Quickie: The High Cost of Relationship Insecurity
When your romance is rocky, you may put more value on your stuff
Are you having problems in your relationship? Is it causing you so much stress that you find yourself engaging in retail therapy to make you feel better? Or do you find yourself becoming more attached to the stuff that you buy?
“People value possessions, in part, because they afford a sense of protection, insurance, and comfort.”
Research shows that this may be caused by relationship insecurity because when we don’t get the support we crave from the people we love, we look for it in other places — including our stuff. As a result, the connection we have with our material possessions fills that emotional void, which can cause us to put a high monetary value on these things.
“People value possessions, in part, because they afford a sense of protection, insurance, and comfort,” said researcher Edward Lemay. “But what we found was that if people already have a feeling of being loved and accepted by others, which also can provide a sense of protection, insurance, and comfort, those possessions decrease in value.”
