Cool. Thanks.

Fortunately, for many this becomes a regular thing as we age. You just get this over-reaching desire to simplify. In the last year, we have literally taken truckloads from our house to the thrift store. We actually have empty closets for the first time in decades.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

I have discovered that my addiction to alcohol was partly rooted in the attempt to quell anxiety. Took a long time to realize it.

I've given up on trying to slow my mind. Now I just try to channel my anxiety to something productive.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

I really get this... I can't be accused of leading a simple life with a brand new custom house, tractor, boat, RV, cargo trailer, and two fun cars... never mind the tools, guns and fishing rods but our house is half empty and it makes me so happy.

Been in our house for 25 years. Cleaned the attic last summer and filled a 30 yard dumpster and 9 full carloads to Salvation Army. Now if I can get my wife to stop buying clothes we'll be alright.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

I got a different impression than you and BC. Maybe I need to watch it again. I don't remember them advocating living a bum lifestyle. Rather, do the same with less. Why do we need a 4 bedroom house when we don't have any kids? Why do we need to fill a 20 foot closet and donate 6 garbage bags full of clothes every year. Why do I need 6 bikes?


That is my take also. I laugh when I read how people "would do that if they didn't have a family." My bet is that before they had a family they didn't live like that and it also means they wouldn't if they didn't have a family now. You can easily live a minimalist lifestyle with a family. I know a family that bicycled together around the world for 3 years. When they started the kids were aged 11 and 9. They were living in a tent and the kids were home schooled along the way. It is hard work but they didn't make excuses, they had a choice like everyone else. One of those kids ended up going to an Ivy league school so travelling and getting home schooled didn't hurt them too badly.

There is inherent comfort in a lifestyle where one can afford to be materialistic. I'm adverse to "things" because I'm not responsible. That's just more crap I have to deal with.

You don't really think many families have the means to bicycle around the world, do you? Not sure about other countries, but the average American doesn't have enough money in the bank to last two months if unemployed.

Saying "you can easily live a minimalist lifestyle with a family" then following it up with a story about a family who biked around the world for 3 years is kind of silly. The vast, vast majority of families couldn't pull that off. I know you spent a lot of time living what would probably be considered a minimalist lifestyle on your adventures, but you also did so with a sizeable nest egg in the bank, didn't you? I'm not trying to pry, but am genuinely curious, how much did you live off of on your trip? I know it must have been varied depending on what country you're in, but, could you give us a rough monthly budget?

I definitely think most people could get by with less, and that, as a culture, we are addicted to cheap goods and the instant gratification of buying things now. That's part of the reason I love building my own furniture. It takes forever, but the sense of accomplishment is huge, and I love the fact that most of the pieces will be used for decades and hopefully be passed on when I die.

My problem with the doc was with the extremes those guys went to, and how, in my opinion, they are going to reach a point when they realize they are not happy (again) and move in another (and most likely extreme) direction. I guess "everything in moderation" isn't as sexy as minimalism.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Is this true? Is there an actual trait that can launch a disorder? Or am I reading too much into your post?

I find this interesting as I think this is a growing behavior of our times.

Crossfit.


.

I'm not a psychologist, but, yes, as I understand it, generally normal and natural human traits and behaviors, when taken to an extreme, can become disorders. By trait I don't mean a genetic traits (though there may be ones) but rather personality traits. From wiki:


See further "2.1 Disorders" at the wiki link.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Lot of things going on with Crossfit. It is relatively new and a fad. I'm sure there are people involved for all sorts of reasons, some psychologically healthy (enjoy exercise and good camaraderie) and then some who excessively derive self esteem from being part of the culture.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Going on 17 years now. Not a fad imo. I do think a LOT of Crossfitters fit the latter of your description above though.



.

Not sure about their net worth or anything like that, but I've heard them on a couple interviews and they seem pretty sincere about it, approaching the idea of minimalism as if it's a bit of a spiritual practice and separating themselves from possessions and materials has been eye opening to see who they are individually when removed from those things.

I recently heard the phrase "what you own eventually owns you" somewhere & that idea makes sense in addressing the ills of a consumerist society, but the problem with anything as an ideal is that the "ideal" can also become something one consumes...like minimalism as one's identity as "A minimalist" and traveling 10 months of the year to promote the idea of minimalism while at the same time promoting the consumption of one's books and resources about the topic of minimalism. So to properly minimize is to first consume resources that tell one how to minimize, while the minimalist's own resources increase simultaneously? That was the part of the documentary I couldn't get past.

I may have a lot of stuff (relatively speaking) but most of it is really old.

I'm not the type who needs the "latest and greatest" but it isn't a religion for me.

Which brings me to a point that I've made over and over and that is that most people (95-99%) are "religious" people. They may not believe in god but they all believe in some kind of "higher" purpose or being or spirituality.

It could be minimalism or global warming or yoga or Allah or Joseph Smith. To me it's all the same mindset.

I tend to worship at the alter of nothing.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

We'll put you in the nothing is better than God group.

Is that...

nothing, it's better than god?

Or...

god, there's nothing better?

And who's "we"?

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

And most people who say that the tenants of their traditional religion shape their beliefs actually don't believe the tenants of their religion. If they did believe the tenants of their religion they'd live in vastly superior ways than they do. Example -- Claim to believe in hell as a place of eternal torment and punishment but don't do everything in your power to convince people not to go there and make that goal the 10000% focus of your life? Then, let's face it, you don't actually believe in hell.

In the end, we're almost all hypocrites.

All our sins are forgiven, bro.

The ticket out of hell is putting money into the basket. Duh.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

The most brilliant business model ever. As a Christian, I can confidently state that playing on guilt, emotions, and eternal moral certitude has been a brilliant way to line many people's pockets and keep certain powers in place. Thank god I don't subscribe to that crap anymore. Neither did Jesus, but I guess I haven't seen much of him in church in the past anyway.

It's why totalitarian governments either ban religion all together or create a state religion. They don't like the competition.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

fair enough.

i've had some of personal experience with this, living in a tent for some longish stretches and out of a suitcase for long chunks of my adult life.

i just got back last week from a trip to sweden to visit old friends, and am now at my apartment in zurich. i think the way many europeans live, for instance, is more 'minimalist' than the way north americans live. i was in canada and the states across some of november/december, and the contrasts were pretty stark. there's just so much stuff around!

in sweden my friends live in a 1-floor, 1-bath, 2-bedroom apartment, and own 1 car. they have 2 kids. they're both very well-educated professionals who make a very good income: this is just how they want to live. my wife and i are in a 2-bed, 1-bath apartment with no car at all. we own 2 couches; my parents in canada own 5. i very much agree that stuff starts to weigh you down, it costs money (i'm a cheapskate) and it requires all sorts of management: cleaning things, moving them, etc etc.

we're certainly consumerist, we just spend more of our money on experiences (especially travel) and on quality rather than quantity stuff (ie, a few really good shoes instead of several cheaper ones).

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

There are different degrees of minimalism. My wife and I try follow minimalist practices...it's more about a state of mind in certain aspects of our life - mostly financial.

Examples: We kept our smallish house even when we had kids. We drive older cars even though we can afford new ones. We try to choose experiences with our boys over buying the newest gadget. We give well over 10% of our income away. I've turned down job offers that would have been more money but require me to give up the work from home lifestyle. This year I'm going through a daily practice of picking just one thing to throw away/donate/recycle that clutters my house (it's an experiment to continually keep reduction/necessity as a state of mind). Etc.

Once again: The Onion - http://www.theonion.com/...t-fund-savings-32893