Minimalism - a lifestyle option

I like the idea but stuff does not upset me. I am however impeccably tidy and organised with most of my stuff, most of the time. Sure there is mess but I know where literally every single thing is. If I lived in a total void as an artist I'd be totally strawberry floated by artist's block all the time and would fail miserably, that or go totally insane making abstract art about literally nothing except the texture of walls or floors, bits of fluff and stuff like that (and this art already exists so it wouldn't even be novel). That and where the strawberry float would everything I make go? I can't sell it all. Sometimes this makes me feel like some kind of locust that feeds off of and perpetually gooseberry fools out culture but hey there's worse ways to spend your time. /posting on GRcade

This kind of lifestyle is probably great for someone like a programmer, marketing exec or salesman but just doesn't work for anyone with creative hobbies that depend on the "real".

Green Gecko wrote:This kind of lifestyle is probably great for someone like a programmer, marketing exec or salesman but just doesn't work for anyone with creative hobbies that depend on the "real".

Programming is a creative job! My desk is at work is lined with figures because they can help me think

I don't really do clutter or have much "stuff". The only thing I really collect is GC games. But I am married so I've learned to compromise now and then.

OrangeRKN wrote:
Green Gecko wrote:This kind of lifestyle is probably great for someone like a programmer, marketing exec or salesman but just doesn't work for anyone with creative hobbies that depend on the "real".

Programming is a creative job! My desk is at work is lined with figures because they can help me think

I know that, that's why I say those who make so called real things. Of course with virtual things you don't need to amass power tools, chisels and paints and gooseberry fool :shifty:

There is a subculture of minimalism within IT culture though, just look at "my set up" etc pics / productivity porn. Of course all the Mountain Dew and Doritos are swept aside, it's not really like that.

jawafour wrote:Could I cut back? Could I get rid of lots of "stuff"?

Jawa, you should go all in on minimalism it's a great lifestyle choice, you'll feel much more relaxed, less stressed and your body will be an oasis of Zen.

Scientists have also done studies on this compared to other lifestyle approaches, and people who practice minimalism are generally more happy, successful, organised, and report greater life satisfaction:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-514422-001
Do it, embrace it fully, send me all your old games, and look forward to the new you :toot:

I think I err on the minimialist side of things, but I know I still have more stuff than I need. It's always surprising how many things you accumulate without even trying to.
Every now and then I have a clear out where anything I haven't used or worn for a period of time (maybe a year or more) I get rid of/donate/recycle, or I just decide whether I still need or want it or not. Always feel better afterwards with more space and fewer possessions.

I conform to the having stuff and being tidy mantra. Although I have been known to leave the odd crisp packet on the table for 20 mins before putting it in the bin.

If I walked into a house with no books, art, films, pictures or strange trinkets collected on travels then I'd pretty much decide that the person was painfully boring with no interests, hobbies or much going on at all.

I try to cut down on my possessions more and more, lately I’ve been traveling for months with only hand luggage. Don’t really have anything back in Scotland now either. Possessions end up owning you maaan, or some such gimpy backpacker gooseberry fool.

OrangeRKN wrote:
Green Gecko wrote:This kind of lifestyle is probably great for someone like a programmer, marketing exec or salesman but just doesn't work for anyone with creative hobbies that depend on the "real".

Programming is a creative job! My desk is at work is lined with figures because they can help me think

Same! I had the figure below on my desk at work.

Upon seeing it, my boss asked me if I collected Barbies.

Regarding getting rid of everything you own unless it brings you joy, that sounds stupid, there are tons of things I own, mostly technical books which I hate but are useful so I wouldn't want to get rid of them.

Rightey wrote:
Same! I had the figure below on my desk at work.

Upon seeing it, my boss asked me if I collected Barbies.

Which i'm guessing, was a euphemism for are you gay?

PostRe: Minimalism - a lifestyle option by **Meep** » Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:41 pm

I hate buying 'stuff'. I can go months at a time without buying anything physical things other than the bare necessary to consume and get by on. However, I don't see myself as a 'minimalist' per say as I don't tend to throw out a lot of stuff. On the contrary, I tend to hoard things to some degree. Keeping things stored away for when I or someone might need some reduces the chance I will have to out and acquire more stuff. This is mostly an aversion to needless waste than anything else.

Non-physical things like games I can download are a different manner. Buying immaterial things seems somehow less wasteful because no material resources were wasted on them.

Ironhide wrote:
Rightey wrote:
Same! I had the figure below on my desk at work.

Upon seeing it, my boss asked me if I collected Barbies.

Which i'm guessing, was a euphemism for are you gay?

Well I post on here, so it's a possibility.

I think I just responded with "It's not a barbie" in pretty much the same tone as when your mom tells you to get off your Nintendo when it's clearly an Xbox. Bloody uncultured Philistines

For a while I lived between London and Manchester, and was slowly moving stuff from one to the other before I completed my move. Very soon I had very few posessions in London and realised how little stuff I needed and felt quite good having nice open spaces and little to tidy or maintain. So I ended up clearing out a lot of things by getting rid before I finished the move.

Unfortunately having since bought a house and having a gf who lives to buy stuff means I just live surrounded by mounds of someone else's stuff and stuff bought for me I don't want and it bugs me no end.

I guess it varies person to person but I do genuinely think not owning much can be beneficial for mental health. You learn how little you actually need and don’t have the anxiety or financial pressure of chasing after the next item you want. Admittedly you just chase other gooseberry fool instead but I’m pretty sure correlations have been made between spending less on items and being happier.

I was reminded by the wife yesterday when discussing this subject that one of my sayings back when we were poor students* and faced with a decision over whether to make a purchase was "is it a requirement for continued existence?"

That was something that I asked myself about lots of things which helped me to both save money and avoid buying useless clutter that I didn't really need. Obviously I did make some non-essential purchases because you need to relax and have fun as well (although one could argue that those things are also a requirement for existence) and I'm even less strict on it now but it was helpful back in the day.

*as opposed to now being poor "grown ups" :lol:

Pretty much everything I buy makes or fixes something. Games are my only "play" expenditure other than the odd drink or travel cost somewhere. And I mean like count that on one hand per month, at most.

Most of my art materials are literally junk. Probably the biggest old expense in that respect is miniatures, but I don't paint them for ages and haven't bought any new for about 15 years.

Games help keep me sane. Once you have a good musical instrument you don't really need another one. I often end up with other people's. Almost all my sound engineering stuff is still going decades later and the rest is virtualised. God I can't imagine how much stuff I'd have if it weren't for computers. But I have 7 of those. Most of them don't work.. But serve different form factors.

I suppose in that sense I'm conservative. I have "enough" of what I want. I cover eventualities. This prevents me from cycling through and replacing stuff. Just because you have one id something now.. I don't think it's really fair to say your footprint is lower if you just dumped the old one. I always get quality where it matters and I often fix up stuff that's almost good.

For example, does a minimalist really use the same phone for 10 years? I bet some waste all kinds of gooseberry fool but feel like Jesus.

The wood does kind of pile up though. But I literally turn that into money (so... It's stock).

PostRe: Minimalism - a lifestyle option by **Meep** » Sat May 04, 2019 1:04 pm

I was thinking this over and I have come to the idea that our society might have a problem with "junk products". This is an extension of the term "junk food". Basically, we have a lot of human activity devoted to creating things that are of little benefit to people and basically junk and a waste of resources. In order to help the environment, this should be clamped down on sharply by enforcing much more rigorous quality standards and taxes where applicable.

The typical free market counter to this would be that it would hurt growth. I am fine with that. Growth is not in and of itself good. Take junk food for example: if all junk food vanished tomorrow it would damage GDP but I think everyone would agree that everyone would be healthier and happier as the ultimate result. Over-consumption is often as bad as deprivation.

Another argument people might legitimately make is how to define a "junk product". This is difficult, I admit, because a junk product does not necessarily have zero value. After all, even though junk food is bad for people, it still has useful value. It contains calories, it will sustain you (even if it will eventually kill you if you eat nothing else). Similarly, cheap clothes will serve you fine as something to wear, but ultimately we would be better served if we had better quality clothes that last much longer and do away with fast fashion.

So yeah, there are a lot of flaws with this idea, but I think it is at least somewhat representative of the problems we have.

Gemini73

Rightey wrote:
OrangeRKN wrote:
Green Gecko wrote:This kind of lifestyle is probably great for someone like a programmer, marketing exec or salesman but just doesn't work for anyone with creative hobbies that depend on the "real".

Programming is a creative job! My desk is at work is lined with figures because they can help me think

Same! I had the figure below on my desk at work.

Upon seeing it, my boss asked me if I collected Barbies.

.

Super Sonico I believe?

Yup. I realize now it's also probably the one of only two safe for work figures of her there is, but I'm pretty sure no one bothered to listen to me when I told them her name.

PostRe: Minimalism - a lifestyle option by **Moggy** » Sat May 04, 2019 8:05 pm

Green Gecko wrote:Pretty much everything I buy makes or fixes something. Games are my only "play" expenditure other than the odd drink or travel cost somewhere. And I mean like count that on one hand per month, at most.

Most of my art materials are literally junk. Probably the biggest old expense in that respect is miniatures, but I don't paint them for ages and haven't bought any new for about 15 years.

Games help keep me sane. Once you have a good musical instrument you don't really need another one. I often end up with other people's. Almost all my sound engineering stuff is still going decades later and the rest is virtualised. God I can't imagine how much stuff I'd have if it weren't for computers. But I have 7 of those. Most of them don't work.. But serve different form factors.

I suppose in that sense I'm conservative. I have "enough" of what I want. I cover eventualities. This prevents me from cycling through and replacing stuff. Just because you have one id something now.. I don't think it's really fair to say your footprint is lower if you just dumped the old one. I always get quality where it matters and I often fix up stuff that's almost good.

For example, does a minimalist really use the same phone for 10 years? I bet some waste all kinds of gooseberry fool but feel like Jesus.

The wood does kind of pile up though. But I literally turn that into money (so... It's stock).

Minimalism thread = GG writing a 10,000 word essay.

Minimalism - a lifestyle option

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