Materialism. Consumerism.
Desire. Need.
Obsession.
It can be a slippery slope into the obsessions with possessions. But it doesn't have to be. I recently got rid of a lot of material possessions that no longer satisfy my needs. But I didn't get rid of everything. Many people can misinterpret minimalism as an extreme lifestyle of asceticism, but this isn't necessarily so. I still have possessions. I still have a DVD collection (albeit much smaller and yet more intentional). I still have a few material objects in my small apartment sitting there for simple visual pleasure. But these small items of decoration don't clutter my home. They add to it. I make sure that everything has a meaningful place that matters to who I am.
On top of my refrigerator is a Stegosaurus skeleton (a gift from my girlfriend). It reminds me of her, but it also connects me to my childhood when I had boyish dreams of becoming a paleontologist. The bistro sign is an old item of my girlfriend's that I stole when she no longer wanted it. It and the Stegosaurus are some the only items of decor in my kitchen. They add character to my life in an otherwise simple room. And they also add a sense of who I am when people come over. Hopefully they get that I love dinosaurs (I can talk about prehistoric life for a loooong time). Small items like this can be a great conversation starter and a great thing to smile at and remember the things in life that make us happy.