Perhaps due to humanity's hunter / gatherer roots, collecting things may be deeply embedded within our psyche and DNA. I've been partial to collecting music, particular vinyl records and cd's many years ago. Others like to collect stamps, and those that are wealthy enjoy collecting vintage and sports cars. Do you think that this addiction comes from humanity's historic roots or is it due to our capitalistic and materialistic culture?
I also collect some stuffs but not to the extent of hoarding. it could be because of various reasons such as psychological, culture and life experiences. We do have various reaon why we collect or keep a certain thing.
I would like to think that it maybe both. There are some people who are minimalists and like being clutter free, just having the necessities is enough for then. While other people, have a certain desire to collect things, even things that have no use to them. Maybe it stems down to our hunter or gatherer history. I mean, before, there is a need to hunt and collect things to survive. Especially during storms or typhoons where you cannot go out when they come. It might also be because of our culture. I remember seeing a youtube video of a makeup guru hoarding tons and tons of makeup. I drooled over her collection and wanted to have the same amount of makeup. So yes, society also plays a part in this.
I think it's vital to the history of civilizations. People have uncovered archaeological facts because of people collecting things. Who knows maybe some of the things we collect may be discovered centuries later and explain our existence. If collecting things is a addiction it isn't really a bad one if these things are valuable or meaningful. I collect things myself.
I think it is simply dependent upon the personality of the person. I like to collect things too, and it makes me happy and fulfilled when I add another item to my collection. I think collecting things is quite natural. I know many people love to collect cd's and books. And if the person is rich, I notice that they collect cars, yachts, etc.