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OK, but you don't need things in order to relax. In fact, many of the best ways to relax don't need things (or at least, very many things). I think that's the p

OK, but you don't need things in order to relax. In fact, many of the best ways to relax don't need things (or at least, very many things). I think that's the point. Rather than owning an obscenely large flatscreen (and stand to put it on, and couch to sit on while watching it, and apartment to put it in, and cable/Roku/DVD/(insert content device)) you could... Go for a walk Go for a walk in nature, now it's a hike! Go to a museum Play frisbee (borrow if necessary) Ride a bike (rent if necessary) Find some music to listen to

Touche 13y ago
You can do all of those things while also owning stuff. Owning stuff just makes it easier to relax. Instead of planning to relax... you just walk into a room with distractions available. Having distractions readily available is benefitial to your mental health. Sometimes you have to not over-analyze your every action. Have an office which is empty, that's what I have, for when you need complete concentration. Stop making early-20s dreams your entire existence.
- nileshtrivedi 13y ago
  Right. But what about distractions that you never use but still end up having to maintain (which involves over-analyzing and mental costs)? Minimalism is about making that same decision. It's about eliminating those things from your life that don't bring more fun to you than their maintenance costs. Stuff that is making it harder, not easier, for you to relax. What qualifies as minimalist living is an inherently personal decision. For some, everything can fit in a backpack. For others, even a mansion may be minimal. Owning "only 100 things" isn't the definition of minimalism. Only an example. Like "delicious", "minimalism" is a subjective concept.
guerrilla 13y ago
Exactly. Find new parts of town, meet people, meditate or even have that beer in a bar! I think there's a certain freedom from not having too much as well. I barely have anything, moving around plenty and it's already far too much.
pinaceae 13y ago
and who are you to say that all of these things are "better" than watching a season of dr.who on your comfy couch? why is outside by default better than inside? I live exactly once, so if i want to do what pleases me i should not be driven by some weird white man's guilt problem (aka minimalist movement). people from poorer places would laugh their asses off about this movement.
- breischl 13y ago
  >> and who are you to say that all of these things are "better" than watching a season of dr.who on your comfy couch? why is outside by default better than inside? That's a fair point. I don't intend to be prescriptive, I don't really care what anyone else does, and for some people TV may be the best way to relax. But in my opinion watching TV isn't the best way of relaxing, it's just the easiest. There are lots of things that are more enriching, more healthy, more memorable and generally more fun, but they all take more effort. It could well be different for other people, but I would guess that it's not. They say nobody's dying words were ever "I wish I would have worked more." Similarly, I doubt anyone's dying words were ever "I wish I had spent more time watching TV."

Touche 13y ago

You can do all of those things while also owning stuff. Owning stuff just makes it easier to relax. Instead of planning to relax... you just walk into a room with distractions available. Having distractions readily available is benefitial to your mental health. Sometimes you have to not over-analyze your every action. Have an office which is empty, that's what I have, for when you need complete concentration. Stop making early-20s dreams your entire existence.

nileshtrivedi 13y ago
Right. But what about distractions that you never use but still end up having to maintain (which involves over-analyzing and mental costs)? Minimalism is about making that same decision. It's about eliminating those things from your life that don't bring more fun to you than their maintenance costs. Stuff that is making it harder, not easier, for you to relax. What qualifies as minimalist living is an inherently personal decision. For some, everything can fit in a backpack. For others, even a mansion may be minimal. Owning "only 100 things" isn't the definition of minimalism. Only an example. Like "delicious", "minimalism" is a subjective concept.

guerrilla 13y ago

Exactly. Find new parts of town, meet people, meditate or even have that beer in a bar! I think there's a certain freedom from not having too much as well. I barely have anything, moving around plenty and it's already far too much.

pinaceae 13y ago

and who are you to say that all of these things are "better" than watching a season of dr.who on your comfy couch? why is outside by default better than inside? I live exactly once, so if i want to do what pleases me i should not be driven by some weird white man's guilt problem (aka minimalist movement). people from poorer places would laugh their asses off about this movement.

breischl 13y ago
>> and who are you to say that all of these things are "better" than watching a season of dr.who on your comfy couch? why is outside by default better than inside? That's a fair point. I don't intend to be prescriptive, I don't really care what anyone else does, and for some people TV may be the best way to relax. But in my opinion watching TV isn't the best way of relaxing, it's just the easiest. There are lots of things that are more enriching, more healthy, more memorable and generally more fun, but they all take more effort. It could well be different for other people, but I would guess that it's not. They say nobody's dying words were ever "I wish I would have worked more." Similarly, I doubt anyone's dying words were ever "I wish I had spent more time watching TV."