Minimalism is a capitalist scam to trick you into not owning anything and make u feel good about it. Its equally bad as extreme hoarding but on the other side of the spectrum. And if not for super wealthy influencers tricking people into living this life they dont realize that these celebs have many homes and indulge in total excess behind the scenes . Govt propanda at its finest. Just like thr great depression following the gilded age of excess the govt founf a way to trivk people imto givinh up valuable assets as they made it seem "gross" . So to fit in, many did but they held on to theirs. So ... here we go again . Round n round the merry go around. When will the word balance start being a term that makes sense?
Hi there Tim, in short a while back I was binge watching every Minimalist utuber out there and in particular I was watching one woman, who I will not name. It turned out she appeared to be the real thing until in one of her later videos she showed a shot of her bedroom and under her bed was alot of stuff being stored! This totally turned me off! because in all her previous videos she was priding herself about her extreme & rigged Minimalism. The purist Minimalists continuing to buy new stuff and then repeating the cycle all over again! If you follow them long enough You will see what I mean. I say this to say we can all learn something From minimalism, However, We don’t have to follow others to a T. They can serve as our inspiration. Therefore, I would agree with you! on the BS, lol
minimalism.like u give up, that you won't used it frequently and a lot of things, etc.. yes, I understand what you said, because we end up buying lotsa thing stock up in drawer, and you dont's used it,don't read it like books, etc..all the times. keep things minimal is goods.. buy what essentials..❤️... be happy what you have. like feeling zen.
The biggest minimalist I knew was such a waster! She wasted so much resource... So much time organizing and "decluttering." So much time looking for the perfect single item to fit the perfect setup of her home. So much resource bc nothing was diy. Out and about, didn't pack a lunch...bc uh, lunch boxes are cumbersome in the pantry. So she spends those dollars. So much time working to save for all that travel and hobbies. Meanwhile, we live on a single teacher's income and I bought everything used or it was given to me. Or I would work to make it. Gardens, wood shop, tools, animals for food.... All that requires A LOT of stuff... Homeschooling, saves a lot of tax dollars. Requires a lot of books. Making your own clothes...space for the materials and machine...saves tons of money. Minimalists are hardly ever Producers. They consume less but almost never make anything.
Even when I owned less than 100 items I still never did the wearing all black, all white walls typical aesthetic. I've never understood how that became the "image" for minimalism. It makes it out into a trend which isn't sustainable for many people. If you do minimalism in the way that works just right for you it will be sustainable. For example, I don't own furniture. I move way too much for that. For a mother of four children who lives long-term in the same area then Furniture free would not work at all.
I never had many clothes. I borrow books and magazines from the library. But I love costume jewelry which I've been collecting and wearing for about 60 (sixty) years. I like the bright colors, and the sparkle. Tina, Al's wife
Minimalism as we know it today is indeed a cult. I agree that minimalism isn’t a set of rules. It’s ugly how it’s a tool for indoctrination. Minimalism is nothing but awareness and starts with acknowledging that it’s not a destination and rather a process!!!! Starting by knowing you only let go to let in.. like seriously to me minimalism is about having more!!! Like letting go of my fear of leaving a toxic relationship.. stop buying things to impress.. doing jobs that pay me to buy things to impress others that don’t care.. minimalism for me is about having more of self boundaries and letting go of people pleasing .. more of NOs that bring me peace over the YESs that make others happy.. more shoes that I love wearing without having to post on the gram for validation.. more physical activities and less physical activities to gain likes on the gram.. more of understanding what is a true friend and what is an acquaintance.. saying no is minimalism.. as I say no i say yes to what I want to do.. minimalism isn’t a journey that needs the validation of others and indeed doesn’t give righteousness nor it should be a reason why one shall devalue others who are not.. minimalism is choosing to not compete with others based on who’s more minimalistic.. minimalism isn’t a scam and yet minimalism is a great tool to scam.. and hell yeah it works well.. like many other things.. yoga.. religion.. etc minimalism didn’t help me.. I helped myself by taking steps to make changes to my toxic lifestyle and these steps happened to be labeled as “minimalism”
Some people do minimalism with the wrong intention. If you're starting minimalism because you think it will bring you happiness, no, you have to want to turn your life around and consciously want to be happy. If you don't want to put in effort to be happy, then nothing you do will ever make u happy. It starts with you.
I wouldn't sell everything I own but i think it is smart to sell whatever you won't need in the next 6 months and to avoid buying crap simply because other people have it. Lamborghinis might be nice but do i really want to spend a few hundred dollars on a car that I would be worried that someone would scratch up all so I can show off to people I have never met in my life and likely will never meet again. I try to make it so all my belongings fit in one piece of luggage that i can carry onto a plane. I am like that with people. If people do not do anything for me they are a waste of time to have in my life. I would rather spend my time playing minecraft than going to the local bar.
I suspect minimalism has become a way of controlling other people. "If your house isn't as bare and colorless as mine, there is something wrong with you!" I like beautiful objects; my husband likes souvenirs. He treasures every marble that every kid ever lost in the 110 years since our home was built. That is one of things that makes him who he is.
Moving to a simple, more intentional life has made a huge difference in my life. I am a very practical person and have both filtered the online advice & chosen not to watch content that is one-sided. I think balance is important in our spaces & in our thinking. Personally, the type of "minimalism" you are describing at the beginning if this video is not one that has ever had any draw for me at all.
I call myself a luxury minimalist. I got rid of all the things, which had no value to me. But … I have an „overpriced coffee setup“ with a nice mashine and mill because I love coffee and I enjoy every single cup. I own three bikes (steel, titanium) because I love cycling and do it almost every day. That’s why to me minimalism doesn’t mean have only this or that. It’s a personal approach being more conscious (as you already mentioned)
From my perspective, a lot of the minimalists I see on RU-vid are largely LARPing as minimalists. It is done as a style, rather than a form of living, if you understand what I mean. I also notice that these people are wealthy, which perhaps is why their lifestyle seems so inauthentic. Their minimalism didn't grow organically, but rather is put on as a show, even if just to themselves (but most often to others). I grow up poor, and I grew up moving around a lot, so owning a lot was either impossible, or inconvenient, and so I became what is my form of a minimalist. Now I own a small (1000sqf), inexpensive house in a small, inexpensive rural town. I could afford a bigger one certainly, because as a minimalist your funds tend to pool up over time, but I don't really want one or the additional associated costs or time I'd have to put in maintaining it. I have simple clothes, I cook my own food, I fix things myself around the house, I cut wood as exercise and to help with heating bills in the winter, though I enjoy that. I have just what I need to do these things (some tools, etc), and don't own or desire designer clothes. My house isn't bare walls and no furniture, just what is enough to be comfortable, and some memorabilia and whatnot from travelling around. I enjoy simple hobbies like hiking in the forest and reading. As a result, I've stopped wage working, because my expenses are so few, and make all the money I need trading. Now I have even more time to enjoy with my family and my simple hobbies. If you're really living a minimalist lifestyle, you aren't constantly evaluating "do I need this thing or that", it is internalized. You don't even think about it. You don't buy excess goods or live an excess lifestyle because you don't even DESIRE these things. You also don't need to constantly post on social media about what you are doing or what you are buying, or eating. Who cares? Anyway, I'm not trying to offend anyone really, that is just my view on the matter.
I love what you said about minimalism isn't about the number of things you own it's about your relationship to those things. I have reduced the items I own but I still have tons of cooking items, because I love to cook. I use them!
I am a pure minimalist. I am very happy; very free; very responsible to the world, to myself, to others. I am able to be more charitable; in complete control; and devote more of myself to others' needs. If you are weak, minimalism will burden you. If you are stable and confident - minimalism will free you body and soul.
This is completely unrelated to the video topic but your production quality is stellar. For a channel this new, it already feels like you’re finding your rhythm and vibe. Amazing work!
Its all about balance... and anyone has their own balance who for someone else is not. True some will try to have a sell pitch, but hey, I like the style, bought a few things.. but I have a ceramic 2 dollar pour over for coffee. I have gotten rid of alot of stuff, and I feel better for it. Im not the type to have nothing but the bare floor, but have enough that I am using on a regular basis. I dont even have a TV. Dont want one. I do have a computer, of course.. Just a cell, no home phone. Have a small apartment, but I like it. I live with what makes me feel comfortable. I watch some minimal videos to get ideas for improvements, but I have enough sense in me to not let it control me. As long as you live where you are comfortable and have the proper balance, you will be happy in that way.. but again, there are other things needed to make you happy, but at least its a good start.
I agree with this. I hate the idea of clutter so I'll have only one face wash at a time. certain amount of socks, whatever. But I like gaming and crystals and I'm not going to throw away my other games and crystals. basically it's just perfectionism gone too extreme.
I’m toying with the idea of eco minimalism as well, as I see our planet warming, and after seeing how much junk I had. I want to do my part to reduce harm to the planet.
minimalism changed my life drastically for the better but there is def not a one size fits all. It really should be called common sense because ultimately thats all it is. Unfortunately society now is greed based and debt based. Minimalism just takes us out of that and back to the basics.
