Philosophy. A fascinating and unfamiliar area to most of us, yet somehow even the most uneducated and inexperienced of us can find something that connects.
Theres a philosophical concept that could be poorly paraphrased as: What we really want when we want something, is not the thing we want, but the thing that stops us getting what we want.
Or more simply: The pursuit or challenge associated with getting something we want brings us more joy than getting what we want in the end.
- The hunt for a bargain is more enjoyable than the purchase.
- Going to open homes is more inspiring than moving in to the new house.
- Designing a home and making the million-and-one little decisions is more engaging than completing the build.
- Renovating is more enlivening than having a new bathroom.
How much of our approach to property, our focus on property, our continual discussion, planning, complaining, and even blogging about property really just a front for what we really want, which is a challenge. Maybe we don't want the perfect house, we actually just want to look for the perfect house. And once we find it, we end up going back to looking, because looking is what we really desired anyway.