5 ms·

Here's a good reason why you should get rid of things you don't use.

54 points by wizardofoz 17y ago

pg 17y ago
"Murder your darlings" actually means something more specific than that. It doesn't just mean not to be attached to passages you like, but to be especially suspicious of them.
- ivankirigin 17y ago
  Interestingly, that's the 3rd variant of the phrase i've heard in as many days. Perhaps those using it should be obligated to rephrase it ;)
  - cracki 17y ago
    using -> ignoring obligated -> doomed rephrase -> repeat huh?
jamesbritt 17y ago
For folks curious about the origin of the phrase, "Murder your darlings": http://www.bartleby.com/190/12.html http://www.bartleby.com/190/12.html
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- mahmud 17y ago
  Or in "the parlance of our times"[1] "The things you own end up owning you"[2] -- [1] The Big Lebowski [2] Fight Club
mixmax 17y ago
"The things you own end up owning you" - Tyler Durden, Fight Club
catch404 17y ago
I was wondering where I'd seen this before - It was picked up on planet.gnome.org. :)
erikstarck 17y ago
You should check out the Bruce Sterling speech from Reboot11. He talks about categorizing everything you own into four categories: beautiful stuff, stuff that you have a strong emotional connection to, tools that are absolutely needed to live a better life and "the rest". Everything in "the rest" category you should get rid of. Video of speech is here: http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11 http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11
edw519 17y ago
You're preaching to the choir. Tell my SO.
bretthoerner 17y ago
http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/11/03/the-pursuit-of-happiness http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/11/03/the-pursuit-of-h... The pursuit of happiness (Mark Pilgrim) 1. Stop buying stuff you don’t need 2. Pay off all your credit cards 3. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in your house/apartment (storage lockers, etc.) 4. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit on the first floor of your house (attic, garage, etc.) 5. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in one room of your house 6. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in a suitcase 7. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in a backpack 8. Get rid of the backpack
jimfl 17y ago
Another good reason you should get rid of things you don't use: They're flammable.
spaghetti 17y ago
My favorite method of getting rid of possesions is just sell the 10% you use the least. Then repeat on the remaining stuff. The first iteration is pretty easy. Once you actually experience how little you miss the items the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc iterations come naturally.
HeyLaughingBoy 17y ago
Maybe it's just me, but I can't relate to a feeling of "guilt" simply because I haven't used something in a while. I'm not attached to my stuff, I just don't care as long as the place doesn't look cluttered. The only reason I have to toss stuff (that's paid for) is if it takes up too much space. And I have acres of storage room.

54 points by wizardofoz 17y ago

pg 17y ago

"Murder your darlings" actually means something more specific than that. It doesn't just mean not to be attached to passages you like, but to be especially suspicious of them.

ivankirigin 17y ago
Interestingly, that's the 3rd variant of the phrase i've heard in as many days. Perhaps those using it should be obligated to rephrase it ;)
- cracki 17y ago
  using -> ignoring obligated -> doomed rephrase -> repeat huh?

jamesbritt 17y ago

For folks curious about the origin of the phrase, "Murder your darlings": http://www.bartleby.com/190/12.html http://www.bartleby.com/190/12.html

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
mahmud 17y ago
Or in "the parlance of our times"[1] "The things you own end up owning you"[2] -- [1] The Big Lebowski [2] Fight Club

mixmax 17y ago

"The things you own end up owning you" - Tyler Durden, Fight Club

catch404 17y ago

I was wondering where I'd seen this before - It was picked up on planet.gnome.org. :)

erikstarck 17y ago

You should check out the Bruce Sterling speech from Reboot11. He talks about categorizing everything you own into four categories: beautiful stuff, stuff that you have a strong emotional connection to, tools that are absolutely needed to live a better life and "the rest". Everything in "the rest" category you should get rid of. Video of speech is here: http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11 http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11

edw519 17y ago

You're preaching to the choir. Tell my SO.

bretthoerner 17y ago

http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/11/03/the-pursuit-of-happiness http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/11/03/the-pursuit-of-h... The pursuit of happiness (Mark Pilgrim) 1. Stop buying stuff you don’t need 2. Pay off all your credit cards 3. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in your house/apartment (storage lockers, etc.) 4. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit on the first floor of your house (attic, garage, etc.) 5. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in one room of your house 6. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in a suitcase 7. Get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in a backpack 8. Get rid of the backpack

jimfl 17y ago

Another good reason you should get rid of things you don't use: They're flammable.

spaghetti 17y ago

My favorite method of getting rid of possesions is just sell the 10% you use the least. Then repeat on the remaining stuff. The first iteration is pretty easy. Once you actually experience how little you miss the items the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc iterations come naturally.

HeyLaughingBoy 17y ago

Maybe it's just me, but I can't relate to a feeling of "guilt" simply because I haven't used something in a while. I'm not attached to my stuff, I just don't care as long as the place doesn't look cluttered. The only reason I have to toss stuff (that's paid for) is if it takes up too much space. And I have acres of storage room.