Keepsakes – why do we treasure them?
21/05/2009
Some observers have noted that people are becoming more nostalgic in response to the recession. Perhaps they are right, but it is also true that from a very young age we begin to hold on to items that act as ‘memory triggers’ in later life. In fact, all generations gather cherished items along life’s journey. These personal objects are imbued with the memories of past times forming reminiscence pointers that provide comforting reassurance when all else around us may change.
So, why do we keep things? This question was central to a recent research project by Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Phd of Goldsmiths University of London. The study explored the emotional reasons behind why we all actively hold onto items that may have no practical use and are often of low monetary value.
The study revealed that more than 70 percent of participants ( a total of 400) said that their most important possessions had only sentimental value and most hoped these items would be passed down through their families.
As might be expected, photographs were clearly the participants’ favourite keepsake. More than half choose photographs as favourite preserved objects with around a tenth attaching similar importance to letters, books and family history items.
The study also revealed the consequences of loosing one's treasured possessions - or even one's memory of them, through Alzheimer's for example. However keepsakes are lost, the effects can be traumatic for the individual. The elderly can become disorientated when they are separated from their familiar items. Many who are caught by some disaster are able to recover most of their property through insurance, but it is the loss of the irreplaceable sentimental items that hurt the most.
For more information on keeping your treasures safe, visit the website linked below.