Some time ago i wrote some texts (at my old homepage) about the Cult of Less and my thoughts/experiences with that. Now it has become a part of my everyday life and a matter of course.
To reduce properties is a quite obvious decision for someone who has the work-related compulsion to reduce everything to the essential. With the most people i talked about this since early 2011, i've had the feeling, that they think: "Cool thing! But it's like sport - you will stop after a while."
But i didn't. I spend hardly money for properties.
What's hard for me:
- To waive technical equipment - who would have thought…? But i also try to hold back with that.
Whats really easy for me:
- To think three times about a decision to purchase. And than decide: No.
- To be satisfied with all i have.
After some time of a more conscious look at it, i came relatively rapid to that point where i don't come up with new materiel wishes.
But even if you just buy the most reasonable things (except consumables) - it seems to be an endless process of clearing out old, useless and not-that-important stuff. I've decreased my material shoppings to what i think is healthy. But there is even more clutter in my basement.
Buying something just makes happy for a short time. Thats nothing new. What was new for me: Some scientists found out that after some time the level of happiness falls deeper compared to a person that didn't buy fancy new stuff at the same time.
Unconscious Decision
I have the feeling that more and more people are internalizing that. You can also observe that at the amount of profit-generating car-sharing services. In the small talks in my social environment it seems to be that many people act like that, but don't connect it to a conscious decision. I am pleased about this. A unconscious decision has a longer effect than a "good resolution".
Next Level
Now that my apprenticeship ended and hence i get more income than the breadline, its even harder to maintain this discipline. In my circumstances the most young people get approximately twice as much as the apprentice's pay. They can't wait to get there own flat, own car, own whatever.
Its a combination of two strange mindsets: The company that seems to think your skills increase rapidly after finishing the apprenticeship (otherwise they have miscalculated the apprentice's pay). And the young pro who thinks he/she needs much more stuff since that... i don't get it.
So now i try to hold my level of idealism vs laziness. Up to now, everything's fine. And it still feels absolutely liberating.
Postscript
The morning after posting this article, i discovered that Manuel Suhre from reduziert-leben.de also published a new one about Digital Minimalism (in german). He refers to an article at netzwertig.com (also in german).
While reading these posts i noticed the following:
Every person i can think of (@hdsjulian, @mspro, @der_reduzierer, @KellySutton and also me), who share there thoughts about reducing belongings in the public, is in possession of an iPad. Some are justify that with their minimalism, the other call it an exception. I have no clue why, but all have one…
