
Goodbye Things, Hello Minimalism - behnamoh
https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/12/goodbye-things-hello-minimalism-can-living-with-less-make-you-happier
======
lolsal
I do not understand minimalism or minimalist culture. When I see
rationalizations about getting rid of 'stuff', I can understand some of those
things, but at some point for me there is a line where minimalism becomes some
sort of self-congratulatory narcissism.

I enjoy having friends over - playing board games, video games, cooking meals
together, watching movies together, etc. All of that requires some sort of
'stuff': the board game, the television, the kitchen with more than 1 plate. I
have more 'stuff', but I am not unhappier for it. The stuff enriches my life
through experiences that I have with that stuff.

The author seems pre-occupied with financial concerns - rent for his
apartment, cost of cars and clothes - it seems he may be getting more benefit
out of the financial security that this minimalism has afforded him than any
sort of actual enlightenment through lack of 'stuff'.

~~~
Delmania
This was a telling quote from the article:

>I broke up with my girlfriend, telling her I couldn’t see a future for us in
my sad financial state.

Minimalism holds the same attachment to physical possessions that consumerism
does, but it associates negatives feelings as opposed to positive ones. It's
like love and hate. Hate is not the opposite of love, but the other end of the
spectrum. Rather than getting a sense of self worth from having things, he's
getting a sense of self worth from NOT having things.

The opposite of consumerism is a person who's happy with the stuff he has.
When the opportunity arises to get something nicer, he takes advantage of it,
but he doesn't actively go out and buy something new. Sure, that person may
feel a twinge of jealously at people having nicer things, but he simply lets
those emotions pass without acting on them. Acceptance and detachment.

~~~
collyw
> When the opportunity arises to get something nicer, he takes advantage of
> it, but he doesn't actively go out and buy something new.

So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to
fit your above phrase as well as consumerism.

~~~
Delmania
> So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to
> fit your above phrase as well as consumerism.

This was actually the example I had in my head, I should have detailed it out.
The answer is you don't upgrade. So long as the phone works and you're
satisfied with it, there's no compelling reason. If you drop and break the
phone, that would be a time to upgrade it. If you get a really great deal,
that would be the time to upgrade it. Sure you may (as I do) feel a twinge of
jealousy at people with nicer phones, but you don't act on it.

------
tutufan
Contra here. I've been whittling down my physical possessions over the years,
and during a messy LTR split last year, rather than try to deal with all of my
possessions, I ditched pretty much everything that was replaceable or not
regularly used. Everything I have left fits in a couple of suitcases, maybe
less.

It does feel like a great weight has been lifted.

I don't think of myself as hardcore particularly. I rent a furnished place,
and "rent" my transportation. (I even rent my primary dev CPUs and storage, in
the cloud.)

There's nothing wrong with having a lot of stuff, but there is a mental cost
to it. It's somewhat difficult to imagine putting up with a lot of possessions
now. YMMV.

------
pbnjay
I don't know - he's just changed perspective. It's still about how few things
he has compared to others. This was a fault in his mind before, but he's
turned it into a strength.

In the end, it's the same psychology though. He's still comparing himself to
others, only now he can justify feeling good about where he is in the
comparison.

Seems like it'd be better psychologically to just stop comparing yourself to
others. You get to enjoy your "stuff" without restricting the activities you
can do or putting the onus on others... Renting or borrowing things has an
additional cost that will bear itself out in the long-term.

------
k__
I threw out many things last month and my friends were like "Ah, so you are
into this whole Minimalism stuff now?"

Didn't even know about this.

But yes, I have the feeling that things own me and not the other way around...

------
amalag
Still accumulating many things. Many yen in the bank.

~~~
mikhailfranco
Paper financial assets are not a good store of wealth, especially a fiat
currency of a bankrupt country facing demographic collapse, which is printing
cash to monetize and inflate both the equity and bond markets (i.e. most
'western' countries). I think your Yen may have a minimalist future. Buy gold
instead.

------
angersock
I really can't shake the feeling that a lot of the minimalism drive is just
exceptionally clever advertising that promotes consumption for a group whose
income is small enough that they won't fall prey to the normal consumerism
memes.

~~~
mikestew
My conspiracy theory is that if I sell you a thing, I can sell it to you once.
However, if I can get you to buy into minimalism and instead spend your money
on "experiences" (the current trend, AFAICT), I can sell you experiences over
and over and...

~~~
coldtea
> _However, if I can get you to buy into minimalism and instead spend your
> money on "experiences" (the current trend, AFAICT), I can sell you
> experiences over and over and..._

First of all, those 2 sellers are not the same companies/persons.

Second, minimalists buy fewer things in general -- including not buying
experiences, except if you mean something like e.g. travelling. But it's not
airline companies that promote minimalism.

Experience is indeed a selling point in modern markets -- but it's not
targeted to minimalists, but to people who consume anyway (they now can add
experiences to their consumption).

