Dopamine Feedback Loops: GAS and more...

[jsrockit]

Well, reading that article, there’s the usual “something is missing in your life and you are compensating by buying cameras” and the everworn trope of “you think you’ll get better photos by buying gear”.

I get that some people buy cameras (or anything else) hoping it makes them better at something. However, at least in photography, different camera types can aid in seeing differently. I mean a Leica is different than a 4x5" and a DSLR is different than a Rolleiflex in basic usage.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I bought a camera thinking it would improve my photography and it did. Not because the camera caused the improvement but because I made an effort to bring my skill up to the level of the camera's quality. It wasn't the tool to improve but the motivation for me to improve.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

More than you think I would imagine. A quick google search shows the Argus C3, 4x5" cameras, a Zeiss Ikonta, a Brownie, Kodak Duo-620, etc. It is very rare for any photographer to use only one camera.

Ah, so much for enlightenment...

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmm, it might just be ADHD... That can cause impulsiveness and difficulty focussing and so on.

Anyway, keep taking the tablet and try not to worry about it.

Regards, David

 

[JeffS7444]

For my own enlightenment, I'll see what I can learn about GAS from different angles.

Aaron Ahuvia and his book The Things We Love are new to me, but finding a brand-new copy sitting at my local library seemed like serendipity.

https://thethingswelove.com/

I've previously read Fumio Sasaki's Goodbye Things, and I marveled at how easy it must be for him to pack up and move on a moment's notice. But I had to wonder if his suggestion to dispose of even items which "spark joy" is too extreme a reaction to a formerly cluttered life.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ke-you-happier

Ironically, Konmari ("Sparkjoy" herself) now has an online shop. But kudos to her and her method, which aims to assist folks in identifying objects which actually enrich their lives, as opposed to objects which have been kept out of a sense of guilt, inertia, or obligation. Just don't be a groupie and buy merchandise for it's "tidying vibes" or you are completely missing the point 😛

https://konmari.com/#

 

[Pál_K]

I wouldn’t let anyone influence me on whether to keep things or not. It’s my decision with my own reasons. I still have the very first camera I ever bought: an 8mm ciné camera. At 12 years of age I had to save money for six months to buy it. Seems like yesterday.