4 ms·

This was a telling quote from the article: >I broke up with my girlfriend, telling her I couldn’t see a future for us in my sad financial state. Minimalism ho

This was a telling quote from the article: >I broke up with my girlfriend, telling her I couldn’t see a future for us in my sad financial state. Minimalism holds the same attachment to physical possessions that consumerism does, but it associates negatives feelings as opposed to positive ones. It's like love and hate. Hate is not the opposite of love, but the other end of the spectrum. Rather than getting a sense of self worth from having things, he's getting a sense of self worth from NOT having things. The opposite of consumerism is a person who's happy with the stuff he has. When the opportunity arises to get something nicer, he takes advantage of it, but he doesn't actively go out and buy something new. Sure, that person may feel a twinge of jealously at people having nicer things, but he simply lets those emotions pass without acting on them. Acceptance and detachment.

collyw 10y ago
> When the opportunity arises to get something nicer, he takes advantage of it, but he doesn't actively go out and buy something new. So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to fit your above phrase as well as consumerism.
- tedmiston 10y ago
  It doesn't but every minimalist has their own personal exceptions. As with most things in life achieving 100% is more idealism than realism. http://mnmlist.com/iphone/ http://mnmlist.com/iphone/ https://zenhabits.net/whyphone/ https://zenhabits.net/whyphone/ Plus working in tech, not having the latest (or one gen prior) iPhone, often means not being able to run new apps.
- Delmania 10y ago
  > So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to fit your above phrase as well as consumerism. This was actually the example I had in my head, I should have detailed it out. The answer is you don't upgrade. So long as the phone works and you're satisfied with it, there's no compelling reason. If you drop and break the phone, that would be a time to upgrade it. If you get a really great deal, that would be the time to upgrade it. Sure you may (as I do) feel a twinge of jealousy at people with nicer phones, but you don't act on it.

collyw 10y ago

> When the opportunity arises to get something nicer, he takes advantage of it, but he doesn't actively go out and buy something new. So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to fit your above phrase as well as consumerism.

tedmiston 10y ago
It doesn't but every minimalist has their own personal exceptions. As with most things in life achieving 100% is more idealism than realism. http://mnmlist.com/iphone/ http://mnmlist.com/iphone/ https://zenhabits.net/whyphone/ https://zenhabits.net/whyphone/ Plus working in tech, not having the latest (or one gen prior) iPhone, often means not being able to run new apps.
Delmania 10y ago
> So where does upgrading to the latest iPhone every release fit? It seems to fit your above phrase as well as consumerism. This was actually the example I had in my head, I should have detailed it out. The answer is you don't upgrade. So long as the phone works and you're satisfied with it, there's no compelling reason. If you drop and break the phone, that would be a time to upgrade it. If you get a really great deal, that would be the time to upgrade it. Sure you may (as I do) feel a twinge of jealousy at people with nicer phones, but you don't act on it.