I’m only a few minutes into this video so far, but one thing you kind of touched on and I find to often be true is that people who love stuff and have too much of it are really drawn to minimalism because it seems like a solution to their problems, but it can actually turn into the same problem but in reverse: instead of obsessing over having the most stuff, people now obsess over having the least stuff and optimizing every purchase. To me, this seems like the same problem just flipped
I really appreciate your take on this. I agree that contentment often lies somewhere in the middle. For example, I have 27 lipsticks. Will I use them all to completion before they go bad? Probably not. However, I have tried having a small collection of 5-10 and putting the others away in a box to see how a capsule collection would feel and I felt significantly less satisfied with the experience of putting on my makeup and the variety of looks I was able to create. 25-30 is my personal sweet spot (or contentment number, if you will) for lipsticks and even though that might be a lot to some people, it’s perfect for me
but for example do you need 40 bikinis or 20 dinner servings? you don't. someone else might. minimalism is suppose to be keeping what brings you joy and letting go of the rest. but that might look different to different people.
@@extrememinimalism I completely agree! I think most people have a few categories where having more than they strictly need brings them joy, and knowing which categories those are and trimming the excess from the categories you care less about often brings the most happiness
I feel like true minimalists never thought to buy more stuff in the first place 😂 The people like that in my life do NOT see it as an aesthetic choice and frankly their spaces don’t look “cultivated” because they’re just not stuff/aesthetics oriented. I don’t consider myself a minimalist, but I have minimalist tendencies. No one could look at my six tea pots and tea paraphernalia and say I was a minimalist. What I have found useful is that it provides me with rules to stop buying. Just yesterday, I had the impulse to buy a new red lipstick, but then I told myself, you have three at home, and that’s more than enough for what you need. Four would not make me happier. I think focusing more on “what is enough?” is more important than minimalism itself. For me, six teapots is my right amount (for all sizes, types of tea, tea cultures I participate in, etc) and when I got a new tea pot, I decided to let one go that I didn’t love as much and fulfilled the same need. Often, aesthetics (how much stuff fits reasonably in my space) helps define those rules. So sometimes I make do with what I have, sometimes I get something new and get rid of the old, and sometimes I just get something new and add it on. I think part of gathering wisdom is developing nuanced perspectives, because life itself is complicated.
you raise a great point about the practice of minimalism and the aesthetic of minimalism. There can be overlap but it also doesn't have to be that way. The 'what is enough' question is actually a good one, and one I also asked myself too early on. When you're buying all things all of the time you lose sight of that because you're so focused on buying new things or looking beyond what you have. It felt silly to me to ask what is enough when I had hundreds of makeup products. Would 400 items be enough? 500?
@@shawnaripari Hmm, this is an interesting point about the high number. I guess I never got into numbering all my things. Even now, I have a spreadsheet of yarn I have because I’m trying actively to reduce it, but I don’t keep looking at the numbers because that’s so abstract. I have some 250 50g balls in total (in 100g balls, 25g balls, etc), but for me, the question is more sensory than cerebral. I ask myself, “Do I have enough yarn?” When I want to buy yarn. My answer is always, “Yes, more than enough, realistically.” But at some point, I’m sure before I hit 0, I will answer, “I have enough, but what I want will add something distinct to what I have!” And if I ever hit zero, the answer would definitely be “Not enough yarn” 😂 I guess my point is that the numbers to me are irrelevant. It’s more of a Marie Kondo “feeling” thing.
I appreciated your commentary about the dangers of minimalism. I definitely agree with your thoughts about the cycle of decluttering and buying. But I feel like there can be value, especially for over-shoppers, in minimalism (e.g., in decluttering). I don’t think you want to go extreme minimalist, but the idea that decluttering can create space or rid a person of baggage, I have found it to be true. I think the declutters make starker the buy-declutter cycle and can provide extra incentive to quit buying. In a way, perhaps it can be a stage between extreme shopping and a no-buy. I was surprised you did not discuss no-buys in this video, as I felt like the no-buy mirrored your complaints about minimalism. However, I appreciated your focus on contentment in this video, as I think it cuts to the chase on the end goal. That being said, I think that stuff can negatively impact on ones contentment, and I would suspect people who are drawn to minimalism are experiencing that. I did appreciate your mention of Marie Kondo’s work in that respect.
Yes, you're definitely right that some folks can learn tremendous lessons from decluttering alone. Letting go can also be powerful in shedding baggage or "the past"
I overall like the idea of minimalism, but I entirely agree that the fact it's focused on material items is somewhat counter productive to those looking to free themselves from that. Also, the main thing I see people talk to in reference to it is dramatic decluttering. Some proponents of minimalism will try to convince people that anything you don't currently use is clutter that's physically and mentally toxic. But that's not always true, and there are some items that holding onto will actually save you from spending more money and creating more waste later. A good example for me is holding onto some clothing items when they become too big or too small, because my body does tend to vary within a few sizes. Also, I do think that when people focus so much on decluttering they can forget the big picture. Freeing up space can make people feel even more comfortable with shopping to re-fill that space, even subconsciously.
great points all around. I agree about keeping stuff, and I do the same with clothes. I hate just getting rid of stuff and "not liking something" hasn't been a good enough reason for a while now to let me declutter something. That's just me though.
This was great! I'm decluttering right now because I'm moving in November. I don't have much but I've bought more than I need and it's to much. I feel it. So I know I need to sort and declutter before I move.
Such great content. I think minimalism has some ideas that are useful for many people: - Keeping what serves your current life (not your past life or a fantasy life that you never intend to actually live) - less stuff usually means more time, more space, less work, less expense. - Minimalism is not an end in itself, it is a way to make time and space for a more cohesive and meaningful life.
Amazing video, as always!! ❤️🤗 I definitely agree with all your points! Last year I discovered the idea of minimalism and, like you, eventually noticed how many of its various interpretations negatively differ in comparison to Marie Kondo’s healthy/intentional approach to our belongings. I unsubscribed from every minimalist RU-vidr who focuses on things and decluttering. The very few people I’m still subscribed to have a more simplistic, practical take on minimalism, like the one you live by and talk about- making use of and appreciating what you already have, finding contentment within yourself, and making intentional decisions. There is one other thing I noticed before unsubscribing to many minimalism RU-vidrs, and it definitely fits within the excellent points you’ve made-- The people who had a “declutter first” approach to minimalism seemed to be getting a “high” from decluttering on repeat…and they seemed to be using it to replace the “high” they used to get from shopping ((in other words, they’re maybe using decluttering to bury a shopping addiction, which ends up forming a decluttering addiction)). “The Minimal Mom” is the first person I noticed this behavior in. It’s messed up in so many ways, and I also noticed that most “declutter addicts” don’t GAF about environmental and social responsibility when it comes to the things they’re “decluttering” (i.e. sending unexpired food and recyclable materials to landfill).
You raise a great point in the high of decluttering replacing the high of shopping. This is probably why the shop/declutter cycle is so powerful because both feel good.
Hi from sunny California! New fan here… this video really resonated with me. I totally went on the minimalism band wagon only to realize how much I was stressing all the time about stuff. Minimalism became rigid and toxic. Love the Pinterest images but not realistic at all (wouldn’t it be nice if everyone owned beautiful neutral Scandi furniture and only wore organic linen?!) I love crafting and I love my stuff and it took me a while to not feel shame about making stuff all the time! Anywho, I’m looking forward to watching more videos!!
The comment about the capsule wardrobe was very much on point. I wanted to buy all the clothes to look like the ladies on RU-vid however I realised I am a bigger lady and I wouldn't look like they would in video...so I looked at what I had and made my own...it took a while and there were hits and misses but I am starting to be more content when I look at my wardrobe ❤
I've had a similar experience. It can be really easy to forget all the unique things about ourselves when watching styling videos. I'm glad to hear you're starting to feel more confident in your wardrobe 💗
Shawna I wish you would do a commentary video on Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki. I think minimalism helps me feel content because it shifts my focus from hunting for future stuff to being with what I already have. I am almost purely utilitarian about my clothes but I am keep wondering if overshopping is because people are looking for their clothes to do something they can't do?
