Minimalism as the Ultimate Sophistication
Minimalism is a movement that is characterized by the act of minimizing material possessions and clutter with the intention of living a simple, healthy, and distraction-free life. It is the intention of focusing on things that last, like experiences, relationships, knowledge, and self-care, while minimizing the desire to possess objects like clothes, furniture, and items that we forget about and pile up in our homes. Made popular, mostly by the millennial generation [25-40 years], the minimalism movement is becoming widespread nowadays, and for good reason.
Commonly thought of as a modern movement that has begun fairly recently, minimalism is, in fact, far from a modern concept. Philosophy professor William Stephens, at Creighton University, says that this practice is almost 2,500 years old. It all started with Diogenes, a Greek philosopher, mostly known for his extreme, nonconformist ways of living. While people around him were proud of their luxurious lifestyles, and material objects they possessed, Diogenes did not care about what he had. In fact, he had no money. “His only possessions were one cloak, a walking stick, and a little leather pouch, which he used to carry food,” says Stephens. He tried to convince people that they do not need all their things in order to live a comfortable and happy life, and that happiness is achieved through self-sufficiency and self-mastery, not from conforming to society’s values of accumulating material possessions.
Diogenes’s message primarily targets a person’s psychology. Now, we do not need to be as extreme as he was, and walk around collecting food in a little leather pouch. But there’s a lot to learn from his core message. Minimalism enables us to re-evaluate and understand what’s important in life, and reduce the clutter and excess that can come along with too many possessions and too much consumption.
In tandem with the psychological benefits, minimalism is an effective way of creating an environmentally-sustainable lifestyle. Many people misconstrue minimalism as restrictive or unfulfilling, but misunderstanding this ideology only means we are missing out on some amazing benefits. There is no one way of becoming a minimalist, because every person needs different things. And there is no one threshold to cross, in order to be a full and complete minimalist, either. What you think is clutter, another person might consider necessary. The basis of a minimalist lifestyle is analyzing what you really need and then getting rid of what you don’t need. It’s as simple as that. When you get rid of unneeded baggage, you are actually doing the opposite of restriction; you are adding to your life the things you once did not have room for, physically and mentally.
Living a minimalist lifestyle is good for the soul, but also for the planet. Here are a few reasons why that is the case, and why this way of life has been in play for thousands of years:
this all sounds great, but what about items with sentimental value?
This is a big problem for many people. Sentimental items have a certain value to them that is seen as almost sacred and irreplaceable. You lose a loved one and hold on to something they’ve used, just to have a piece of them with you. This is a very beautiful thing to do, and is humanly natural. Having a minimalist lifestyle does not mean you need to get rid of your sentimental items. However, some of us have way too many things that we find so hard to get rid of, and end up hoarding them around the house or stack them up in the guest bedroom.
Sentimental items have a subtle danger to them, and that is when they end up weighing you down rather than providing comfort by existing in your space. Taking the time to take inventory of items with sentimental value , and actually decide on a few things to keep will not only free a lot of space in your home, but is also much better for your mental health, as well as the planet.
References
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Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia (2021, February 21). Diogenes. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Diogenes-Greek-philosopher
Creighton University. (n. d.). The ancient minimalist. Creighton University. https://www.creighton.edu/creightonmagazine/2017fallfeatureminimalistmanager/ancientminimalist/
Just Delegate (2020, October 14). Reasons why being an eco-friendly minimalist benefits the earth. Just Delegate. https://blog.justdelegate.co/reasons-why-being-an-eco-friendly-minimalist-benefits-the-earth/
Harveston, K. (2018, February 15). Can the rising trend of minimalism help the environment?. The Environmental Magazine. https://emagazine.com/can-the-rising-trend-of-minimalism-help-the-environment/
McCarthy, J. (2016, June 30). 5 ways to live minimally and help save the environment. Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/minimalism-how-to-living-simply-meat-recycling/
Rebecca. (2019). 6 reasons why minimalism is good for the environment. Minimalism Made Simple. https://www.minimalismmadesimple.com/home/is-minimalism-good-for-the-environment/
Ryback, R. (2016, July 11). The powerful psychology behind cleanliness. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201607/the-powerful-psychology-behind-cleanliness
Slater, J. (2019, October 10). How a minimalist lifestyle helps us save the planet too. Project Nord. https://journal.projectnord.com/blog/how-a-minimalist-lifestyle-helps-us-save-the-planet-too#:~:text=It's%20easy%20to%20see%20how,how%20people%20used%20to%20live.&text=Minimalism%20encourages%20you%20to%20think,life%20to%20make%20you%20happy
The Do Something Project. (2018, November 2). 17 ways minimalism saves money and saves the planet. The Do Something Project. https://www.thedosomethingproject.com/home/17-ways-minimalism-saves-money-and-saves-the-planet