Minimalism: Less is More
Dexter York
June 2019
Each person has their own unique lifestyle that can be added into a pre-defined category built by a society. Our choices in life such as our meals, daily routines, and recreational activities define us. Some people have a stereotypical lifestyle that belongs to one category while others prefer to have a lifestyle that consists of various different lifestyle categories. I am one of the individuals whose life is mainly dominated, but not entirely, by one lifestyle – Minimalism.
People understand Minimalism in different ways. Some believe it is a depriving lifestyle where you live with the bare minimum while others believe it is a lifestyle with no decoration. There are no rules or solid criteria that will define a Minimalist; it is all about following one value – everything in your life must bring value to your life. This includes items you own, the environment you are in, and people in your life. For example, having a closet full of clothes, but wearing only 20 percent of them, because they are your favorite or they fit the weather in your region is not creating value in your life. You have invested money into items that are worn once every few years or not worn at all. Minimalists choose to sell, donate, or re-purpose such clothes into something they will use. Each item owned by a Minimalist brings value to their life by being used. Most people have a lot of stuff in their homes; there are even jokes about them such as having a box full of random wires by the age of 30 or having an all-purpose drawer with a lot of various “what if” items, like empty containers, plastic bags, half empty batteries, and so on. Minimalists choose to discard such items if they can be bought with 20 dollars or less.
Minimalism focuses on a clutter-free life that is filled with items and people who add value to their lives. Cutting down on belongings is the first step to transitioning into Minimalism. Some prefer to do so gradually by getting rid of an item or two every few weeks while others prefer to purge everything at once. Many people believe that they cannot be Minimalists because some of their hobbies require them to own a lot of items, such as reading physical books. If reading brings value to your life then even owning 500 books will still make you a Minimalist. This cleanse applies to people and environments in your life. There are toxic friends and even toxic family members that can be cut off. Some find it hard to cut people off because it involves emotions and a pressure from a social construct where one shouldn’t cut off family, but ultimately it is your choice – if someone or something makes you feel a negative emotion, you have the right to get rid of them. You cannot change the world, but you can change your life.
Minimalists often own more expensive items or higher quality items than an average consumer. For example, an average consumer will obtain five items with a total value of 100 dollars while Minimalists will obtain 1 item with the same value. If such items are t-shirts, then it will take time to wear five t-shirts and most of the time while one is worn, the rest of them will be sitting in the closet or a hamper. It is not the wrong choice; it is simply a choice. A Minimalist would make such a purchase if they needed that t-shirt for a certain purpose such as sports, sleeping, or daily wear because they do not have enough or they are replacing an item.
Minimalists who prefer to not invest into higher quality items often choose to invest into experiences like traveling. Moving or traveling while being a Minimalist is easier because you own fewer items and often have more finances due to their not being spent on mindless and purposeless consumption. Anyone can become a Minimalist but not everybody is ready for such a mental change. There is nothing stopping anyone from making the switch.
Each person has their own unique lifestyle that can be added into a pre-defined category built by a society. Our choices in life such as our meals, daily routines, and recreational activities define us. Some people have a stereotypical lifestyle that belongs to one category while others prefer to have a lifestyle that consists of various different lifestyle categories. I am one of the individuals whose life is mainly dominated, but not entirely, by one lifestyle – Minimalism.
People understand Minimalism in different ways. Some believe it is a depriving lifestyle where you live with the bare minimum while others believe it is a lifestyle with no decoration. There are no rules or solid criteria that will define a Minimalist; it is all about following one value – everything in your life must bring value to your life. This includes items you own, the environment you are in, and people in your life. For example, having a closet full of clothes, but wearing only 20 percent of them, because they are your favorite or they fit the weather in your region is not creating value in your life. You have invested money into items that are worn once every few years or not worn at all. Minimalists choose to sell, donate, or re-purpose such clothes into something they will use. Each item owned by a Minimalist brings value to their life by being used. Most people have a lot of stuff in their homes; there are even jokes about them such as having a box full of random wires by the age of 30 or having an all-purpose drawer with a lot of various “what if” items, like empty containers, plastic bags, half empty batteries, and so on. Minimalists choose to discard such items if they can be bought with 20 dollars or less.
Minimalism focuses on a clutter-free life that is filled with items and people who add value to their lives. Cutting down on belongings is the first step to transitioning into Minimalism. Some prefer to do so gradually by getting rid of an item or two every few weeks while others prefer to purge everything at once. Many people believe that they cannot be Minimalists because some of their hobbies require them to own a lot of items, such as reading physical books. If reading brings value to your life then even owning 500 books will still make you a Minimalist. This cleanse applies to people and environments in your life. There are toxic friends and even toxic family members that can be cut off. Some find it hard to cut people off because it involves emotions and a pressure from a social construct where one shouldn’t cut off family, but ultimately it is your choice – if someone or something makes you feel a negative emotion, you have the right to get rid of them. You cannot change the world, but you can change your life.
Minimalists often own more expensive items or higher quality items than an average consumer. For example, an average consumer will obtain five items with a total value of 100 dollars while Minimalists will obtain 1 item with the same value. If such items are t-shirts, then it will take time to wear five t-shirts and most of the time while one is worn, the rest of them will be sitting in the closet or a hamper. It is not the wrong choice; it is simply a choice. A Minimalist would make such a purchase if they needed that t-shirt for a certain purpose such as sports, sleeping, or daily wear because they do not have enough or they are replacing an item.
Minimalists who prefer to not invest into higher quality items often choose to invest into experiences like traveling. Moving or traveling while being a Minimalist is easier because you own fewer items and often have more finances due to their not being spent on mindless and purposeless consumption. Anyone can become a Minimalist but not everybody is ready for such a mental change. There is nothing stopping anyone from making the switch.