Purposes include:
- "filling time," the implication being that there are no necessary tasks left to do (e.g. gathering food, creating shelter) - to what extent do MOST actions resemble this? are most of our actions meaningless? or is it wrong to suggest that actions that are not strictly "functional" are useless? (probably - no part of existence is compulsory, and fulfillment can be seen [by those who do not believe in an afterlife or a similar idea] as the only purpose of living)
- showing off wealth: person A has spare money; person B needs money and has time; person B invests the time into the creation of a decorative object; person A trades money for this object - to what extent is this a little bit sadistic? does person A effectively have a chunk of person B's time crystallised into a decorative trophy? is this less appropriate an observation now that a person buying a handcrafted object is not necessarily richer than the person making it (in the Western world, anyway)? (and yes, probably)
