Mottainai is a Japanese term for the sense of regret they feel when something valuable is wasted.
I do not like collecting things for the sake of collecting. A pile of untouched or unused stuff reminds me that I have been impulsive. It tells me that I failed to prioritize either their utility or my time. It reflects a scarcity mentality or behavior.
Like a saved video or podcast episode that never gets played. Like a bookmarked article with a clickbait title that gets buried in the list of favorites. Like the books on my headboard with bookmarks and dog-ears halfway through the pages. All of them waiting for my attention, existing in such a wasteful state, and never fulfilling their purpose.
But things are inanimate. They are not at fault. They will never feel that sense of regret. They do not choose their value to a person. So it is all up to me. What is my intention for acquiring this thing? Will I delay, ignore, or forget? Do I want to be enriched by it or do I want to merely possess it?
Fun fact: Tsundoku is the Japanese word for the stacks of books purchased that remain unread. What a beautiful language!
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