# Quotes about Possessions - Quotes: 11 - Authors: 4 - Broader topic: [Quotes about materialism](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/materialism.md) - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions - JSON version (same data): https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.json ## Quotes > I was depressed, but that was a side issue. This was more like closing up shop, or, say, having a big garage sale, where you look at everything you've bought in your life, and you remember how much it meant to you, and now you just tag it for a quarter and watch 'em carry it off, and you don't care. That's more like how it was. [Jane Smiley](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jane-smiley.md) · [A Thousand Acres](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jane-smiley/a-thousand-acres.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jane-smiley/a-thousand-acres/i-was-depressed.md) Topics: [sadness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/sadness.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > The man of the Kalahari is Esau and we are Jacob, and there is a great gulf between us. This sense of property, of possession that we have is utterly foreign to the Esaus of the world. We have, he is. [Laurens Van Der Post](https://www.leafyquotes.com/laurens-van-der-post.md) · [A Walk with a White Bushman](https://www.leafyquotes.com/laurens-van-der-post/a-walk-with-a-white-bushman.md) · p. 159 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/laurens-van-der-post/a-walk-with-a-white-bushman/the-man-of-the.md) Topics: [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > People are more important than things." [Randy Pausch](https://www.leafyquotes.com/randy-pausch.md) · [The Last Lecture](https://www.leafyquotes.com/randy-pausch/the-last-lecture.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/randy-pausch/the-last-lecture/people-are-more.md) Topics: [relationships](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/relationships.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > We need to honor the world of things, not despise it. Each thing has Beingness, is a temporary form that has its origin within the formless one Life, the source of all things, all bodies, all forms. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/we-need-to-honor.md) Topics: [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > In the case of a child who cries in deep suffering because his toy has been taken away...Whether the child is rich or poor, whether the toy is a piece of wood shaped like an animal or a sophisticated electronic gadget makes no difference as far as the suffering caused by its loss is concerned. The reason why such acute suffering occurs is concealed in the word “my,”... unconscious compulsion to enhance one’s identity through association with an object is built into the very structure of the egoic mind. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/in-the-case.md) Topics: [suffering](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/suffering.md), [children](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/children.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > The ego tends to equate having with Being: I have, therefore I am. And the more I have, the more I am. The ego lives through comparison. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/the-ego-tends.md) Topics: [ego](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/ego.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > This is why renouncing all possessions has been an ancient spiritual practice in both East and West. Renunciation of possessions, however, will not automatically free you of the ego. It will attempt to ensure its survival by finding something else to identify with, for example, a mental image of yourself as someone who has transcended all interest in material possessions and is therefore superior, is more spiritual than others. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/this-is-why.md) Topics: [ego](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/ego.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > Many people don’t realize until they are on their deathbed and everything external falls away that no thing ever had anything to do with who they are. In the proximity of death, the whole concept of ownership stands revealed as ultimately meaningless. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/many-people-dont.md) Topics: [death](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/death.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > The ego identifies with having, but its satisfaction in having is a relatively shallow and shortlived one. Concealed within it remains a deepseated sense of dissatisfaction, of incompleteness, of “not enough.” “I don't have enough yet,” by which the ego really means, “I am not enough yet.” [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/the-ego-identifies.md) Topics: [ego](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/ego.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.” What does “poor in spirit” mean? No inner baggage, no identifications. Not with things, nor with any mental concepts that have a sense of self in them. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/blessed-are-the.md) Topics: [religion](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/religion.md), [humility](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humility.md), [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md) > How do you let go of attachment to things? Don't even try. It's impossible. Attachment to things drops away by itself when you no longer seek to find yourself in them. [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle.md) · [A New Earth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/eckhart-tolle/a-new-earth/how-do-you.md) Topics: [Possessions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/possessions.md), [Attachment](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/attachment.md)