I hope you enjoy today's video essay, it's a little spicier than usual so please do let me know your thoughts in the comments. I am finally back with two videos a week so I hope you enjoy the extra content !! Immy xx

Where is That Guy or The Ideal Man? They seem to be missing on the internet…and in real life. 😂 Sorry, all of these trends continue to put women in a position of never being good enough but so wrapped up in “fixing themselves” that they’re too exhausted to work towards challenging what’s going wrong in the western world. It’s become so boring. Over 57 years I’ve learned that all you can do is the best you can and perfection does not exist so don’t waste your time.

This is a very interesting video essay and is loaded with interesting questions (which could lead to many tangents). I have found it interesting, as zero waste has become popular, that it hardly ever looks to people and cultures that live traditionally low-waste lifestyles. In particular, I am thinking of traditional farmers, homesteaders, poorer families who have learned to do things differently from lack of excess funds and those who live a frugal lifestyle. It has been apparent to me that much of the "zero waste" lifestyle is set around certain aesthetics, as you have mentioned. But we could all benefit from learning from those lifestyles I previously mentioned.

I feel that your content has evolved so much recently towards a more epistemological and interrogative approach, which, in my opinion, puts the video product itself above the ideas of pure consumerism, as it gains a real value by questioning the place of being in a capitalist environment. Honestly, that’s a whole different level! So happy to see this evolution!

I love this video for hitting some of my pet peeves. "Zero waste" and "sustainable" have become an aesthetic. New Mason jars glasses. But real sustainability is ugly. It's using the same plastic ninja turtle cup you've had since you were 15 because there's nothing wrong with it except it's ugly. Sure, if you need a new spatula, get the most eco-friendly version of the spatula, but you don't need the whole set to make everything match. If your zero waste, sustainable lifestyle is pretty then you're probably neither.

This is such an important video. It is very well done. I experienced the "self optimization" trap when I started minimalism, back in 2015. It became so bad I had to deliberately stop following any minimalist/productivity/zero waste influencer for a while because I always felt I didn't do enough. However, i have always felt that your channel, Immy, is inclusive and not guilt-oriented. I thank you deeply for that. I hope that you never felt too much pressure to optimize yourself in the past and now. Have a nice day!

This is SO interesting and has given my brain so much to chew on, thank you!

It definitely feels like a layer of interrogation of self-optimization because this is something that's important to me vs. self-optimization for the sake of some kind of societal pressure/aesthetic. I constantly remind myself to use what I already have and do/buy things slowly - sit on it and decide if I really need to do/buy that thing to either improve my life or my ability to live sustainably.

i love your content for so many reasons, that you take a critical stand on zero waste while being part of the movement yourself is just amazing! thank you for this important video, it surely got me thinking!

This is so interesting! I’ve been on this self-improvement journey for some years after breaking free from trauma that have hindered progress, and I feel like I’m discovering who I am for the first time. I’m drawn towards the opposite of what I’ve been doing, like have a turbulent relationship with food, shopping, chasing new habits, reading self help etc 😅 Now I settle in with minimalism and less new projects and getting better at what I know. I’m also gravitating towards this zero waste movement, but perhaps as you describe here, as a result of asthetic and influence on social media. I’ve bought more reusable stuff etc, but I’m conscious on using up what I got. The zero waste to me is also automatically a “rule” which lowers the options. Like I can easily buy ten different smells of detergent, but now that I have a rule to only use environmentally friendly things, the options decreases and on that note I can limit overspending and decision fatigue. So I guess I’m doing it for the “wrong” reasons now, but I do feel that this really is me beyond it all. I have to get out of the chaotic and stressful state I’ve been in and I’m sure I’m not going towards a more minimalistic and waste and environmental friendly just because I’m sold this idea. I got inspired from somewhere but I guess it just made me realize that this is what’s underneath that person I became from living half my life with serious trauma and an inability to be grounded. Will come back to this video again, it made me think. On to explore other videos of yours.

wow. this is such an interesting view that brings together all the “identities” we get sold together in a wonderful and easy to understand way.

Yes! You have hit on the paradox of the zero waste "lifestyle." Buying more stuff that is more sustainable is still consuming. And looking and behaving a certain way (vs. just as yourself), is another trap of our culture of beauty as defined by others. Thank you for this!

I found the zero waste movement through minimalism, so this video resonates strongly with me. I’ve never been interested in the plain minimalism aesthetic, but I definitely bought zero waste items that I never even used. Now I always ask myself if I’m actually going to use something or if I can borrow it before I buy.

Thank you so much for the time and thought in this video essay. After leaving organized religion (a particularly cult-like denomination at that), I found myself lacking a sense of identity. I think I have adopted the idea of low waste as a new tenet of who I think I am, and applied the moralistic view to any successes and non-successes as I perceive them. Many of us ex-religious folks seem to dive strongly into one or two subcultures as a replacement; I think the concept of minimalism and low impact is an easy transition as it is associated with good morals both in many organized religions and secular communities. I wonder if this fad of “zero waste” and Scandinavian Instagram aesthetics is a form of transitional “adolescence.” Sure, it is a relatively small but visible subculture, but I think that we’re stretching and exploring what kind of humanity we want to be as we move forward on a planet we are making hostile to ourselves. Thanks again for all your work, neighbor 💚🌱

Love these video essays, always gets me thinking and reevaluating.

BRAVO!! These video essays of yours are my absolute favourite of all of your content to date (and I already love your channel). Just so well done - brilliantly written, thoroughly contemplated, so thoughtful and generous. Thank you so much Immy!

This was a really interesting video!! Thank you :) And will def check out the book.

Thank you for this video Immy! I have been following your videos since 2019 and I think this is my favourite one. It really touched on what I believe to be the ultimate struggle for people in my demographic (20-something year old women in Canada) where we are constantly having to balance our career development with being sustainable and also THAT GIRL. I would love to see more video essays, you brought these topics together so wisely.

This was an excellent video! I really appreciated the points that you made. It raised some great questions!

Omg Immy, i'm so thankful, that you bring this toppic up. I had similar thoughts about this. :)

Super interesting!! This video really explains some ideas I’ve been unconsciously dancing around for a little while! Definitely will be coming back for a rewatch at some point

Another fantastic & insightful video Immy, thank you for the time and effort you always put in!

Didn’t expect this kind of video format when first clicked in, but absolutely didn’t expect how much I’d enjoy it! Great topic choice and really insightful thoughts that made me stop in my tracks and deeply concider all the proposed questions! It resonated with me in more ways than I could’ve imagined! Excited to see more content like this in the future.

Love this video essay!! Very good! I hope you do more when you can! ^.^

Your video essays are very interesting! Thanks for connecting dots!

Came across this video only now, but WHAT A GEM. Congrats Immy and many thanks!

This is a great subject and amazing video! It really made me think about my relationship with zero waist and my idea of when I'm statisfied with myself or my day.

thanks a lot for this video! got me thinking about many things. thank you.

I'm loving these more profund video essays! Not only do I feel better because I'm not the only one who thinks these things but you also give me so many thoughts to reflect upon. As far as the self optimisation, I believe that in general it has brought more good than bad but just like with anything taken to the extreme, it can be harmful too.

This was so great! I really loved the essay format & the points that you brought up with it. For the last year or so I've been really trying to step back & analyze my own self-optimization journey. (I didn't realize that's what it was called until this video, thank you!) It's been an interesting and sometimes difficult task, but it's one of those things that marketing has done such a great job of sneaking into our lives and our feeds because who could be against self-improvement? But I think that it's really a fine line between self-optimizing/zero waste for vanity/selfish motives and self-optimizing/zero-waste for the larger purpose of serving others & caring for the planet. I think as long as you can step back & keep things in perspective for why you're actually choosing to live a certain way, it's a lot easier to not fall into the consumerism side of self-optimization/zero-waste.

Wow, I feel so pleezed with this being brought to light ✨- I feel like I'm actually at peace with the aspects of the Self Optimizing I have been dabbling in & in th aesthetic of low waste lifestyle products - ✨ I feel seen & somehow have more compassion for MySelf & am more relaxed about /forgiving about thingz, while at the same moment, more determined & excited to continue improving. I admire the diction & poize in Your delivery & again aknowlege how intelligent You are - mahalo for sharing Your keen sensibility & openness to question thingz in favor of clarity.

I'm really enjoying the video essay format, and really great topic! "The pretty packaging of the zero waste ideal"....such a juicy sentence and thought!

Interesting stuff. Good to take a step back and think about these things from time to time.

Incredible Immy. Thanks for sharing

Wow Immy! This video is brilliant - incredibly thought-provoking and well put. I loved your line about not being able to declutter our way out of the mess that it often is to be human. It had me thinking that self-optimisation can be good for individuals if we’re using it alongside some kind of spiritual practice that allows us to know ourselves, and slow down enough to become aware of why we’re truly doing these things - really I’m thinking of meditation and maybe Buddhism here. But because a lot of these SO practices come from social media, we do them simply to show the external world how we’re trying to become the best version of ourselves; it’s for perception, rather than our own good.

That's a new perspective! Thank you!

I admire you 😊. You can bring a new perspective on sustainability. Thank you for the new perspectives.

Very interesting perspectives. Your video addresses so many different issues worthy of comments but I'll settle for just one: In my opinion the worst consequence of self optimization is the constant focus on "me". A healthier focus would be on "you" or "community" . In that case the benefits for "me" most certainly would appear as an extra gain.

wow. This is amazing content. Thanks for tackling this important topic!

Something to think about. My life is too messy for me to even attempt to optimize as one on KZfaq would. Kids, pets, work. But I still feel the pressure even when I know it is u attainable

This is my favorite video you’ve ever put out!! So interesting.

This video is absolutely fascinating. I loved the comparisons between zero waste movement and ascenticism

Really enjoying these video essays ❤️

Thank you for this video 😊I think it was a nice topic - and made me think about that it almost is no end to zero-waste life stile/self improvemnent and there for a goal that we will never stop chasing. A long the way we maybe should think about what the goal really should be for our self. I think it is good to be aware of this, so thank you for sharing. Have a nice day 😀😘

I thoroughly enjoyed what you said. I thought a while back about being seduced into buying products to fit my zero waste objectives, but instead carried on using what I have. Not to say that I won't revisit purchasing items when things break. Very interesting video, thank you 😊

Wow, thank you for this. Beautifully said!

I like the idea of zero waste as something in my life to strive for and continuing to grow and identify what I could have done better each day, but it is also important to stay present and be in gratitude/pay attention to what you did right that day. I love growing and trying new ways of bettering myself and the planet, but it isn't all about forward growth. It has to be balanced with being content with where you are at regardless of forward movement. The forward movement is a bonus on top of the self-love you need to already have.

I think about this all the time. I love how you broke this down. Super helpful to think about.

Always appreciate your take on these sorts of topics. Excellent video! 🤍

absolutely loved this video! so much food for thought and very relatable!

Brilliant. Thanks Immy.❤

So good to explore and ask ourselves these questions.

What if this this endless self-optimisation, this pushing ourselves to reach for more and more goals, means that we are finding it impossible to forgive ourselves and accept our flaws? Thought-provoking video, Immy! Love this kind of content!

This was such a great and informative video, so thanks for that! So many important points and it really struck a cord with me and my own journey towards living more sustainably. I would love to see mores videos like this in the future

I find you the most human and authentic of the KZfaqrs I follow; you're always honest and you are the only person who recognizes and acknowledges your privilege when you make some of these videos. So sad that people have to be critical all the time. Keep doing you--it's awesome. I've learned a lot!

So interessting 😱 thank you for the input!

I have a Pela case and I love it, plus I feel like I am helping the planet!🌍 I will be getting Pela cases from now on, every time I need a new phone.

Very well done. You have giving me a lot to think about. I do think some people confuse eco friendly with zero waste. Example all the products you can buy.

Hey Immy! I love the video essay format, I find it really informative and interesting to watch! If I may add one thing, I get a bit thrown off by the way you present section titles. They tend to disconnect me from the video by coming unexpectedly, and it sounds weird to just have the section title read out - often my mind has to pause a bit to make sense of the sentence until I am like: Oh! it's a new section! One thing that I believe would help me would be leaving a longer pause between the end of one section and the beginning of another section, which clearly indicates that you are done with your current point. Another thing that could really help with immersive-ness into your essays would be to maybe use connecting sentences, instead of just presenting the section title. So "Self optimization as a lifestyle" could become inserted into a sentence such as "This leads to the next point I want to discuss: Self optimization as a lifestyle" or "Another aspect that should be considered is self optimization as a lifestyle" etc. If you want to keep section titles as just reading them out, you could maybe add a special sound or something to make it clear we have a section title here or something. Of course, all of this are only my opinions, and might not represent the general viewership^^ Anyway, this is my absolutely favourite video format of yours and I am really, really looking forward to seeing more of this. Thank you for doing all that research for us:))

Great one!

Wow… this is interesting!! It is always a challenge to find the balance between looking outward and looking inward. I’m going to cut to the chase here… I’m pushing 59, and folks always tell me that I live the life of somebody 30 years younger. While this is very flattering, I must sadly say that recently I have been supporting many friends, colleagues, and family members through terminal illness, death, and a myriad of difficult personal circumstances. This has encouraged me to step outside of social media and think of life… beyond myself and within myself. Admittedly, I have recently become hyper-focused on healthy lifestyle, irrespective of social media, consumerism, and all the other invasive systems that we live within. It is self-revealing to move away from the mindset of comparison and move forward with pursuing personal fulfillment… whatever that may be? Is personal fulfillment the same as self-optimization? From my perspective, it’s hard to separate the two. As I start to really ramble on here, I will say that I loved this video essay, Immy, and I look forward to watching it again. I also know I’m going to love reading people’s feedback in the comments section. Thank-you so much Immy for always stimulating my thoughts and also for creating content that encourages me to live and learn. Much appreciated Immy… more than I can express here with words. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary💕

I love these kinds of videos!

This video is amazing. I think i have some deep reflection to do, since i am basically obsessed with self-optimisation.

down to watch more videos like this!

Food-for-thought material! Cheers ;)

great video!

Thank you so much for this challenging video. Certainly a lot of food for thoughts... One thing that resonates with me is the idea that these lifestyles offer a way to deal with the excess of capitalism. When looking critically within myself I even recognise a form of meaning-giving found within these practices. Maybe this is a result of the growing secularization and individualism within society? In this light, your comparison with spiritualism doesn't seem far-fetched at all.

I want a pela case so bad 😭 they finally started making cases for my phone maker, but not my model yet. One day I hope I can have a pela case on my phone 🤞🏻

I really enjoy your video essays, thanks a lot. Could you imagine another one about the implications of facing accusations like told being a hypocrite in especially environmental activism and individual ways in reducing further impact of the climate crisis? Lately I'm thinking a lot about the culture behind responding to mistakes and solidarity-based critique.

Great video, I am speechless!

Perfectly said

Such interesting ideas! What brought me to "zero waste" (I don't think about it this way though) was my journey into a closer relationship with God after becoming Catholic. As I explored the lives of various saints, I learned that their way of life was often dismissed as self-deprecative behavior. On the contrary, their humanity was guided by a creative spirit: to rid themselves of desires and wants that might can satisfy our temporary desires but do not take us to the kind of human we want to be. If the "protestant ethic" is the spirit of capitalism, then zero waste is the spirit of catholocism.

That was incredible

All this excessive self-improvement and life optimization will drop away as you age. Good genes, exercise and healthy living will only take you so far in this quest for "perfection" . How do you then live out the second half of your life? Do you obsess with loss of youthful physical appearances, get plastic surgery and keep trying to gain more status and material.possessions? Or do you gracefully accept the gradual changes that aging brings and become the person you were preparing to be for that first 40 years of your life? When we learn self-acceptance early on in life, we can generate warmth and acceptance toward others. We can become the wonderfully wise, fun and blessedly imperfect person we were always meant to.be. 👍😻😊

This is so great, if you are up to it I would love more videos like this one. Thanks!

Brilliant

It's so hard to spot when personal growth turns into toxic self optimizing, I think you should always strive for happiness and fulfilment and not aesthetics or external validation

I enjoy these video essays as a deep dive into various areas and always find them very interesting and thought provoking, However I note that every video of yours lately is sponsored and while I appreciate you having to save money for your move to the States, others are pointing out online that your content is not marked as an ad as much as they would like. Personally I am not sure that sponsored content fits into these video essays. This video gave me some fascinating insights into the concept of self optimisation. Its not something I have ever come across before.. I suppose being older and not of the age to get influenced by TikTok and Instagrammers accounts for this.

I think part of the answer to these questions lies in whether we ourselves are programmed or predisposed to view ourselves and surroundings with a lens of morality/goodness/purity, because any "movement" can provide the content for us to simultaneously aspire to and fall short of ideals. The exposure I've had to "self-optimization" (mostly through mere mortal youtubers) has helped me make healthier choices for myself whereby I feel good about myself rather than inadequate in light of an ideal. It's also funny that most of this exposure (and my response) has happened during the pandemic, when I've had very little socializing by which to flaunt my "achievements." It's been a wonderful time of self-satisfaction lol.

I think I need to play this video to myself every day 😲👏

On pela phone cases, I may be wrong about this, but they aren't for all brands. I've yet to find one for a Samsung A20.

I was interested in the point(s) you made relating the idea of self improvement to religious practises. It’s worth pointing out, though, that, as with the idea of ‘self-optimisation’, these practises are all taking people down the same wrongly-signposted road. This road where a person relies on self to make themselves ‘perfect’ is a road that leads to nowhere. All ‘religions’ (and I’d include the new religion of self-optimisation , and the worship of self as a god under this umbrella) that focus on the work we do as a person and relying on our own abilities to try to reach perfection (or heaven, if you will) are systems of falsehood and trickery. No one will ever ‘optimise’ by following human systems and rules. Christianity is the only ‘religion’ that does not focus on the works of the self to achieve perfection, but recognises that we none of us can do a single thing in the long run to put right our deepest ills. But Jesus Christ offers to do this for us- His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That’s the only way any of us are becoming perfect. That’s the only road that leads to heaven. ❤️

I think it is like the metaphor of the knife, which isn't good or bad in itself, but the way we use it may be. I don't think there's anything wrong with growth and learning in itself, after all, learning a hobby you enjoy is also self-improvement, as is practicing self-acceptance and self-love, allowing ourselves rest and imperfection, learning to be kinder to others, while still guarding your own boundaries. Failing at something is still growth. I think it's a question, as with so many things in society, to not get caught up in what others tell us this should look like and the extremes of either chasing perfectionism and give up on growth altogether. As to why zero waste might be so attractive? If you look at it from a psychology perspective, using Maslow's hierachy of needs as a model, it plays of several of these conceptual needs of what I can tell: 1. Safety: There's a lot of fear stimulating messaging around how badly the planet is doing to the point that eco-anxiety is a thing. At the same time there are very little practical things people can do to give a feeling of influence and control. Something as concrete as zero-waste gives a way to reduce that fear and give a sense of more safety, as well as additional perceived benefits such as more security in resources and better health. 2. Love and belonging: There is a community around this, engaging with it thus gives you an easy way to have a sense of connection. Conformity to fit in with people you like also plays a role here. 3: Esteem: It gives a tangible way to feel accomplished and to feel good about yourself. It may also give you status and gain you respect within the community because they will promote taking those actions and look up to people who are very into the lifestyle. 4: Aesthetic: Most of these things are marketed and made attractive to the costumer. They play on our longing for beauty and general aesthetic we sent out into the world 5: Self-actualization: It gives a sense of self-improvement, of "doing better than before" 6: Self-transcendence: It gives a feeling that you are contributing to a better world

I just want to leave less plastic for the next generation.

I think unless you are doing all these things and going to counseling, you are just hiding the real issues, the economy sucks, work sucks we were in a pandemic we have control over less and less things, in the US women may lose the rights of reproductive health. The real question is, are you being that girl for yourself or for others? Is this how you make a living or a life? Where is the joy? And some mess is a good thing. And what happens when the outside world infringes on all this self optimizing? Your job , your kids? The Impending economic crash? The fact that others exist in the world, and it is not really all about you? That your horse dog or cat are beings who will every so often make huge messes. I am all for self improvement, for sustainability for minimalism, for having goals and Habits but I am not for feeling like I have to become what every other person is to have them.