Our Desires are Being Manipulated 

As a soon to be 70 yr old, I have just recently found the benefits of minimalism. I was tired of looking at my stuff, cleaning my stuff, managing my stuff and in general stuff. I found out about "Swedish Death Cleaning" which is getting rid of your own stuff before you die so that your family doesn't have to do it. I started by deciding that my hands were too allergic to acrylic yarn, so I could no longer knit and crochet. I have a niece who recently started this hobby, so I asked if she would like some yarn. She was thrilled and I gifted her with a number of Rubbermaid tubs of yarn. I started going through my other stuff with the idea to look for things that other family members could use or would like. Almost everyone was happy to come and pick up their gift, thrilled to take my stuff away. I have donated boxes of stuff to the local thrift store and thrown out some stuff. I may never get through 70 years of accumulations, but I am happier with my life and my comfortable home. I live more intentionally thanks to your vlog and others. I am spending my life on family and memories. And I don't plan on leaving this world soon, but we all will go someday, why not be happy and less controlled by consumerism. Thanks for bravely saying what needs to be told. ❤ PS: I found that can still use cotton yarn, so I crochet like this grandmother should. 😊

This is excellent Joshua,, no wonder the planet is in a mess ,, I am happiest when I’m in my garden growing my own fruit, vegetables and flowers, turning my compost bins, sowing seeds, taking cuttings and most importantly, not spending money on trash I don’t need and watching the depressing news ,, keep up the great work ,, best wishes, Lisa

I value all your videos Joshua, but this is probably your most important video yet. If people never realise the level of intentional manipulation they are constantly up against, it makes it much harder for them to not get sucked back into it!

Minimalism is the most peaceful lifestyle I’ve ever experienced 😌 My mom and my sister are both hoarders who are consistently stressed out. I hope someday they will see there is another way and will ask for my help.

I started on my path to minimalism without even knowing what it was. A few years ago I chose to change job positions when working for a retailer. I went from being a cashier and having to deal with people directly to working the truck. Seeing all the trash that was made from products being wrapped in so much plastic and paper turned me off of buying so much. I found myself thinking about what we are doing to our planet. I then began to shift my focus from not only the types of things I was buying and why but also to the ethics of the companies that I was supporting. For me they have to be fair trade and doing something to improve the earth (or at least minimizing their impact ) and its residents by being environmentally conscious and not just greenwash their products for maximum profit. I had to reduce spending and get only what I needed with intention due to the costs of fair trade and healthier items. It was the best decision ever. Now I have no clutter anywhere, not even one junk drawer or overcrowded closet in any of my spaces.

I wish this had at least a million views by now! Three things helped inoculate me against manipulative advertising: 1) a frugal father, 2) a high school teacher who taught us about subliminal messages in advertising, 3) reading a magazine article in my teens that reviewed expensive vs. inexpensive makeup and reported no difference. All kids should be so lucky!

We’re being manipulated by more than just advertisers.

I realized that by watching news and television shows, I was cluttering my mind. Not just with nonsense but with advertising and depressing news. One day I just stopped. Though I do occasionally open a news source so I am not ignorant of the world around me, I usually find out things a few days after they have happened but news is news and less speculation at that point. When I do decide I want to watch something I try to watch it on a platform that has no advertising. My mind is much more at peace now, which goes to show that our minds can be just as cluttered as our surroundings.

Your guidance has finally led me to downsize to a senior cooperative with NO house or yard maintenance anymore. 2 bedroom unit, have decluttered solidly for 6 years and am so ready. Got rid of both bedroom suites recently. Just kept one bed. The triple dressers were both half empty, so I realized I didn’t need them! Thank you for the inspiration and change in my perspective Joshua! ❤

It’s pretty sick if you think about it, the manipulation. I only really understood how bad it is since I turned off all social media except You Tube and quit watching TV. Since then I’ve consumed much less and been way more mindful of what I am buying. Now when I go to the store in actual need of something I find stuff I didn’t know existed because I don’t see very many ads anymore. Also, my grown kids show me stuff and then say that I’m hiding under a rock 😂. I’ll stay under my rock thank you very much!

Here is my story, being 38 years old, too tried to clean and arrange stuff, now getting serious about everything. After watching your videos , I donated my clothes , shoes handbags, and some kitchen utensils that I wasn't using for the last 2 years. Planning to do more declutter during this spring so I have more time for taking care of myself and family. Words are not enough to thank you enough for saving my life from mismanage, exhausted to manageable, and stress-free. Iam glad that I found your channel.

This is a great video, Joshua. I had only commented to my husband a few days back about the differences between our grandparents generation who were born in the late 1800's and the generations living now. There homes were comfortable and filled with the things they needed which were often passed down from other generations or received as wedding presents. They valued, repaired things and made do. People had work clothes and a best outfit. Neighbours helped each other and loaned tools or equipment. Where we live we have seen people becoming disconnected from their neighbours and fence heights increasing so that people have privacy at the cost of interactions. Without connection we feel more vulnerable and need to buy more things for every possible eventuality. We are depressed and stressed and are destroying our environment while the the manipulators make a fortune on our fears and sense of lack.

Hi Joshua, i feel this Manipulation every Single day, but my no buy muscle is getting stronger every day. Greetings from Germany ❤

REALLY JOSHUA!! You just made realize again how I’ve fallen into consumerism and know I’ve spent 45 min decluttering ! Lol, thanks Joshua

Your last statement said it all: Be intentional. I'm constantly amazed when I see gift shops at tourist attractions crowded and busy. But then I found myself in one last year purchasing a t-shirt and a coffee mug that I did not need. Relearning what I already knew, I did not need those, and a year later, the coffee mug was faded by the dishwasher, and the t-shirt is not as good as some other ones that I own. If I had been intentional, I would have by passed those, remembering that I would make a photo book with the photos from the trip.

This is excellent! I just saw pink depression ware, which my mom collected for me, for sale at a great price. My first response was to buy it then I paused and realized at 66 I am not sure my kids want what I already have so why buy more! This lifestyle is slowly changing my thinking.

I’ve stopped the “habit” of shopping; even at thrift stores. When I shop, two times per month, I have a list of essentials. I keep a running list of “desires,” which is always changing and hopefully I can find theses items for free, used or traded for. Love exploring minimalism and having more time. Thanks for good video!🐇

I used to work in advertising and I think that's why I find it so easy to spot the fake forwards in social media like WhatsApp, that most people just assume is genuine. I guess it takes one to know one. Advertising was fun and challenging and profitable but after 15 years I decided there were more meaningful ways to use my talents, so I left.

Struggling through the paper clutter currently. So many regrets and so much shame when I need to examine my poor choices. Frustration when I see the stuff my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents have left for me to sort. Don’t want to leave the same for my children; they need better examples and freedom to make good choices. Thanks for your wise counsel and ministry

Thank you Joshua - once again you are entirely accurate - I'm 73 years old - and in my younger days was under the influence. Sometimes it takes awhile to recognize errors. I never tire of listening to your life lessons. So joyful!

I have SO MUCH STUFF to scrapbook but the truth is that I don't have the money or if I really think about it time to do so. I asked my son, who is 18, if he would take the albums if I chose to scrapbook at least 10 yrs. worth. He said NO! He'll probably take his baby picture albums (which I created 17 years ago) which equal 5. And that's it. I believe it's time to let go of old brochures, receipts, event flyers, etc...

I rarely buy stuff I saw on advertisements. In my opinion: if the product is good enough, it doesn't need advertising.

Guilty as charged, I’m a musician & was recently horrified to be told “Do you realise you have 118 guitars?” I was stunned as I had no idea I’d accumulated so many plus the 30 odd amplifiers & associated paraphernalia. While it’s nice to have so many beautiful instruments to hand I’m asking myself do I really need 118 and for that matter does anyone..? I need to look at my life with new eyes I think. Great talk.

Just when I think your videos can’t get any better, you knock it out of the park. Thanks, Joshua!

Started decluttering a year ago after seeing your video now my house is company ready in less than 5 min. Thank you!

Its so frustrating I see this now and its so hard cleaning up and realizing there are alot of things that I purchased I really didn’t need or use as much!

Great video, Joshua! The sad thing is that the majority of the people who most need to see it would never click on one of your videos. I still hope, though, that a few of them will stumble across it. It just doesn't seem viable for our society to keep going down the road we've been on.

Thank you Joshua. This is absolutely true, the manipulation is everywhere and the people and businesses who are using this manipulation technique are not even ashamed of it. It’s up to us to say NO and choose for the things we really need and whatever nourishes our soul. I recently red an article and I remember this quote written by Walt Whitman: ‘dismiss whatever insults your soul.” Thank you for your inspiration and best wishes from Belgium 🌷

Honest, simple, peaceful..Thank you Joshua...lots of respect for you🙏

If you don’t watch television and you don’t subscribe to magazines you’re “avoiding the near occasions of sin” and minimizing temptation. It’s so relaxing.

I pay attention to ads. I don't buy a thing they're selling but it's interesting to see the angle they take. For the past couple of years it's all "you DESERVE this or that"; "get everything you DESERVE," on and on and on. Nearly every ad mentions this. And the sheep fancy themselves to actually be deserving of whatever it is, as if they were real-life heroes. What a farce. And they spend and spend, patting themselves on the back the whole way down the road to debt and accumulation of crap they don't need.

Like Paramhansa Yogananda said " be as simple as possible and you'll be astonished how happy and uncomplicated your life will become "

One way to overcome the mind manipulation that advertising does is to turn off the TV, and ALL electronics!!

Wow! The first step is to be intentional in overcoming it! Well said!

We also buy stuff we don’t need because so many of us have been hurt mentally and physically by the pandemic in the last few years. It makes us feel better to “gift” ourselves with new things.

Today I had to walk through a mall to get an order completed and all could think was.... Why is nearly everyone here? Why aren't they enjoying themselves outside somewhere?

I limit television and what I watch. I used to watch home shopping networks for trends & so call discounts, but no more. They were magnificent at becoming my friends who told me to buy products that will make my life better. I'm still reducing & decluttering. When I think of all the trunk loads I've hauled to donation... It's crazy. Makeup used to be one small bag I kept on my bathroom counter. Now it lazy susans, & drawers & towers full of things that do little to really Change my appearance. MLM companies convince people not only to sell but buy way too many products. I'll never do that again.

And thank you to the Comments section for introducing me to 2 new phrases - pink depression ware (which, until I googled it, I assumed had something to do with mental health) and Swedish death cleaning (which I'm definitely going to read more about)!

That goal that they made is just evil. And this is what has happened to the planet. But the people doing the harm continue to point fingers and blame others, getting everyone else to jump on board, believe it, and then feel rage toward the people being blamed. Meanwhile, they just keep doing more and more harmful things - which are actually against ALL of us, but they pivot this group against that one, and another against a different one so we all just keep being so distracted and upset no one can see anything for what it is.

Thanks for another thought-provoking video. Realizing that having stuff that is unnecessary makes me unhappy has affirmed my desire to avoid consumption. I have also found that avoiding magazines and television has decreased my consumption significantly. Ads and commercials are designed to be manipulative, and our society encourages us to connect stuff to success and happiness. Being thoughtful about what truly makes me happy has been the strategy that has worked best for me. Thanks again.

Went to an event this week and DID NOT purchase a new anything to wear. Shopped in my minimal closet and felt so good. Love your videos, THANK YOU

I feel like many are simply trying to fill a void in their lives with objects. Fill the void after a major loss, or fill a space that has always been empty.

Working in retail, My Colleagues were asking Me what I'm buying on Black Friday. The one year was three loaves of bread that I freezed. The following year it was 2 cartons of long life milk and nothing else

Joshua I so enjoy your videos, they are thought provoking, non-judgmental and calming. You give me the inspiration to let go of what doesn't serve me or my family. Thank you!😇

I find it ironic that Lehman Brothers was an investment banking firm that went bankrupt! Thanks for sharing such great content. When I was much younger and trying to avoid purchasing things so I could pay down debt, I wouldn't get the Sunday paper because of all the ads. Now I avoid a lot of social media or skip the ads because that's the new method of enticing you. Recording things on TV so I can fast forward through the ads helps too. I still make mistakes but these things help.

After watching your videos I have donated many of the items I had. But many of my things I’ve had for many years and many of them once belonged to my Mother. After watching several of your videos I put into boxes many of my belongs and stored them away for 6 months. I really began to long for my things that, made me feel cozy and would often being a smile to my face. Although I have to Thank you because, I did get rid of a lot of things I never used in the kitchen and my closet. I really don’t feel there is anything wrong with have things around me that, I love. Have a Blessed day.

Good episode! I hope some people will hear it who aren't already "converted." :) Haven't spent money for the entire month, and been de-cluttering daily. Our local library (conveniently next door) takes donations.

2:00 so disturbing 😠

We buy things we don't need because of the consumerism culture we live in and because of advertising. You are right: we need to become aware and get intentional in our spending.

11:27pm. This is 1 of the best commentaries I've heard on u tube or anywhere else. This guy needs 2 b interviewed all over the internet. Very impressed.

I really enjoy these videos. I feel like I'm still very new at working toward minimalism, but I visited a friend this week whose house had every surface piled almost to the ceiling and remembered my house used to be really cluttered, it's getting better, little by little. Thank you for being an encourager, these videos really speak deep.

All desire is .... you 'manipulating yourself'. Contentment comes when you vanquish desire

I started minimalism because my spouse and I lived in an apartment full of things. I asked myself, “how many things does two people need?” I started looking around and found many things we actually didn’t need. It was extra clutter stressing us out. I started decluttering slowly and after seeing the benefits it has become easier. Also your videos helped a lot. It is still hard because we are being bombarded with marketing but videos like yours help me stay focus. 😊

One day in my 30s while walking past a wildly overpriced skincare boutique promising THE Answer to great skin at $100 per small container, an aggressive salesman standing on the sidewalk tried to get me to go in. When I politely declined, he said something negative in an obvious ploy to make feel insecure and relent. > : - ( I'm not an overly confident or sassy person, but at that time in my life I got frequent compliments about my skin and people were often genuinely shocked to learn I was older than I appeared. So I just smiled and gestured to my face and said, "I'm good." Cheeky! : - ) He immediately responded with the benefits of their anti-aging cream in a passive aggressively catty tone. If only all self-serving sales techniques were so blatantly toxic!

Well done. I've purged and purchased and purged and purchased, trying every time not to buy more than I actually need, and only buy what actually works for me. Clothing: I love watching "capsule wardrobe" videos and then going through my closet to see what I have too much of and where the gaps are. Having an actual plan for my closet, a plan that takes care of all of the realities of life, not buying willy-nilly "because it's spring and I need pink and OOH, there's something new!!" or "oh, this is on sale!" has been a great help. Consistently maintaining the lovely items I own is also important. Car: my 2010 Honda Element is working on 309,000 miles as of right now. It's been a fantastic car and is still going strong. I'm the original owner and always do the regular scheduled maintenance. It's never let me down yet. Electronics: I just replaced my iPhone 6 (eight years old) with an iPhone 13 mini (refurbished from Amazon) -- not because it was old and broken -- it's still in perfect condition -- but because Apple is not supporting the older iOS products and dammit, I wanted a better camera. House: I was able to purchase my house outright in 2014 due to inheritance. It is my one and only investment. (Not bad; its value has gone from $195,000 to $350,000 in nine years.) Again, maintenance, lots of maintenance. Products: as much as possible, I make my own household and personal products, using basic things like white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, and Castile soap. Health: in 2017 I got the carbs, sugars and processed oils out of my kitchen and out of my life ("healthy keto") and got my health back. That's been SUCH a game-changer. I didn't realize that I WAS sick, or how sick I WAS, until I got rid of sugar. I grow as much as I can and have time for in my tiny little backyard garden.

I was just asking myself; how can someone be minimalistic? Variety is the spice of life, no? I do agree with the upcycling and the recycling and the not over buying but minimalism is to me very rigid. Some people are comforted by their possessions. I have a 95-year-old father and he can't do much, but he gets pleasure out of looking at his possessions that he has accumulated in life, sale of his first home, old pics of his military days and his childhood, books etc. Without those he would be lost. For me my decorative items remind me of days spent with loved ones on outings or during travel and give me pleasure and joy to see them each day. I don't think we are being mass manipulated, well maybe they are trying to do that, but the ultimate choice is ours how we choose to live. There is a lot of violence in the world, but I still don't kill people or harm others. As far as greed or a need to impress others that may be true for some but that is more of a personality/character flaw than an overbuying issue. All people like nice things. Stay away from MSM and limit internet usage. DO THINGS with your friends and family, get outside more and help others more. Count your blessings. I admire minimalists because you can just pick up and leave easily but I need to pack for a month to do that lol. I guess what I am saying is to each his own. Enjoy life as you see fit, it is after all your life. As long as you do not toss things into the dump willy nilly and you recycle or gift old possessions, no harm no foul. I still enjoy listening to your views on these videos :)

I have been following your channel for 3 years now. I often de-clutter some more after watch your weekly videos, my home has much less stuff now. Watching your videos changes my life - from things I thought I MUST keep to 'surely this can go!'. This week I read Isaiah 44:9 - drives it home "the things they treasure are worthless!!" - all stuff are Worthless stuff!! I am renovating my old 2br unit room by room. My goal is make them Minimalistic + Peaceful. Now my new bathroom & Laundry is SO calming. I will do that to the rest of my home! God bless you Joshua.

There's nothing like an extended media fast to demonstrate the intense pressure of advertising. The first time I put my television in the closet, it was for about 6 weeks. When I took it out to watch a TV program, I was shocked at how numerous and glaring the ads were. You really become desensitized to them very quickly. I recently acquired a smart phone, and after a couple of weeks I decided it was nothing more than a wide-bore sewer pipe of advertising. Getting a smart phone was one of the worst decisions I have made recently. I will be getting rid of it.

Here's one answer as to why some people grab all they can get when they can get it....some people grew up in poverty and didn't have some of the basic things they needed, much less enough food. So when they were older/grown, they felt the need to beg, borrow, (or steal in some cases) anything they could get their hands on. I had a friend who grew up in poverty who recently passed away, and she was always begging for things and food money from people because she was so worried about not having enough if she didn't do that. It was very sad honestly to see a person in that type of emotional/mental state.

I should save this video and listen to it every morning before I go out.

Contentment & gratefulness are the key to real happiness…

I really like this message … This topic. I feel like you’re cutting a little bit deeper into the crux of the problem that a lot of us suffer with. I’m 50, born privileged, but my parents worked hard… A total 80s kid Like Tom Cruise, respected the Crystal egg , but also had a lot of time on my hands to consume marketing. Marketing has become far more powerful and lifestyles have become strangely more insular Must see TV doesn’t really exist in the same way to unite people …the marketing and advertisements that exist prey on our individual scrolling behavior good bad or ugly. It is definitely problematic and screws with our individual psyche.

I love minimalism! Never regret any of stuff I gave away!😂❤

Thank you, it's a hard cycle to break away from but by being intentional it makes it easier. In an art class I took we read, " Ways of Seeing" by John Berger and he talks about the desires that ads use to make us think that if we purchase an item we will be become that but as you stated its pure manipulation. Its a pretty insightful book.

I think there needs to be a balance. I’m not getting rid of the tried and true things I inherited from my Mom.

I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for your channel and books. Thank you! You are definetely making a diffence in the world- my life included

Excellent insights to reflect on. I have come a long way because when I am in a store or get inundated with advertising the items look to me like a source of annoyance rather than objects to be desired 😂

When we ditched the tv, magazine subscriptions, and even limited online time, our life became simpler, less stressful, and minimalist (before it became a lifestyle). Even joke that we became more mountain Mennonites. Wish the issue of loneliness would be discussed more, in regard to why people buy things they don't need or even want. 'Retail therapy'. Sad. Read Paul M. Mazur's 1928 book “American Prosperity where he seems to be writing about changes that he thought had already occurred in the U.S. economy by 1914. 'Any community that lives on staples has relatively few wants. The community that can be trained to desire change, to want new things even before the old have been entirely consumed, yields a market to be measured more by desires than by needs. And man’s desires can be developed so that they will greatly overshadow his need'. My local library will get me his book in hardback, via the interlibrary loan program. But then I found the Internet Archive which notes, 'Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more' which has the book.

Good words Joshua! I was graduating from 8th grade when you was born! I am so glad I found minimalism is so much calmer than the daily acquiring more stuff!

We can deal with our insecurities , our false desire to consume what we don’t need, and be satisfied with living simply and minimal . Finding Joy Peace and satisfaction in more important things for this life on earth.Pray and ask God to help us.🙂🙏🏻

No. 5! So hard to overcome sometimes. Train us. Teach us. Thank you.

Well said, Joshua Becker. Advertising is a very dirty, disrespectful business!!

I ain’t gonna be manipulated ever again. With effect 2 Nov 2023, however tough the journey may be, I am gonna pursue “minimalism” for my own good and for those I love dearly ❤ 😅

60 years old going on 90. Subscribed. Thank you.

Such an important message Joshua. I am so thankful to have found and embraced minimalism 3 years ago. Life is so much better now on all levels

Everyone should hear this message. I'm glad I did. I earned an Associate Degree in Advertising and Graphic Design years ago and my eyes were opened then to this type of manipulation. However, I still have fallen into the rabbit hole of consumerism. Thank you for a well said reminder.

Oof! I feel a little called out. 😂 I really enjoyed listening to this while cleaning my home today though!

Thank you, Joshua! Just dropped off three boxes and two bags yesterday!

"Ground your mind" is the same answer to the "solitude deprivation" in Cal Newport's digital minimalism

Your message is very powerful. I think many people are so heavily conditioned that they don't even know that NOT buying more things is an option! Or they equate owning fewer possessions with being perceived as poor, which would be the ultimate offence, of course! 🙂

Just wow! Concise and true with every single word.

I love your channel. I've been a minimalist for awhile . I have everything I need and have very low stress . Plus, I have a lot of money left over because I don't spend unneccesarily. When I really want something, I can afford it. But I find myself wanting less.

I did not buy for the reasons listed. I was trying to solve problems or make things easier. When the items didn’t work as intended I felt the need to keep it because I had spent money on it. I know longer hold onto things that don’t serve me but I still buy things that don’t serve the purpose I had intended them too.

Your videos have so much wisdom in them. I look forward to them each week. At my age I don’t care to buy anything to impress others and I am learning to be content. However, my frustration is seeing my teenager wanting specific brands and items because of what he sees on social media. Even though I don’t get him the brands he wants, he struggles with this.

Joshua: THIS is by far the best, the most important and the particular well-articulated video I've ever watched from your hand 🏆 - and I have watched all of them!! Thank you so much, for helping us all over the wonderful World, to connect the dots - so we can see the bigger picture. Thank you very much: I will share this particular video with everybody I know ❤

Thank you! ❤

Couldn’t Agree More With everything you say … so many things were put into place many years ago by the system and it just continues .. I never watch commercials but it still amazes me that for example a big food chain can advertise their food with non food items to make it look perfect on the screen and it’s legal ? Makes no sense … lots of people don’t realize that most of all advertising is literally all BS and you never see main stream advertising for anything really beneficial to you

Powerful & painfully true. This has gone on for far too long; time to say "enough!".

I NEEDED to hear this. Thank you!💗

Thank You ❤

Another great reminder! Thank you for this video, Joshua! 👋 from the 🇵🇭

I tell everyone "my exterior environment keys into my interior environment. Messy environment, messy mind, and i get snappy and irritable. My girl is the opposite. Her environment becomes more messy the more upset she becomes. She can't manage the neural lift to call to action. I tried everything my professional organizer classes taught me, plus a few things i picked up along the way. She - and her child - need "more" and "fast" over the pause and the "do i want that, or do i need that?" "I'll do it tomorrow" - there is no 'tomorrow' on the calendar. Takes two minutes, do it now! - instead she says "I'll get that done in a little bit. There is no "little bit" hand on the clock. Now i admit, since i live F/T in my RV for a year, it IS time for me to go through things and get rid of more stuff. I just set a deadline, and even if it is just a shirt or a pair of shoes, it is an advance.

Thank you Joshua! We need more videos like that! The system needs to be changed!

One of your best videos! Thanks, Joshua! Hope all is well with y'all!

Love your content. Love the way it’s presented. Keep spreading the message.

So true!

Preach it brother… the world needs to hear that includes me!

I'm trying to help others with my money but when it turns to them using me, I need to step away.😢

Thank you

Thank you, Joshua! Well said.