R.A.G.E. Media

During one of my occasional whirls through webcomics of interest, I happened upon a quote on Penny Arcade that struck a chord with me.

In a guest commentary by Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings, creators of the Puzzle Pirates online game, stated:

We all know folks who collect music, movies or software, thrilled by all the notional value acquired, but rarely look at any of it. To me, it seems worthless. I assume that any bits are commonplace and easy to come by, and the value is in their use.

Now, although James’ commentary was peppered with the usual vulgarities and he was talking about DRM and copy protection in gaming, he did hit on something that has been constantly on my mind. What good is all our stuff if we don’t actually use it? Having 500 DVDs when you only watch the same 40 makes the other 460 worthless to you. It’s like having hundreds of great works of art, and keeping them in storage. What good is it if you, or someone else, can’t enjoy it?

Wealth isn’t all about hoarding money. It’s about hanging on to material goods that you have no use for, or get no value for, save for the fact that you possess it. It clutters your life, your home, your mind. And ultimately, it’s just more to lose.

James’ comment just goes to show that we can find wisdom in the most unlikely of places.