Feelings

I've been thinking about something that I'm not even sure if I can verbalize it. I might as well spill out my thoughts onto my blog and see what sticks:

Everything we surround ourselves with, everything in our day-to-day lives has an affect on our feelings. Things, people, animals, food, drink, ... everything only affects how we feel, nothing more.

Let me give an example or two. On my commute to work I drive by some $1 million dollar homes. These homes are incredible to look at. They are absolutely beautiful. I specifically enjoy looking at the entrances to these high-dollar subdivisions. The entrances are colorful and inviting. No costs were spared. I can't help but thinking lately about why the entrances are so beautiful? I mean, they don't provide any real value to anyone, they are just nice to look at. So the only thing I can come up with is that the entrances in all their splendor, make people feel a certain way. We like to look at pretty and expensive things, but why?

Here is another example; the design of cars. You know how some cars you can look at and say outloud, "Wow!"? And then there are others (PT Cruisers for example) that make your stomach a little queasy. Why is that? What does the design of a car really have to do with us. Other than makes us feel a certain way.

What's in a feeling? And the question that I keep pondering is, "Can we change how we feel?" Or should we just be expected to manage around our feelings? Is that even possible?

We spend a lot of money, time and effort on things that only make us feel a certain way. Is that what our lives should be all about?