness and excitement" (to use the author's words) than the $20,000 vacation.

Not always so simple. Case in point. How much would you pay for a blu ray disc of the Led Zeppelin reunion concert (an "item" you can continually use), versus the ticket to actually see the concert (the experience)?

Second example. I'm going to Morocco over Xmas with my children to they can "experience" a different a different culture and will happily fork out 5 figures. However, not a chance in hell I am spending that money to get all my Shunyata cables upgraded to latest level, so I can repeatedly experience (marginally) better sound indefinitely. Note that the Morocco experience is a permanent enrichment of their lives. Not a chance in hell I would pay the same for a platinum package in a 2000 SqFt suite to Disney.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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Just to pick one example, the $20,000 pre-amplifier will always give more "pleasantness, happiness and excitement" (to use the author's words) than the $20,000 vacation.

On the surface I don't disagree with this. However...

Not always so simple. Case in point. How much would you pay for a blu ray disc of the Led Zeppelin reunion concert (an "item" you can continually use), versus the ticket to actually see the concert (the experience)?

Second example. I'm going to Morocco over Xmas with my children to they can "experience" a different a different culture and will happily fork out 5 figures. However, not a chance in hell I am spending that money to get all my Shunyata cables upgraded to latest level, so I can repeatedly experience (marginally) better sound indefinitely. Note that the Morocco experience is a permanent enrichment of their lives. Not a chance in hell I would pay the same for a platinum package in a 2000 SqFt suite to Disney.

Well said!
 

GaryProtein

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Not always so simple. Case in point. How much would you pay for a blu ray disc of the Led Zeppelin reunion concert (an "item" you can continually use), versus the ticket to actually see the concert (the experience)?

Second example. I'm going to Morocco over Xmas with my children to they can "experience" a different a different culture and will happily fork out 5 figures. However, not a chance in hell I am spending that money to get all my Shunyata cables upgraded to latest level, so I can repeatedly experience (marginally) better sound indefinitely. Note that the Morocco experience is a permanent enrichment of their lives. Not a chance in hell I would pay the same for a platinum package in a 2000 SqFt suite to Disney.

Actually, very simple:

First example: I'm not into music videos of concerts, but ZERO for the ticket to see it live. I would not ever go to a rock concert again in my life. I went to four rock concerts in my twenties and vowed to never go again. I will, however, happily listen to Led Zeppelin's recordings.

Second example: I do not have to experience everything in person. My parents took our family on many regular vacations, so I'm no stranger to travel. As an adult, when I took American and international vacations, I did that for my daughter and it was purely for her. I have an excellent imagination and I can see photographs and read about things if I want to "experience" some other culture. I have no need or desire to experience the rest of the world first hand. A three day vacation (including travel time) is plenty for me. When my 25 year old daughter and I were out for dinner one night over the summer we were discussing vacations, I found it interesting when she told me that after four days, she's done.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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Actually, very simple:

First example: I'm not into music videos of concerts, but ZERO for the ticket to see it live. I would not ever go to a rock concert again in my life. I went to four rock concerts in my twenties and vowed to never go again. I will, however, happily listen to Led Zeppelin's recordings.

Second example: I do not have to experience everything in person. My parents took our family on many regular vacations, so I'm no stranger to travel. As an adult, when I took American and international vacations, I did that for my daughter and it was purely for her. I have an excellent imagination and I can see photographs and read about things if I want to "experience" some other culture. I have no need or desire to experience the rest of the world first hand. A three day vacation (including travel time) is plenty for me. When my 25 year old daughter and I were out for dinner one night over the summer we were discussing vacations, I found it interesting when she told me that after four days, she's done.

Tell me you are joking? You may be able to imagine what it would be like, but that's about it.
 

GaryProtein

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Not always so simple. Case in point. How much would you pay for a blu ray disc of the Led Zeppelin reunion concert (an "item" you can continually use), versus the ticket to actually see the concert (the experience)?

Second example. I'm going to Morocco over Xmas with my children to they can "experience" a different a different culture and will happily fork out 5 figures. However, not a chance in hell I am spending that money to get all my Shunyata cables upgraded to latest level, so I can repeatedly experience (marginally) better sound indefinitely. Note that the Morocco experience is a permanent enrichment of their lives. Not a chance in hell I would pay the same for a platinum package in a 2000 SqFt suite to Disney.

Just to qualify, the trip you are taking, and definitely the ones I took were for someone else's benefit.

Tell me you are joking? You may be able to imagine what it would be like, but that's about it.

That's all I need. Actually, "seeing" is enough. I don't even have to imagine.
 
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PeterA

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It's an interesting discussion. We all have our hobbies. We buy things and we experience things. I try to have a healthy balance between the two. I attend about 5 or 6 performances a season at the BSO and another half dozen or so live musical events a year. Fellow member Al M. and I will be hearing a cello and piano performance in a residential setting Tuesday evening. I really enjoy listening to live acoustic music and everything that is involved with such an outing; seeing friends, having the lunch or dinner beforehand, and the discussions afterwards. But I also enjoy spending money on, and time with, my audio system. If I were to calculate how much my system actually costs to play music for an evening, I could go to see a live event for about the same money. But they are not the same. Listening to a system offers one flexibility and the opportunity to hear all kinds of music at the push of a button, all in the comfort of one's own home. However, attending the live event serves as a reference as I try to improve my system. One could even say hearing live music is an integral part of the audio hobby.

I just bought a sailboat. How does one separate the "buying the experience" from buying the "thing"? You buy the sailboat in order to experience sailing. The act of buying something enables you to have the experience. I suppose you could always just listen to your system and never hear live music, but does anyone really do that? I went to Morocco to attend my cousin's wedding a few years ago. We had a grand time. I bought a camera and now I can sit and enjoy the photographs, and I suppose, relive the experience.

I really don't think most of us do just one or the other.
 
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ack

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Selfish and silly as it may sound, I like interacting with humans more than pushing On/Off buttons. Even my system is all about living the musical experience, imagine that...
 

edorr

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Actually, very simple:

First example: I'm not into music videos of concerts, but ZERO for the ticket to see it live. I would not ever go to a rock concert again in my life. I went to four rock concerts in my twenties and vowed to never go again. I will, however, happily listen to Led Zeppelin's recordings.

Second example: I do not have to experience everything in person. My parents took our family on many regular vacations, so I'm no stranger to travel. As an adult, when I took American and international vacations, I did that for my daughter and it was purely for her. I have an excellent imagination and I can see photographs and read about things if I want to "experience" some other culture. I have no need or desire to experience the rest of the world first hand. A three day vacation (including travel time) is plenty for me. When my 25 year old daughter and I were out for dinner one night over the summer we were discussing vacations, I found it interesting when she told me that after four days, she's done.

You and I are obviously from a different planet. Inter-cultural (preferably "immersive") travel has been by far the most enriching experience in my life. I spend months in South America, Asia, Africa and every corner of Europe. There is absolutely no way you can "experience" any of this by reading and watching pictures or even movies, any more than you can experience having sex by flipping through Hustler magazine.
 

edorr

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May 10, 2010
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Just to qualify, the trip you are taking, and definitely the ones I took were for someone else's benefit.

Right now they are. But I have been to Morocco myself in the past, went walking in the desert with 2 camels and a tuareg guide - sleeping under the starts, and want my daughters to get a flavor of the country now.
 

bonzo75

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I would give my right arm, leg, and other things for that Led Zeppelin concert. I actually went to the premiere at Hammersmith only to get a look at Gods Page, Plant and JPJ from 5 feet.

I am also enjoying my experiences at classical concerts more than hifi
 

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