Spiritual practices have long warned against developing attachments to material possessions, as it can be easy to get sucked in. Our stuff can serve as an extension of our self, represent who we aspire to be, and demonstrate our taste and values. But it can also reveal what we greed after or won’t let go of.
Hoarding—the inability to part with any possessions no matter how worthless—has become a surreal staple of reality television, highlighting an affliction both fascinating and repulsive. In every episode, hoarders know they have a problem, and they’re ashamed and isolated by the environment they inhabit. But the pain of letting go is too great.
