HP Pavilion DV thousand series. Marvels of design and technology combined into a sleek and (very) functional machine. My personal favourite, even though the one in picture isn't my model... mine is slightly newer1) Why is it that we want our belongings to do more for us than function well?
Our belongings are statements about ourselves. Whatever we have is a display of how we think, how we feel, how we've felt and who we are at the time of purchase. Sometimes they have no relevance, but it's unlikely. No one who has the available resources would buy something that they think looks bad, because it would reflect themselves negatively and would make them feel negatively about themselves.
Each object is a display of someone's creativity and ingenuity that appeals to each of us, some more than others. We want our belongings to do more for us, because it is this that we have come to expect; that our belongings will represent the kind of person we are, by being what we like.
2) Why are we willing, as soon as we can afford it, to pay extra for things with appealing forms?
As stated in the above answer, our belongings represent our identities and who we think we are. Items with appealing forms are luxuries in the sense that not only do they function well, but they also have a psychological impact on ourselves and on those around us. An item that is both beautiful and functional is a sign that the user can be respected and can be a mark of status or power, whether it is academic, hierarchical or even simply the level of identity awareness that the individual possesses.
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