Levi touched on soothing ourselves, like with Starbucks, in order to feel a brief moment of calm in all the chaos of the world. This is something we aren’t talking about. The corporations use the fear and chaos to make us consume more. Similar to “if it bleeds it leads”. The chaos caused by these corporations drives us to buy more in order to feel a small sense of control or calm or escape. It’s a loop that’s being exploited. And then we are made to feel guilty about it because we were the ones that “don’t have the self control” to not consume.
FROM THE COMBOX
This blog post is my response to this Matt D'Avella video:
Why minimalism didn't work
I like this video. The thing I appreciate about Matt D'Avella is that he thinks and reflects. I don't always agree with him, but I like that he thinks about these things. Minimalism is now looking like a fad as people go back to consumerism. But did they ever really leave consumerism? As for minimalism, some people still live that lifestyle, but it is like veganism. It is the choice of a stubborn minority going counter to the herd. Then, there are those who tried it for a season, and let it drop. I think the reason for the victory of consumerism over minimalism is found in the combox comment quoted above. Minimalism "failed" for the same reason a plant based diet fails. Bacon tastes good. Similarly, buying crap is fun. Living for today is fun. It is especially fun when tomorrow looks hopeless.
Minimalism is austerity. It is doing without. It is eschewing more in favor of living with less. This is not fun or pleasant. That is the bottom line. Matt's detour into income inequality, the excesses of the billionaire class, and his veiled call for some socialist redistribution scheme has nothing to do with minimalism. Prosperity does not lead to minimalism. Poverty apparently doesn't lead to minimalism either. It's like the Type 2 diabetic who is depressed over his poor health, so he consoles himself with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Likewise, the person under financial strain gets relief from buying crap the same way some folks used to find relief in cigarettes and cheap booze.
Minimalism or any other program of frugality makes more sense than mindless consumerism. Eating right and exercising makes more sense than sitting on the couch eating chips. Virtue will always be wiser than vice. But it cannot and never will be popular or permanent. And there is no political or economic scheme than can change this. The masses always pick the vices. The wise pick the virtues. Welcome to the human condition, Matt.
Most people find the virtue after paying the price of their vices. With minimalism, many people just got tired of the debt and stress of the consumerist lifestyle. As I am fond of repeating to the point of nausea, people don't respond to motivation but irritation. When you get to your fed up point, you make the change. I know that has been the case with me.
You can feel good for a moment, or you can stop feeling bad for a lifetime. That is the fundamental choice we all have to make. No one else can make that choice for us. As for creators promoting the minimalist lifestyle, your audience will persist and grow modestly for as long as minimalism remains the right answer for the problem. It can never be popular and not everyone is going to stick with it. But for those few who have had enough, you will have the answer they need. Just accept that you aren't going to be more popular or get rich from this "trend." This shouldn't matter to a true minimalist.
