Do We Own?

[Walking Void]

I have been wondering, for a very long duration of time, to what cause and for what reason do we own things. Now... do not immediately assume that I am some Hippie. I am as Hippie as I am a hippo (wait... that means I am somewhat similar...). I do not dispute tree rights to foresting industries although there are more climate-friendly ways to get the benefits of wood. I do not engage in spiritual activities in the wilderness. I do however engage in philosophical debates and discussions. As is this.

I am questioning the principle of property. Again, you can interpret this as Hippie or Communist... again, I am as relatable... as rankable to a title as the moon is known to be cheesy.

I will not be hypocritical in this discussion that I am introducing (but I will ease on my grammar). I will state that I own a laptop, smartphone, and car, among other articles. But I do not view these objects as being something that I own as the terms of property describe. Nonetheless, claiming to own something is not even a reasonable assessment no matter how you can analyze. Sure, in this economic life, most if not all is ruled by this viewpoint that humans possess objects.

I argue that we use items, simple. Items are tools... for any given purpose. Sure, some objects may be readily with us, some may even be a daily factor in life as would a baseball cap to some, but these objects are not things that we rule. You can have a baseball cap, but I can take it by force and literally steal it. Then I can call it my own and not yours regardless of it being stolen or not. But we do have law against theft, and to many degrees I do support this law especially when it consequently damages the victim.

Things that we own are things that we, individually, undeniably control. Our minds. Our bodies directly under the mind. No one else can control these "subjects" with these same subjects being submissive to the control. Because after all, only minds in the entire universe are known to manipulate. Even if a big man forces a little man to clap the little man's hands, the little man's hands were only subjected to that decision, that force, from the big man while never choosing to clap themselves. The mind is the paramount of control and possession. If this is true perhaps we only think we possess because the brain suggests that. If we truly had universal control and ownership could we not just ignite the air at a whim? Materialize a tasty liquor? For ignition, this does not happen because it is unreasonable. As is the principle of "ownership". Ignition requires multiple factors and steps to take place. Air, combustible fuel, thermal energy (sometimes from kinetic energy as friction).

I am not intentionally attacking anybody who disagrees with this pondering. Specifically questioning property. If you are offended by what I am saying them I sincerely apologize as thousands if not millions if not billions actively think that human-invented ownership is a real principle of life, though I suppose my apology is meaningless until you forgive me. Humans have for the longest time been greedy. Whether it be competing for mates, food, domain/shelter, or the miscellaneous, we have singled out another in the survival of the fittest. If it even is a competition. We are not forced to or intentionally compete with each other, we simply adapt to reality to survive, regardless of other animals or family. And do we not accomplish more when we share the same goals as a team? We gained hair to insulate our heads (among other benefits), we did not take hair from other species to do this. Evolution will walk you through this. Perhaps property is a phase in social and mental development for humans. Before we did have these sentient brains, we did not rely on owning things to survive. Perhaps we confused the need to absorb nutritional energy from food sources with some sort of obsession. You can argue that many animals such as lions claim territory, thus ownership. But what is happening there? Are lions truly asserting to possess an area of space on the dirt? Wait, are lions not an animal that settles? Do they not claim an area simply because their pride consisting of multiple other lions is momentarily fixed to 1 place? When they are threatened by intruders is it not because another animal is in the same controlled area where they sleep and breed and the sort? Ask yourself some questions.

If you were to take my smartphone by theft, I would surely be mixed of anger and dread. But those are just feelings, and they dwindle down or change quite easily. When you do take an object from me, I do not directly suffer or benefit physically. I do however in the economic aspect, but economics are aside the point since they are synthetic too. In fact, nothing immediately changes a person when property changes. Realistically, there are consequences, like not being able to use mobile Internet and calling... but there is nothing significant physically about "owning" that smartphone. Because I rely on the economy and my own personal money for day to day living, when I lose property... I suffer. Even if the property is a structural component itself like cash is.

Thanks!