Recently I've run across several blogs -- it seems to be some kind of network -- that are intent on selling the concept of minimalism. The mantra seems to be simplify, simplify, simplify. It sounds very Taoist-like, except it all feels kind of sleazy in one way or another.
Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu both wrote in several instances about the importance of leading a simple life. A popular slogan captures the essence of their urgings very well: Live Simply So Others Can Simply Live. So, I don't want to suggest that I disagree with the thrust of the premise.
It's just that it appears to me that there is an unstated undercurrent to most of these blogs. For one thing, far too many of them seem to equate a simple lifestyle with being financially well off. I'm certainly not suggesting that a rich person couldn't embrace a simpler life, but too many such blogs focus on the money angle ad nauseam. To my way of thinking, if that's your sole motivation, then you truly don't understand the overriding concept at all.
Another thing I've noted is that a significant majority of minimalist blogs are hawking books that will tell you how to simplify your life. If a person purchased several of these books, then you would be cluttering your life, wouldn't you?
I've found it odd that several of these blogs are written by a handful of people. I've discovered at least 3 bloggers who have three or more blogs on basically the same topic. I'm sorry, but that doesn't strike me as following their own dictates. If a person genuinely seeks to simplify and minimize their life, wouldn't it be more consistent to combine their various blogs into one?
I guess what rubs me the wrong way is that this call to minimalism seems to be nothing more than a shtick for a lot of people. It sort of smells like all those blogs that "advise" others on how to run a "successful" blog. They share some information freely, but if you want the "real scoop," you need to buy the book, video, podcast or sign up for a seminar!
There was a time a few years back that my wife and I realized we were far too cluttered and that we packed around too much useless crap. We made the decision to simplify our lifestyle. We didn't buy a book to tell us how to accomplish this. We didn't surf the internet looking for tips and we didn't sign up for a seminar, retreat or conference.
It's not rocket science! We simply looked at what sort of stuff we truly needed and what we didn't. We gave away/donated most of the latter. And we continue the effort today. Every few months we take another look at our belongings and, if we have since collected more useless crap, we find new homes for the stuff or we recycle it.
Really. If you want to simplify your lifestyle, then simplify it. As Master Yoda would say, "There is no try. Do."
Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu both wrote in several instances about the importance of leading a simple life. A popular slogan captures the essence of their urgings very well: Live Simply So Others Can Simply Live. So, I don't want to suggest that I disagree with the thrust of the premise.
It's just that it appears to me that there is an unstated undercurrent to most of these blogs. For one thing, far too many of them seem to equate a simple lifestyle with being financially well off. I'm certainly not suggesting that a rich person couldn't embrace a simpler life, but too many such blogs focus on the money angle ad nauseam. To my way of thinking, if that's your sole motivation, then you truly don't understand the overriding concept at all.
Another thing I've noted is that a significant majority of minimalist blogs are hawking books that will tell you how to simplify your life. If a person purchased several of these books, then you would be cluttering your life, wouldn't you?
I've found it odd that several of these blogs are written by a handful of people. I've discovered at least 3 bloggers who have three or more blogs on basically the same topic. I'm sorry, but that doesn't strike me as following their own dictates. If a person genuinely seeks to simplify and minimize their life, wouldn't it be more consistent to combine their various blogs into one?
I guess what rubs me the wrong way is that this call to minimalism seems to be nothing more than a shtick for a lot of people. It sort of smells like all those blogs that "advise" others on how to run a "successful" blog. They share some information freely, but if you want the "real scoop," you need to buy the book, video, podcast or sign up for a seminar!
There was a time a few years back that my wife and I realized we were far too cluttered and that we packed around too much useless crap. We made the decision to simplify our lifestyle. We didn't buy a book to tell us how to accomplish this. We didn't surf the internet looking for tips and we didn't sign up for a seminar, retreat or conference.
It's not rocket science! We simply looked at what sort of stuff we truly needed and what we didn't. We gave away/donated most of the latter. And we continue the effort today. Every few months we take another look at our belongings and, if we have since collected more useless crap, we find new homes for the stuff or we recycle it.
Really. If you want to simplify your lifestyle, then simplify it. As Master Yoda would say, "There is no try. Do."
I can imagine that people with cluttered lives would buy books on decluttering - As daft as it sounds I believe they would. Have you seen how untidy people are drawn to live in minimal modern houses and the place looks like a tip? Work takes my wife to a number of nice homes where she sees mayhem, clutter bursting from drawers, tables covered in junk, yards full of mess, fridges and cupboards of similar items, partially used in all different places - I would not be surprised to find a declutter book in all that clutter :D
ReplyDeleteHoarders wish to declutter so selling them books on the subject verges on genius when seen from a marketing perspective - of course it is seen as idiotic from our perspective but clever all the same haha.
Yes to delutter you declutter - chuck stuff out not buy books on "how-to". You hit a funny point in this post that the expounders of minimalism are trapped by mess and probably would buy a book on how to have less books.
I painted my kitchen early this year so I decluttered and moved all the books out of my window sill that sits next to my computer. Funny, here all all these books again... ;^)
ReplyDeleteI confess to having bought a few of those books years ago. We live in an ocean of things these days and it is so easy to acquire them. Yet most of us don't wish to waste things we have by simply throwing them away, so they challenge becomes what to do with them. People need to know how to sort what they have, sometimes how to get rid of whatever emotional attachments they have to things, or how to decide what to keep and what to toss. Not always as easy as just get rid of it.
So that's what the books teach, if you were curious to know. And I've learned good organizational skills from some of them.
Is it also the case that people with lots of material goods also crave lottery wins?
ReplyDeleteI just thought this today, in relation to this post, as I saw a coworker checking lottery results on his iPhone..