E L I Z A B E T H T A Y L O R
Creative Commons License photo credit: independentman

Elizabeth Taylor can be called many things, but simple is not one of them. However, in her book My Love Affair with Jewelry, La Liz lays down some profound insight on the philosophy of simplicity.

I don’t believe I own any of the pieces [of jewelry]. I believe that I am their custodian, here to enjoy them, to give them the best treatment in the world, to watch over their safety, and to love them.

While most of us aren’t dealing with tennis-ball sized diamonds, her idea of custodianship is powerful. Let’s unpack this a bit. According to this idea, the value of an object (outside of investments and assets) isn’t in the ownership. The value of an object lies in your enjoyment, use, and appreciation of it.

You don’t have to own an item to enjoy it and get full use out of it. In fact, ownership itself is a big, fat goose egg—a nothing, in essence. Don’t pin your hopes for happiness on owning any item, since the real pleasure comes from use and appreciation.

Of course, the idea isn’t to borrow or rent everything in your life. The idea, in my understanding, is not to value an item simply because we own it. An item is precious for what it is, and the best we can hope for is add one more layer of meaning to it in our custodial tenure.

The Full Circle of Fabulousness

This philosophy is fabulously full circle. If we embrace the idea of custodianship, we begin to search for items with a past. This may mean hitting thrift stores, antique stores, yard sales, and your mother’s junk jewelry drawer. We appreciate the history of the item, but we don’t let it hold us back.

Then, we bring our own history to it. This means that instead of leaving that special item in a drawer, you can pull it out and use it, wear it, or admire it. Add happy memories to it and give it a place in today’s world.

Finally, when it’s time to move on or pass on, find a new custodian of the item who will treasure it as you did. Consider it recycling, regifting, rediscovering… Call it by whatever name you want, the end result is a more meaningful experience than mere ownership can provide.
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Creative Commons License photo credit: -Merce-

Benefits of the Elizabeth Taylor Philosophy of Beautiful Things

  1. It’s more eco-friendly. If we choose objects with their lifetimes in mind instead of ours, we can make choices that are more lasting and less wasteful. Choosing items that have a history or that can be passed on discourages disposable consumerism.

  2. We have a reason to care for our objects more carefully. Can you imagine Ms. Taylor being nonchalant with the centuries-old Taj Mahal diamond? If we feel that we are simply the custodians of items, then we have an obligation to take care of them to the best of our abilities. They aren’t ours, they belong to the world and to history. By taking care of them, we get more enjoyment out of them, and they’re ready to provide the same enjoyment to the next generation.

  3. We build a sense of history and community. Imagine how much more connected we might feel if more of the everyday items we touched had a colorful past. It’s the difference between wearing your great-grandfather’s wedding cufflinks and the ones from the department store counter. They just feel better.

It’s not applicable to everything, but I find this idea very intriguing. Do you think the former Helena Cassadine has a point? Is it still just materialism? Dive into the comments and let me know what your take is.

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