It has long been argued that people become attached to objects because objects help people to define, reflect, and communicate the self. In this article we consider whether objects not only help to 'know thyself' but also to 'fuel thyself'. In other words, whether objects can contribute to self-regulation. We review past research to consider whether the functional and symbolic aspects of objects are found to promote self-regulation through enhanced recognition of and commitment to standards, monitoring, and capacity to change. We conclude by considering that people need to regulate their relationship with objects, in part because objects can successfully help people achieve basic needs. In this way, failure to regulate one's relationship to objects can contribute to problematic outcomes such as neglect, obesity, hoarding, and addiction.

中文翻译：

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对象是用来做的

长期以来，人们一直认为人们会依附于物体，因为物体有助于人们定义、反映和交流自我。在本文中，我们考虑对象是否不仅有助于“了解你自己”，还有助于“为你自己加油”。换句话说，物体是否有助于自我调节。我们回顾过去的研究，以考虑是否发现物体的功能和象征方面可以通过增强对标准、监控和改变能力的认识和承诺来促进自我调节。我们最后考虑到人们需要调节他们与物体的关系，部分原因是物体可以成功地帮助人们实现基本需求。通过这种方式，未能调节自己与物体的关系会导致问题结果，例如忽视、肥胖、囤积、