PEOPLE AND THINGS

Man is a maker and user of objects but these objects have far greater significance than as simple tools. It is with objects that man orders his life and creates stability and against objects that man achieves a stronger sense of self. The objects we use can both reflect and determine who we are and who we would like to be or how we would like others to see us. My nephew’s sparkling blue ute with the oversized bull-bar and enormous CB radio antennas is more than a vehicle to get him from point A to point B. It is an image of himself that he has created (which may or may not be a true reflection) to present to the world. It is where he directs a considerable amount of his energy and, as a result, the object becomes a significant part of the self. Not very far removed from the A A Gill’s purchase of the Rolls Royce. The self chooses the object which in turn determines or defines the self.

The strength of man’s relationship with objects as defining of self can be seen in the monastic traditions of both Christianity and Buddhism where a vow of poverty removes the believer from the things which define his sense of self, allowing him to attain a level of freedom from his ‘earthly’ self. Attachment to objects is also an attachment to concern for self and personal identity which detracts from a more altruistic outlook.

Ardeshir Gholipour
30 January 2010