The minimalist philosophy has good intentions
but without knowing the ethics well enough, it's easy to get sucked into certain mistakes.
Here are 3 ways minimalism gets toxic (and how to avoid it)
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Life is a balancing act. Have too much of what you don't need, and it becomes clutter or debt. Have too little or none of what's essential, and it becomes deprivation.
The key is in discovering and keeping what's truly valuable to you instead of getting stuck in the aesthetics or the numbers game.
Minimalism is not a numbers game
I won't lie - there's something satisfying and liberating about seeing the before and after of a room that's been organized and decluttered.
But here's the thing: decluttering mindlessly just for the sake of discarding things sets you up for regret.
The problem with the numbers game is that there'll always be someone who owns more or less stuff than us. So it creates some kind of a pathological drive to be the best in an irrelevant category.
So from being obsessed with rules, numbers and a compulsion to declutter, I have customized my minimalism journey to what suits my life and not according to what others do.
It's the ethics, not the aesthetics
My minimalism journey began after watching the documentary about Minimalism in 2016. Then I read a few books on Minimalism and became really interested in the concept.
I was a die hard minimalist on a superficial level. Internally, I was not at that point yet.
Maybe we can successfully power through all the mess and clutter in our home to achieve that instagrammable outcome. And it gives that satisfying feeling for a little while.
But the most important element of decluttering is doing the internal work - to determine our purpose and achieve resonance between our possessions and yourself. Without these things, decluttering won't last and won't leave a genuine impact on us.
Minimalism is not a magic bullet
This was by far the harshest truth I had to learn. After watching so many videos, reading several blogs and consuming content on minimalism, I thought it was the ultimate magic bullet. The solution to all of my problems.
While it may be true that living minimally can help to reduce our expenses, minimize the need to tidy up, and perhaps make us less materialistic, it's not a magic wand that eliminates all problems.
No amount of decluttering, living slowly, or simplifying life will stop us from experiencing the complete range of human emotions.
A minimalist life is still a life. It involves the full share of suffering, stress, loneliness, disappointment, and dealing with mortality.
As harsh as this may sound: there is no magic bullet to end human suffering. It's a lifelong process of letting go of both external and internal possessions. In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh,
"People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer anymore.”
If minimalism can make your life just a little bit better, that's great. And it does help. But we can't expect it to be the ultimate painkiller as it is not.
I didn't create this video to bash minimalism. Quite the opposite, actually. I only wanted to share a two-dimensional perspective of the philosophy to get the most out of it.
When minimalism becomes complex and difficult, it completely misses the mark. That's not what minimizing and simplifying is all about.
So when I lose myself in all the noise, I ask myself:
Why do I want to declutter anyway?
What are the chances I'll need these items in the future?
When I consider letting go of certain hobbies, sentimental objects, and the desire to buy what I really need, is it because I genuinely want to or am I only copying others?
Call it minimalism, essentialism, simplifying, or slowing down. The terminologies and the aesthetics don't matter. In the end, it all comes down to whether or not it adds value to your life. And that's what's most important.