The PROBLEM With Minimalism

My ex-wife was an unintentional minimalist. She loved to throw things away. Bought little. Had few interests. Had few friends. Was obsessively neat. And is as cold as a barren white wall and concrete floor apartment. She truly believed that if you don’t use something in six months, throw it out. That’s why she threw me out.

Most minimalism influencers live like that because their job is to be a minimalism influencer

I'm a minimalist. But I still have a completely massive retro game collection. Fight me. The thing people forget about minimalism is that it's not really about having as few things as possible. Or at least it shouldn't be. It's about owning things with intention and meaning instead of just impulse buying more and more.

it's funny how minimalism was supposed to help you save money, yet it just turned into people buying things that "looked minimalistic"

Also, minimalism is NOT about get rid of the stuff that you use.... it's about getting rid of stuff that you never needed in the first place or don't need it anymore!!

Minimalism really just taught people to think, "Do I really need this?" We were always going to go back to buying more things, but that extra second to think about whether something was too excessive or would last long has probably helped out more people than we know.

I'm Italian, my wife and I made friends with an American couple who lives in our neighborhood in Rome, one evening they had dinner with us and kept complimenting us on our "minimalist style" after a while I asked what they meant and explained to me, I laughed, and I explained that our style is just about not spending money unnecessarily, if the sofa, even if it is 20 years old and works for what it is supposed to do, I don't change it, if my car is 12 years old but it works I don't understand why change it and spend money that I can use for holidays, trips, dinners, culture, in short, ours is not minimalism but rather anti-consumerism

Mari Kondo was a huge thing, but what differentiated her from minimalism was the conscious decision to keep the things that were useful and had sentimental value, and to toss the rest so that we can more appreciate the things we owned. It was more like a personalized minimalism.

I don't think minimalism died, I just think it shifted form. From the clean and simple aesthetic towards the consious consumer purchases. There are many people who have changed their mindset thanks to minimalism and have learned some pretty handy skills along the way of minimalism to determine whether or not to buy something, and if so, in good quality. As I see, minimalism is still alive and blooming, every time someone makes a conscious decision not to buy something unnecessary or to buy something maybe more expensive, but in great quality, so it can serve them for an extended period of time. At least, that part makes me feel like a minimalist ever since. But I also never defined it based on the number of my posessions.

I think the part of minimalism that made people more intentional with what they were buying was good but when I tried it I felt like I lost my ability to be creative with decor and fashion and I really missed that. Also, some of the minimalism influencers who would brag about having no furniture always seemed ridiculous

I see Minimalism as a way of living and not as a “ Trend .” It’s has helped me to simplify my life and get rid of things that I hadn’t used in years….. So , I am happy now living a simpler life.

I learned it’s ways, applied them, found the level of minimalism that suits me, and continued on with life. It was like learning a skill and no longer needing to study it so much after mastering it. I may watch a video here and there, but I feel like I’ve learned enough now that I don’t need to anymore. It was a skill and mindset I wanted to learn, not an obsession.

Minimalism used to be so great, but the true meaning of minimalism got lost so quickly. While less can be excellent, holding yourself back from having things or enjoying an experience is why it was so hard to keep it in my life.

I would argue that there was a consumerist aspect to minimalism... In some corners, it was implied that you should get rid of everything you have, but repurchase the proper 'minmalist' furniture, decor, tools, etc. to fit the aesthetic.

I live in a studio apartment. In 11 months I have purged my 'stuff' twice because I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Now I only have the bare necessities, I feel like I can breathe again. So minimalism is definitely my lifestyle and I love it❤

I never took minimalism as having one pair of jeans and three shirts. It was about consumerism, and buying just to buy. It’s about using what you have. I could never be like most of the YouTube or IG minimalist. I have a job where having a pair of paints and two shirts was not effective. However, I didn’t need the 30 shirts I use to have. It may not be trendy, but it’s effectiveness is still profound and useful.

I inherited a lot of stuff from relatives. I also grew up with a mother who has a slight horder tendency, who hates throwing things away and always forbid me from getting rid of stuff (old books, clothes, make-up, etc.). Minimalism and Marie Kondo helped me to feel less guilty about cleaning up and letting go of things that weren't connected to good memories. I still own a ton of items, but they make me happy instead of making me feel trapped.

As someone who still is striving towards becoming more "minimalist", I've always focused more on the cutting out of excess rather than having the absolute bare minimum--and thats likely why I still enjoy following minimalist content. I have my hundreds of books, tons of baking supplies and gaming accessories, etc, but I have room for them because I no longer keep unused extras or gifts I felt too guilty to part with. I learned budgeting and tidiness through the movement, which have fundamentally changed my life... But as with most things in life, extremism is not sustainable or enjoyable long term.

The lessons I learned while being more conscious of purchases and the things I owned but hadn’t used in years, will serve me for life. I never got to be a true minimalist, but maximalism isn’t for me either. Dead or not, I’ll still aspire to live more minimalistic.

i remember being slightly put off and scared by all the minimalist vloggers because of how far into the extremes they went. i watched videos of people preaching minimalism while sitting in a barren apartment with close to no furniture and soul, or wear the same grey outfit every day, or insist on denying themselves and others small pleasures because they weren’t absolutely necessary. this life of ascetism and lack of colour and personality seemed so dystopian to me. like surely there’s a way to reduce buying things and de clutter your life and still have a space that reflects your personality and enjoy yourself beyond trying to fit into a new trendy aesthetic. a lot of the trends minimalism brought with it are very useful but it was the extreme way people approached it that made me just look at it like i would at cult people standing on my doorstep