The New Minimalism

Step one, get rid of everything. Step two, wear the same clothes every day. Step three, rock it. Hi, I'm a minimalist. No, you're an idiot. That's what you are. All right, so I recently moved to a new place, because at my old apartment, some pieces of furniture were not mine. I just wanted to start from scratch. Talking to my friends about it, I told them the only thing that I missed from my old place was the TV. One of them says, but you don't need it, you're a minimalist. I answer, I still like to have fun, you know, watch movies. Oh, okay, whatever. I left and it made me think, am I really a minimalist? Or am I just following a trend? So I decided to challenge my own beliefs in an attempt to understand the concept of minimalism. In modern culture, it's a word used for so many things that it doesn't seem to mean anything anymore. Turns out these days, there are many flavors of minimalism. Here are some of them. The aesthetic minimalist, passionate for good design, white and gray colors, only buys Apple products. Hates clutter, it's all about the visuals. The essential minimalist, lives by the motto of less is better. Prefers quality over quantity. Wears the same clothes every day to avoid decision fatigue. The eco-minimalist, leads a green life to reduce his impact on earth. Obsessed with waste, it's all about the planet. The frugal minimalist, obsessed with his cost of living and spending less. They're just cheap bastards. Kidding. And finally, there are people like me who have some of these traits, but not all of them. While doing my research, I discovered people tend to follow trends. Even if you're like me, follow trends? I make the trends. Chances are you followed many trends in your life. Here's why. In social psychology, it's called the bandwagon effect. We get to know things from different sources. One big part of the information comes from social groups. So it could be your community, friends, your partner. If all your friends suddenly start cycling, a trendy activity, you are likely to do it too. You are highly influenced by your surroundings. One of the reasons we try new things, i.e. trends. I remember when Peaky Blinders were the thing. I'm at a barber shop ready to get a Shelby haircut. I showed the barber this photo and he gave me this look. It didn't work on me. I decided to get that look because it was trendy. Then it disappeared. That's how trends work. Let's take a look at the history of minimalism to understand how it became so popular. In the 1800s, Henry David Thoreau writes Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. The text illustrates the view that insight and enlightenment can be gained through solitude and simplicity. In the 1960s, the word minimalism started being used as a common term in writing, painting, architecture, and other aesthetic design and creative fields. It was 1976 when Ikea took up the minimalist slogan, simplicity is beautiful. In the 1980s, simple living movements start to get attention. Supporters of slowness and mindfulness. In the past two decades, less is more becomes the new lifestyle philosophy with 100 item or less challenges and declutter with me TV shows. And then, as usual, there is a lot of hate. Marie Kondo sparks consternation with online homeware stores. If the bowl you're using currently sparks joy for you, I don't encourage replacing it. I don't know about you, but I don't think any of the kitchen appliances that I own sparks joy in me. Should they? To me, they're just objects I use to cook. Many influencers claim that getting rid of your things will make you happy, but I believe that's not true. I think if you're unhappy for whatever reason, getting rid of your stuff won't suddenly fix all your problems. Don't buy into that. The truth is that the concept of simplicity is very old. Still, within this generation, a couple gurus turn it into a fad. And that's normal. It happens all the time. When a wardrobe style spreads everywhere, it tends to lose its original meaning. In my quest to understand how minimalism goes back further than we realize, I did a little trip to a Tibetan monastery. I had the fortune to stay with Buddhist monks and live as they usually do. I noticed they keep it simple. Not many activities, not many possessions, but contrary to popular belief, they do buy things. One day, I'm meditating with one of them. When we finish the session, he takes out an iPhone and says, what's your Instagram handle? I was like, you? Instagram? Really? Okay, that didn't happen, but he did ask for my number. I was shocked. So I asked him, why do you have an iPhone? He says, because I like to watch videos. Don't you like to watch videos? Dude, I have a camera in my hands. Of course I like to watch videos. He goes, do you like to watch basketball? Dude, again, I have a camera in my hands. Do I look like a guy who likes to watch basketball? He was disappointed. He just left. Like, okay, bye. Wait, I didn't give you my number. No, I don't need it. Bye. The point that I'm trying to make is that Buddhist monks have been living simple lives for thousands of years. And while they don't use the term minimalist, they do lead intentional lifestyles. So, is there a standard definition for minimalism? There are many interpretations, but you don't need to follow any of them. You don't need to have less than 100 items or get rid of one thing every day until there is nothing left. You have the freedom to experiment and define your life however you like. Maybe I'm not a minimalist. Maybe I'm just a lazy guy who likes to keep it simple. That's it for this video. Please like and subscribe for more. I'll catch you in the next one.