awalterj: Ok so today's quality releases are admittedly a real challenge, no doubt about it.

Here's a quote that I find helpful:

"Discipline is choosing between what you want NOW and what you want MOST"

Surely, you want to buy the new releases now but ask yourself what you want even more than that, long term. Don't you want to be the best Gnostic that you can become? And how exactly is buying those new releases going to help you with becoming that best Gnostic? Not at all, of course. Perhaps you want to work on a personal project or pursue a non-instant-gratification hobby, and buying these games won't help with that, either.

I've been taking cold showers for the past couple months and it's making a noticeable difference. It's not that I'm now magically more disciplined, I still procrastinate etc but taking cold showers has done wonders on many levels. Just try it out for yourself, of course it's more effective if you live in a place where tap water on the coldest settings is actually cold.

After taking a cold shower, you feel a little bit like a boss. So when you come out of the shower as "little bit boss Gnostic", you're going to be less likely to go and buy puny little computer games because it's not the most boss-like thing you can do in that moment.

Gnostic: When logic prevail over emotions, I reason out it is better to save for a PC to play all these games I already had instead of buying more that may not run great on my current PC.

awalterj: For many people, all the money spent on games is just peanuts so there is no need for them to be worried about the financial aspect of things. However, even if someone can easily afford all purchases there still remains the matter of why one buys so much, more than one possibly needs?

What hole in their existence, what void are people filling?

Maybe it's just residual stone age genetics that lead to hoarding and collecting more than you need, or maybe someone has other issues. Of course, those other issues can't be resolved by not buying games. But it's an important first step to stop and say wait, what am I doing and why?

capricorn1971ad:

Gnostic: The blood rushing to my head has subsided and I no longer feel the lure of impulse buying, for now.
Yes I am still clean on GOG since 12 Feb.

I make a condition with myself that if I ever posted something on the GoG forum, I should not buy any games for myself. I can buy it tomorrow if I buy it before posting anything. So far it work nicely for me since, because it curb my impulse of buying immediately and make me cool down for the rest of the day deciding if I should buy or not.

Gnostic: When logic prevail over emotions, I reason out it is better to save for a PC to play all these games I already had instead of buying more that may not run great on my current PC.

capricorn1971ad: the simple truth is right here, Diogenes, the dog, said it himself.
"He who is content with the least is he who is wealthiest of all men".

funny how we live in a mirror, a smoking mirror.

ET3D: It's not really a stone age thing. As late as last century most of the world had periods of poverty where hoarding was good for survival. I know old people who still think we should hoard some stuff in case there's a war.

When it comes to games it's even later. It wasn't that long ago that if I saw a game I really wanted at a bargain bin that was something worth buying, and $20 was a decent bargain price. The dime-a-dozen all-you-can-eat mentality for games is rather new, and I think it's natural to feel that it's temporary and fall to behavioural patterns which were quite reasonable just a short while ago. Not that it's good, but I think it's natural (and also not terrible, unless someone really does use all their money to buy deals).

ET3D: I also agree with Diogenes, it's better to be content with what you have, but Western, capitalistic society worked hard to convince people that they shouldn't be happy with what they have. And in fact that's why we've advanced so far.

awalterj: Methods are defined by results so if this works for you that is great. It's a similar approach to the method I'm using which is having to buy an extra gift code for every relapse, doesn't technically stop me from relapsing but it can hold off urges long enough for them to cool down.

awalterj: The dangerous thing about addiction in general is that it can completely override the logic center of our brains. Logic and basic common sense can't protect you from a relapse, that's why getting and staying clean is so hard.

awalterj: That is true, but if less is more then you have to do more with less. And that's easier said then truly believed.

awalterj: I didn't mean hoarding was a stone age thing and has since been lost, I meant it's a thing that has been there -since- the stone ages up until present day. It just surfaces under different conditions. Like you said, game hoarding was far less common in the 90s when individual games cost up to a $100 or more. Now that games are cheaper or even dirt cheap, a triggering of the hoarding instinct is far more likely.

awalterj: I agree. Discontent creates struggle, struggle creates strife and strife creates selection which has always been nature's way of evolution.

awalterj: Same demon, different skin: Instant gratification. Beware of it, it tries to tempt us in many shapes and forms!

awalterj: I takes about 3-6 weeks (give or take) to build a new habit. Once taking cold showers has become a habit, it requires less willpower.
(...)
Anyway, I mainly do it because I feel more refreshed and as a positive side effect my electricity bill will be a little lower.

awalterj: The current clean streak is built on 40 relapses over the course of an entire year, it doesn't mean I've beaten the addiction for good but it definitely shows very promising progress.

Gede: I just wanted to say that cold showers don't just save on gas/electricity, but on water too. That shower was over very quickly! :-P

ET3D: Not showering at all saves even more!

amrit9037: Specially when your Wife/Girlfriend/Friends will leave you because of smell.
Saving all the way!!!

ET3D: Not showering at all saves even more!