The False Promise of Indefinite Power Through Ownership (the illusion of ownership)

 

 

This opinion piece debates the illusion of ownership with a focus on psychology.

5 Minute Read

 

Can we ever truly own something if it can be taken away through time, transfer, death, or selling? Seemingly, the word ‘own’ in ‘ownership’ gives one a false promise of eternity, consistency, and permanence; a reality any of us are yet to experience considering that the global life expectancy for a human is around 72 years.

 

 

So why the obsession with ownership?

 

To wield power over something or someone─be it through control or assent─results in the ownership of something. The ego is rewarded with a sense of meaning, purpose, and even achievement when we come to own something or marry ourselves to someone (implying mutual ownership over the marriage). It is through these things that our, often absurd, existence can be measured and seen. Specifically, through the acquired possession of objects such as a home, a car, or even a pet or a child, the process of having captured something actualises the experience of one's own power and one's own existence. Think of it as a stamp of approval that says, “I own objects, therefore I am” or “the object defines my existence as I am able to possess it”. In addition, our life force is alchemised through being rewarded a medal that represents ownership of having done better than your opponents during sports or through a certificate that represents ownership of a degree, here the energy that you are becomes transmuted into objects that can be possessed. The problem here though is if a decaying object that is not infinite represents your life force that is, and you believe that this object is owned by you, a limitation of ‘self' may be experienced causing damage to your life force.

 

 

Let's unpack this limitation of 'self' using the word ‘ownership’. Starting with the word ‘own’ if I say, “I am on my own” I am describing my ‘self’ (life force, existence, energy) as being one with me and as being isolated from others. If I say, “I am my own self” I may be implying that I possess (master, shape, belong to, etc.) my ‘self’. Thus, by saying “I own a car”, or “I have ownership of a business” I am confirming the fusion of the objects I possess with my existence; I surrender to the objects I say I own as we become one. Another way of understanding this is if we replace the words ‘I own’ with ‘I posses’ since the word ‘own’ represents belonging or possession. This can translate to “I possess a car”, and “I possess a marriage”. Here is where the danger lies and where most individuals suffer from a disconnection within their existence when life does not go as planned; once objects decay, diminish (also through an inability to maintain), are dilapidated, or even get taken away, individuals may feel a metaphysical dismembering that results in common psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol, substance abuse, etc. This occurs as not only do people come to attach themselves to both material objects and objects representing ownership over a covenant (i.e. marriage, a degree, or career); but they attempt to derive themselves or a sense of purpose from these things thus redirecting the source of their lifeforce to items that perish. Simply, by seeing yourself as possessing a sports car or a lovely handbag, when something happens to those objects, you translate that as something happening to the essence of you instead of understanding that your life force is eternal and can come to possess other objects of the same or even more value.

 

 

Further unpacking the danger in the word ‘ownership’, we focus on the end of the word highlighting the word ‘ship’ in ‘ownership’. Individuals should instead strive to see their ‘self’ as a ship and the objects they secure through purchase or effort, as passengers or cargo on the ship. Here, these items can be used to entertain the ‘self’, as well as behave as costumes or tools for the ‘self’ but not define the ‘self’ or act as a source of the ‘self’. Here, the objects can be seen as tools to craft beauty, love, joy, hope, sharing, creativity, excitement, etc. which alchemise the evolution and expansion of the ‘self’, something that appears truer to the human life force than plain objects. Here the terms “I use objects to explore the I am" rather than "I own objects, therefore, I am” seems to better capture the lifeforce of human beings. This way of thinking may also prevent depression, anxiety, work burnout, etc. as individuals may attach their lifeforce less to the objects they possess. 

 

Picture by: Cup of Couple

 

Centered Consciousness