When you picture a minimalist lifestyle, what do you see? Presumably, you picture your home or your closet specially curated so you own only what adds value and meaning to your life. You probably started it because you wanted to avoid the overly knick-knacked living room of generations past. So you removed the clutter with the aim to focus on more important things. Is it quality time with family and friends, a small closet of only your favourite clothes, and a cosy home of your most treasured items? Or is it a stark white interior design stock photo straight out of a West Elm catalogue? Or the last cooking pan you’ll ever buy for a small price of $200, or a closet of monochromatic cottons and denims?
This is the version of minimalism that many of us have come to know, but it was never intended to be an aesthetic on instagram. Yet somehow, a concept designed to improve our lives by rebelling against capitalism has fallen into the capitalist trap. Or rather, it has been corrupted to mean something it is not.
What is minimalism?
In simplest terms, minimalism is the philosophy of limiting your physical possessions to only what adds value to your life. This ultimately serves the purpose of replacing your physical clutter with more intrinsic value in your life instead. The concept is not new. It’s been around since antiquity and originated in religions and philosophies over the years. Think Buddah, Jesus, Confucious, and Mohammed. All religious leaders who promoted the idea of a simple life. The concept however has become popularised in recent years by public figures like Marie Kondo, along with Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, – the self-proclaimed “The Minimalists.”
As the concept goes, by placing less emphasis on the things that you own, you are essentially able to declutter your physical space as much as your mental space. When we place less emphasis on our physical possessions, it frees up our mental space to spend more time and energy on our relationships and connections. It shifts the focus away from what we own and places a higher emphasis on what creates true meaning in our lives, such as relationships and human connection.
How does this relate to the environment?
Rampant consumerism and unfettered capitalism are destroying our planet–no way around it. Fast fashion alone is responsible for enormous carbon emissions, water pollution and human rights violations, and that’s not to mention almost every other product we encounter in our everyday lives.
With such problems at an all time high, it’s easy to see the shiny appeal of a minimalist lifestyle that touts the exact opposite: intention, simplicity, valuing what you have without the compulsive need to obtain more. It’s a very neat and tidy way (literally) to rebel against consumerism and its devastating effects on our ecosystems.
While minimalism is designed to help us live more meaningful lives, it has substantial environmental benefits as well. Incorporating low waste and low consumption into your life as everyday values can immensely reduce your impact on the planet. True minimalism threatens capitalism, and when practised the way it was intended, it can be an incredibly sustainable, practical and affordable way to live.
The problem
The principles of minimalism are sound, but as with almost anything, it can easily be exploited and commercialised. The well-intentioned principles of minimalism can quite easily be used as a marketing tool to sell you more stuff. As a result, minimalism is now something you can buy. It’s the promise that if you just buy the right things, the minimal version of what you might have bought before – you’ll live a happier, more sustainable lifestyle.
Encouraging quality over quantity and curating your possessions mindfully are good things. But investing in quality items designed to last a long time is a luxury not accessible to all, if not most people, and calling that minimalism is unfair at best. This flips minimalism from a set of guiding principles that can apply to anyone into something that not everyone can afford. It’s perhaps consumerism’s most ironic paradox yet: even minimalism is something that can be purchased, and not everyone is allowed to have it.
Make no mistake: this is not a criticism of minimalism itself, but rather of those exploiting the term and using it as a mask for another iteration of capitalism. In reality, living a more intentionally mindful life takes critical thinking, a little extra work, and a healthy amount of willpower. There’s no buy in–no product you can buy to make minimalism your own.
How to be a minimalist
Fun fact: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to minimalism. Per The Minimalists themselves, “There is no Minimalist Rulebook. We’re all different. The things that add value to one man’s life may not add value to yours. So hold on to that hair straightener, those colourful socks, that collection of angel statuettes—but only if they are appropriate for your life. Only if they serve a purpose or bring you joy.”
The point is simply not to accumulate things you don’t actually need, to the best of your ability. If you can afford the ethical, sustainable product that you’ll be using for decades and will add value to your life, by all means, buy the thing! Keep the towers of books and collection of mugs and piles of sweaters if those things bring you joy. But be honest with yourself about what actually serves a purpose in your life, and be thoughtful about what you accumulate and why. The planet will certainly thank you for it.
Be curious!
- Watch The Minimalists on Netflix
- Borrow from your friends! This serves the double purpose of not buying what you don’t need and simultaneously fostering connection with the people in your life.
- Use the 20/20/20 rule: when deciding to keep or toss an item, ask yourself if it can be replaced in under 20 minutes, within 20 miles for less than $20. Odds are you probably won’t need to replace it, but this is a good rule of thumb to help gauge what is worth hanging onto.
- Try boxing up most of not all of your possessions and remove items only as needed. This can help give you a visual of what you actually use on a daily basis and what you might not need to keep.
Photo by Bench Accounting via Unsplash
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