Interesting Article on Living Minimally

  On 4/17/2016 at 2:10 AM, Jev said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 7:44 PM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 12:59 AM, chenGOD said:

Do note that dude who wrote the original article is quite wealthy.

 

Funny how the dudes/dudettes espousing this philosophy/aesthetic are always minted

 

 

It is because they have time and opportunities to think about such stuff. They also don't have that drive towards possessions because they already enjoyed them to a big extent and therefore are more keen to try a different way of living than poor people that dream about being rich whole their lives because they have never experienced it. The rich have the opportunity to find out if money and possessions are enough to make you happy and often find the opposite and therefore choose a different way of living.

 

Which makes their "minimalist" living fraudulent and dishonest. The novelty of living like you don't have rich parents is pretty exciting for some people I guess.

That has much more to do with your mentality on all of this. When you grow up and can provide for yourself better than your parents, you're going to love materialism because everything you buy reminds you of how far you've come. It's more than just a "nice thing".

I don't really agree with all that now... just because they can afford to have nice things, it's fraudulent to live without them? Some people really are happier with less stuff, why is that dishonest?

  On 4/17/2016 at 3:58 AM, luke viia said:

I don't really agree with all that now... just because they can afford to have nice things, it's fraudulent to live without them? Some people really are happier with less stuff, why is that dishonest?

If you want to give away a lot of stuff you realize you don't need, that's fine. But writing an article about how minimally you are living while you know you always have a safety net is complete bullshit. Go shit behind a bush and dumpster dive, maybe someone will hand you a fucking trophy before you get food poisoning, curled up in a fetal position in an alleyway.

edit: not directed at you, directed at the struggle tourists.

I dunno, if he was panhandling, I'd understand the anger, but he's forthcoming about his situation in the article. Can't say I care one way or another really, he can do what he wants. Seems like he crossed the line by writing an article, otherwise he'd be fine? lol

  On 4/17/2016 at 3:53 AM, Candiru said:

 

  On 4/17/2016 at 2:10 AM, Jev said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 7:44 PM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 12:59 AM, chenGOD said:

Do note that dude who wrote the original article is quite wealthy.

 

Funny how the dudes/dudettes espousing this philosophy/aesthetic are always minted

 

 

It is because they have time and opportunities to think about such stuff. They also don't have that drive towards possessions because they already enjoyed them to a big extent and therefore are more keen to try a different way of living than poor people that dream about being rich whole their lives because they have never experienced it. The rich have the opportunity to find out if money and possessions are enough to make you happy and often find the opposite and therefore choose a different way of living.

 

 

Which makes their "minimalist" living fraudulent and dishonest. The novelty of living like you don't have rich parents is pretty exciting for some people I guess.

It doesn't necessarily had to be fraudulent and dishonest. I guess it is similar to over-doing anything else. If one has a strong vision of happiness in wealth and possessions and gets disillusioned by it then I can see that as a natural transition to the opposite extreme which many people need before they can finally find their balance (more or less). You can see this from-extreme-to-extreme behaviour quite a lot with people searching for happiness. It happens even more with people that lived a happy, ordinary life ever since they were born and therefore didn't get much emotional experience or experience in non-standard life situations. Those are more prone to be bouncing between the two extremes when the time comes IMO.

  On 4/16/2016 at 7:53 PM, clarktrent said:

It's a bit easier to build up wealth if you basically don't live anywhere and don't have to pay rent or anything. I assume he has a phone bill though? I don't know who the guy even is so i'm just basing this off of Chen's comment

I don't think it necessarily makes the minimalist thing fraudulent, but it should colour one's perception of his writing, knowing that he has a fallback whenever he wants.

Yeah I went on a rant, carry on.

The pursuit of hedonism, cool man!

  On 4/17/2016 at 7:24 AM, chenGOD said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 7:53 PM, clarktrent said:

It's a bit easier to build up wealth if you basically don't live anywhere and don't have to pay rent or anything. I assume he has a phone bill though? I don't know who the guy even is so i'm just basing this off of Chen's comment

Homeboy made a shit ton of money in the finance industry and sold some self help books.

I don't think it necessarily makes the minimalist thing fraudulent, but it should colour one's perception of his writing, knowing that he has a fallback whenever he wants.

Yes, also the sheer narcissism of the article should call his character into question

  On 4/17/2016 at 8:28 AM, Lewps said:

The pursuit of hedonism, cool man!

Nah, just be real. JBC

TBH, if I suddenly had enough money that I could live without having to work I'd probably "live minimally", i.e. travel without a permanent address for at least how long it would take me to get bored. I don't really like owning things, I prefer experiences over property. But I think after few years you start to feel you need settle down somewhere or in a few favorite places. Constant traveling is also hard on relationships.

Last year I met this guy in Dominica who was a musician who had done some movie soundtracks and got enough royalties from them to not have to work and he was just basically traveling from place to place. He had visited about 150 countries at that point. Seemed like a sweet deal, but I felt he was pretty jaded already. IDK.

the guy kind of seems like he really wants to rub his edgy pseudo-philosophy-of-life in people's face,

there certainly is an element of narcissism in his going public / twitter AMA sort of thing.

like a militant non-smoker or vegan.

and probably yeah he's just a spoiled & bored rich guy.

I was in a situation where I had nothing but a backpack a few years ago, no bank account, nothing. and it was pretty much just existential dread to the max all the time, completely hopeless, not even a place where I could go to and felt home/safe/welcome. by far the worst time of my life ever.

if you have a ton of money and nothing to worry about, sure that's fun, duh. just go have breakfast buffet at a Ritz if you feel a hint of insecurity, pretty sure you'll find someone who will be amazed by your radical views on life.

People are still holding on to physical products like vinyls and CD's, even tho there is a better and more efficient alternative. I bet holding a physical product in your hands gives you a nice brain-reward, something companies have been exploiting for ages. When I think back to the time I was a full on consumerist pig I would just buy things I never cared about but the act of buying something was thrilling.

Interesting. I was thrilled only when I was buying stuff I really wanted.

I'm going to start living my life like money isn't a factor just to prove it to myself that I can do it

I agree with all the negative comments about this guy. I've met loads of so called hippies and tree-hugging-moon-worshipping-whatever anarchists on my past travels who sit round the campfire preaching the alternative lifestyle. Most if not all of those people had wealth behind them, they may try to hide it, but I can see it a mile off.

That doesn't mean I dislike them, usually they are pretty cool and decent people. But yeah big bullshit at the end of the day. Imo.

  On 4/16/2016 at 12:59 AM, chenGOD said:

Do note that dude who wrote the original article is quite wealthy.

Yeah, that's what I discovered after doing a bit more reading - and he has an apartment now, so I guess what he was preaching as a minimalist lifestyle was more a reaction/reflection to his crisis. Guy has done TED x talks, wrote a book, etc. and I am sure his circle of friends are equally affluent, so I doubt he's lived the hard life, at least financially.

  On 4/16/2016 at 7:44 PM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 4/16/2016 at 12:59 AM, chenGOD said:

Do note that dude who wrote the original article is quite wealthy.

 

Funny how the dudes/dudettes espousing this philosophy/aesthetic are always minted

 

It's a fact of our society - money affords you more opportunities and options, and removes the base stresses of shelter, food, etc. Of course, money also brings it's own (usually self-inflicted) stresses of debt, consumerism, material possessions, etc.

  On 4/19/2016 at 5:11 PM, Joyrex said:

It's a fact of our society - money affords you more opportunities and options, and removes the base stresses of shelter, food, etc. Of course, money also brings it's own (usually self-inflicted) stresses of debt, consumerism, material possessions, etc.

Not just our society, it's a problem as old as civilization itself: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/27/seneca-fat-cat-philosopher-emily-wilson-a-life

Old school minimalism, yo

the kind of cynic i aspire to become

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism_%28philosophy%29

The way I'd interpret the minimalist lifestyle is feeling like you already have everything you need, not necessarily going vagrant or pursuing willful homelessness. During my recent move I realized I'm still heavily burdened with a crap-ton of stuff I know I won't use, and I prefer being a light traveler.

Getting rid of old clothes is easy enough - they just go to charity. But memorabilia is a different story.

I guess what I prefer is not living in meagerness, nor in excess...but in balance.

I know I've linked this before - but anyone interested in the idea of minimalism and purging yourself of attachments to material desires should really read Hōjōki (An Accout of My Hut) by Kamo no Chomei.

The first half deals with the impermanence of life, and although it is important, the context of this thread is more in line with the second half. Start from paragraph 25 and read to the end.

Thanks for that chenGod very interesting. It's the ideal in a life of a myriad of ideals. And beyond the dim horizon a tapestry unfolding (Quarknosis ace early ambient compilation)...

  On 4/16/2016 at 12:59 AM, chenGOD said:

Do note that dude who wrote the original article is quite wealthy.

This crossed my mind reading the article. This sort of lifestyle choice, same with the idea of "downshifting", is something that seems is something for the more privileged. It's nice to "slum" it when you know you have the security to stop it at any time and don't have to think constantly on where you might sleep or when you might eat the next time. I don't see how I could do this, being poor, when I have to think about having money for medication and food (and rent). Also living in a country where over half of the year it's too cold to sleep outside doesn't help.

  On 4/19/2016 at 4:53 PM, beerwolf said:

I've met loads of so called hippies and tree-hugging-moon-worshipping-whatever anarchists on my past travels who sit round the campfire preaching the alternative lifestyle. Most if not all of those people had wealth behind them, they may try to hide it, but I can see it a mile off.

haha, yeah this is like some of the people who have come and lived on the boat. they do it for an experience rather than out of any necessity and perhaps partly as a finger up to mum and dad. there are some people that arrive and leave literally within 24 hours as they can't hack the conditions (they are pretty basic). i have to give kudos to anyone who can stick it out long term regardless of their reasons. and to be fair anyone who has taken the time to try out the lifestyle gets a thumbs up from me, even if they do have a safety net. possessions certainly don't make you happy, and being sheltered from struggle and suffering as actually damaging to human development (in my opinion). it kind of sucks to be stuck there through no fault of your own though, and to have no way out. it really sucks.

but yeah to summarise, screw consumerism, let's all go and live in the woods. YAY!