The Possession And Self Concept

We are surrounded by many objects from our childhood that decide the significance of our character. In this regard, possession is an important aspect in the acquisition of one’s identity and ownership throughout the life of a person. They range from small items such as pens, books, and toys, to bigger items such as owning a house as adults. Due to this, people often are willing to go to certain extents for entitlement. For instance, young people strive to use possessions as a way of creating an identity for themselves, which they maintain in their adult years and subsequently preserve in the sunset years (Gentry et al., 413). This shows that possessions keep varying over the course of one’s life through growth. In many instances, as a person grows older, they become disengaged with things they consider less appealing. At the maturation stage, they develop a proper identity with their possessions, which they retain till old age. Possessions in the form of objects enhance self-image for many adolescents, it also creates a sense of belonging and independence in their adult years, which is vital in their subsequent years. Finally, at sunset years or death, it is passed on to the next generation as souvenirs for memories.

At the adolescent stage, young people are more concerned with having possessions that enhance their self-image to their peers. Jarrett posits that materialism is usually at its peak during adolescence, as they strive to seek what makes them happier (6). This is most motivated by the desire to increase their self-esteem, which makes them confident when dealing with their peers. This is the period when they are most likely to suffer from low self-esteem when they are unable to meet the standards that their peers subscribe to. At this stage, most of them are usually seeking their own identity away from their parents (Gentry et al., 414). Therefore, they focus on possessing commodities that will enhance the image that they project to their peers. For instance, they are concerned with the possession of the most digital gadgets, to compete with modern technology. They also update themselves with the latest trends such as music, video games. This shows that possession does not only exist in material things but also in virtual objects (Belk 480). Ownership of digital goods is highly praised among youths and thus, this portrays them in a positive light, which enables them to fit and compete with their peers without feeling out of place. However, the decisions and possessions they choose can shape how they will turn out in their next phase of life as adults (Gil et al., 281).

Possessions tend to give a sense of belonging and independence in adulthood, which are equally vital in the creation of self-identity. For instance, owning a house often gives a person a sense of entitlement and a core part of him. At this stage of life, people tend to accumulate more material things, which increases their sense of self (Jarrett 9). For this reason, people who lose their property in hurricanes feel much devastated as they lose a part of themselves. Owning property gives a person their social standing, such that others can identify them with their wealth (Belk 266). Material possession in adulthood is usually shaped by the desire to meet societal goals, which amounts to satisfaction in the end. This further accentuates the capability to help others in society, especially when one has enough material to do so. In this regard, people are always looking for ways to enhance themself by increasing their possessions (Dommer and Swaminathan 1036). This way, their social self is improved, and subsequently, their valuation increases. The greatest challenge in this stage of life is the social threat, which is defined by the lack of possessions that makes one identify with their immediate society.

Possessions are paramount in sunset years and beyond as they are used as souvenirs that the next generations can identify one with. They serve great as memories, which explains why older people are more attached to their belongings, some of which they have maintained since their hay days (Jarrett 10). There are strong bonds formed between them and these possessions, which is why they pass them to their favorite families who come in the proceeding generation. They trust that the predecessors are going to take care of the bequeathed possessions. The passing on of possessions to the next generation portrays the continuing role and identity of the older or dead person. Therefore, possessions offer immortality to some extent, and thus, bypassing them to the next generation, the elderly person or the dying feels that the object would be of great help to the person it is allocated to (Gentry et al., 418). Therefore, their identity lives on through the possession and this shows that self-identity lives on even beyond death.

Possession of material keeps changing at every turn of a person’s life. The possession that one needs in childhood and adolescence changes at adulthood, as one seeks to live a more fulfilled life, better than maintaining an outside self-image. This is motivated by the desire to be independent and to have a sense of belonging in the larger society. The possessions in adulthood give a person’s life the most of self-identity, as a person spends most of their time at this level while striving to fit in the society that they live in. Equally, old age and after death are marked by memories and thus, the possessions gathered during one’s course of life are what the next generations can keep as souvenirs. This however reveals that self-identity is paramount at every stage of a person’s life and the possessions that they have during the stages help to define them better. This shows that possessions in human life are a changing process, with each change design to enhance the self-identity of the person at that particular stage. Therefore, possessions and self-identity work hand in hand, for the benefit of a person in the course of their life, and each object is important for identity in every stage.