Gear obsession is a disease that I have seen affect every person I know. It certainly has affected me. To me, gear obsession is the obsession with a physical object that causes the the owner to lose sight of the true purpose of the object. This could be obsession with the aesthetics of the object, the potential uses for the object, what people might think of the object or the specifications of the object.

I frequent many communities that are dedicated to my hobbies: photography, cars, running, computers. I find that there are too many posts in these forums, subreddits, etc. that ignore the art altogether. Photography communities are full of posts and reviews of gear. Car forums devolve into discussions of 0-60 times and power to weight ratios. Running communities are full of posts about the best shoes or the best gels. Computer related communities are the worst. They are just full of arguments about hardware.

Have we all lost our minds? Have we forgotten what we purchased these items for? If everyone spent as much time on honing and practicing their art as they did obsessing over their gear, then the world would be a more vibrant place.

Sometimes I find myself reading reviews of the newest mirrorless camera, or the latest L lens that Canon has released, only to realize that I am forgetting the true purpose of photography gear. I realize that I already have a great set of photo gear. It may not be what the pros use or the newest, but it easily gives me the potential to capture award winning photos. In the time that I spent watching videos and reading reviews, I could have experimented with the ND filter I made (post coming soon) or I could have taken a photo walk in one of the local hiking trails.

Having a car with a slightly faster 0-60 time isn’t going to increase your happiness by much. You know what will? Driving up a beautiful driving road and enjoying a scenic vista will.

Having the most sophisticated computer with the latest components won’t make you happy. Using that computer to create the next hot webapp or a piece of digital art will.

Don’t forget the true purpose of the things we buy. No one including you will remember how great your gear was. Go use the tools you have purchased to make yourself happier. Go create something and change the world.