Have you noticed that we tend to derive more pleasure from pursuing a product than actually using it? It's very much like dating and relationships. Some people feel that chasing after a love interest is more exhilarating than actually locking in and dating the person. I majored in marketing and minored in psychology, so I know full well that emotions play a pivotal role in consumer behavior. Emotions, stirred up in part by the advertisements that assail us on a daily basis, are what drive us to buy stuff -- and that includes products that we may neither need or use. Whether it's the sense of accomplishment that comes over us when we take advantage of a "buy one, get one free" sale or the prospect of buying something that can help us shed weight, look younger, or land more dates, purchasing things gives us an emotional high not unlike that experienced when kissing someone for the first time or receiving your first paycheck. But once you have the object of your de...