Research |
- Why do we own so much today?
- Back in the 30’s our economy wasn’t working. People were producing a lot, but not buying enough. So we had a choice to make: Have the people buy more, or have people produce less. Logically producing less would have been the best option, leading to less work, more time with family, etc... But we chose to buy more. Things were made cheaper, and people started consuming. We live in a day and age of consumerism, so we buy a lot, subconsciously believing just one more thing will make us better, richer, and happier.
- What do we really need to live? When are you considered a minimalist?
- This is not really a fair question. Obviously people will, and are going to live with more than they need. You could argue that all you need is a food source, a water source and some kind of shelter. That is not what I was trying to discover through this question. But no matter how you look at this question, the fact is, it's subjective. Different people will need different amounts and kinds of things to live comfortably. This is where I love Minimalism. You can have two people that are minimalists, but one person may still own a house of stuff, and the other may only own 30 things. Minimalism is something you define for yourself. There is no right or wrong way to be a minimalist. There is no specific amount of items you must have to be a minimalist.
- Is our stuff holding us back?
- The short answer? Yes. The long answer? When you collect so much stuff that you can’t find what you're looking for, or need to bring three suitcases for a weekend get away, that’s when stuff holds you back. Stuff is also a problem when you have a walk in closet stuffed with clothes you will never wear, and when you have to many shoes to count. Whether it seems like it or not, stuff ties us down. We need to keep track of it, clean it, maintain it, spend money on more of it. This all keeps us tied to our stuff, Minimalism is all about severing that tie.
- “Not that you should own nothing, but that nothing should own you.”- unknown
- Does all the clutter cause negative side effects for us?
- Anxiety and depression rates are skyrocketing with people that have a lot of stuff.
- The #1 regret of older people today is that they didn’t travel more. They didn’t travel because they settled down and didn’t have the money, probably because they spent it on stuff.
- We compare our stuff to other people's stuff. We determine our place in society by our stuff. Stuff makes us jealous and greedy. What do people steal after all? Stuff. When we compare stuff we realize there will always be someone with more, and better stuff. That puts us down.
- “We have traded our freedom for overfilled closets, and our passion for unnecessary maintenance. We have sacrificed life in pursuit of clutter.”- Joshua Becker
- “By decluttering my physical space, I could focus on decluttering my mental space” - The Minimalists
- Why do we accumulate so much clutter?
- Today the amount of stuff we own determines our social class, and how “ important” we are.
- We live in a culture where stuff is made cheap and sold cheap, so we buy extras, we by more, and more just in case. We are taught to buy stuff because stuff will bring us happiness and status. We buy stuff with the subconscious thought that maybe this one thing will make our lives better.
- “He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.”-unknown
- Up sides to Minimalism?
- More time, less clutter, less time spent cleaning. More money because you aren't spending as much on random stuff. Studies show that anxiety and depression levels are drastically lower in people with less stuff. Simpler life, more freedom.
- Down sides to minimalism?
- I have tried looking around, and I cannot seem to find really any serious downsides to minimalism. What I mean is the downsides I have found are minor. One example is that people will joke around about your minimalist life. There were only two more major things I saw. First, people may think you are going to commit suicide when they see you getting rid of basically everything and might think you are sinking into depression because minimalism is so ‘radical’. The other downside I have heard, is that airlines may get suspicious. People don’t just take a carry on for a three week trip. They may stop to question you about it or think you are a terrorist. Although these are serious issues? They are rare happenings, and I have only heard of each happening once. The other ‘downsides’ I have found are from people who do not understand minimalism enough. They make statements like, "Only rich people can be minimalists." This is false. Anyone can be a minimalist. You don't have to spend a whole bunch of money to get an expensive gadget just to be a minimalist. Or some say you can’t be a minimalist and have children, which is also untrue. You can be a minimalist, even if your kids, partner, or in my case, parents, are not. Minimalism doesn’t have set rules!
- Up sides to ‘organized hoarding’?
- It was very hard to find information on this topic. It’s very hard to find studies on something that has been a way of life for years. One thing with ‘organized hoarding’ is status. Because our society today is very item based, the more and better things you have, the better ‘status’ you have. Other than this, most everything I could find was actually negative.
- Down sides to ‘organized hoarding’?
- Studies have found that people with average middle class houses with an ‘average’ amount of stuff have similar cortisol levels to those with PTSD, chronic fatigue, and a higher risk of mortality. A lot of stuff has serious mental health issues. You will spend a lot of time cleaning. You spend a lot of money on things you already have (Can’t find those jeans? Go buy a new pair). You don’t appreciate the things you have as much. I don’t think people realize just how much of their money goes towards stuff. You are trapped and have less freedom.
- On average 1/4 of people who own a 2 car garage cannot even fit one car.
- 3.1% of the world's children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally.
- "Your home is a living space, not a storage space."-unknown
- Why is our society so consumer based?
- Consumerism comes from the 30’s when items began to be made cheaply. When this switch happened, people bought more because things wouldn’t last, and they were cheaper to buy. This cycle spiraled out of control into the obsessive and impulsive consumerism world we live in today. Today people have so many clothes because no one has shown them the down sides to doing so. People today impulsively buy things because they have never learned to pay attention to what they were buying. I too was caught up in this madness. When you buy for the thrill of buying, buying more will never leave you content. Stuff will not make you happy. But, if you realize this, and learn to love what you have, you can be content. When you realize you have all you need, you can really stop to think about what you spend your money on. And when you do this, you can find that you can be happy with the things you own.
- Are experiences of things better?
- Studies show that it is much harder to compare experiences than to compare stuff. Because of this, you will not have the negative impact of jealousy you get with stuff. When people compare what they have to what others have, they can never really be satisfied. There will always be someone that has more and better things than you. It’s a toxic cycle. But because it is hard to compare experiences, you don’t get these negative effects. That is why experiences are better than things. This is part of minimalism; get rid of stuff and spend time doing the things (experiences) you love.
- Is minimalism for everyone?
- No. A lot of people think minimalism is crazy, and some people are really happy with the amount of stuff they have. Plus, minimalism is different for everyone, so where you may find owning 1000 things is minimalism, I may find 100 things is minimalistic.
- Are there misconceptions to minimalism?
- There are a few misconceptions with the minimalism movement. Some people think that minimalists deprive themselves of material goods because they don't 'need' them. This is untrue. Minimalists just want to own less. This means, if you have a book collection, you can still be a minimalist/ You can keep that collection. Just make sure it doesn't get out of hand. Another myth is that you cannot be a minimalist if you have a spouse or kids. Again, untrue. You don't need to make your family go minimalist. you can downsize your belongings and still allow your family to own whatever they want.
- Minimalism is all about getting rid of things you do not use or like. It is not about getting rid of prized possessions. And, remember, minimalism is a personal challenge. You make it your own. You can be a minimalist and still have a house full of stuff. You do not need to get rid of everything and live out of a backpack (or get down to 100 items like I did) to be a minimalist.
- "Minimalism doesn't avoid material possessions; we avoid excess."-unknown
- Why go minimalist?
- Minimalism clears your mind and space. By decluttering your home, you have more time to focus on the things you like to do. You enjoy the things you own more, and your mind is calmer.
- "The goal of minimalism, let's remember, is not to own less stuff. Te goal of minimalism is to unburden our lives so we can accomplish more."- Joshua Becker