“No matter which wristwatch one buys, even if it is entirely satisfactory, it can still be compared to one in a store display — encouraging counterfactual thoughts about what it would be like with their positions reversed. After returning from vacation, in contrast, it is not so easy to compare a hypothetical Vail ski run with the waves actually ridden in Fiji.”

Experiences can’t be evaluated as clearly in contrast to alternative experiences one could have been having. Purchases, of course, have more permanent effects than most experiences. If I go to the park and play baseball tomorrow afternoon I may not even remember the experience in a week. However, the study showed that my satisfaction of the same event may actually increase over time rather than decrease:

“Satisfaction with material purchases tends to decrease over time, whereas satisfaction with experiential purchases tends to increase.”

The living proof of this has to be my grandparents. They look back on their experiences with fondness and joy but they never mention the “stuff” they owned. The conclusion? Invest in experiences you can enjoy for a lifetime over purchases you’ll enjoy for a few years. Read the rest here.

Via Unclutterer

In Chase’s latest installation of his self-documentary series called “RAW” he gives us a sneak peek into the process of making a video like the one above. The camera equipment he uses is just incredible. You won’t see a single tripod anywhere in the documentary.

See the entire post with pics here.

1 GB in 1980

At Friday’s close, these were the five highest market cap U.S. companies:

• Exxon (XOM), $315.38 billion.
• Microsoft (MSFT): $256.71 billion.
• Apple (AAPL): $205.48 billion.
• Wal-Mart (WMT): $205.09 billion.
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA): $202.20 billion.

The biggest oil company. The largest retailer. The leading software company. A conglomerate run by the world’s most respected investor.

And Apple.

I believe Apple will pass up Microsoft within two years.

From Tech Trader Daily.