Going minimalist

“Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence—those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse. And while you people are overconsuming the rest of the world sinks more and more deeply into chronic disaster.” , says English writer Aldous Huxley on his last book , Island. If I was to describe that quote in only one word, that would be timeless. Island was published in 1962. Fifty three years later, that statement seems to be still valid. Consumer culture contributes to turning people into collectively psychotic zombies, whose utmost ambition in life is to own a significantly large amount of stuff or the money they can purchase that stuff with.

Modern culture's philosophy is “the more you have, the more successful you are”. Hence, your social status has everything to do with your possessions. Among all species, humans are the only who possess the desire for prestige. We do not share that characteristic with other species. Social status exists only in humans, not animals.People are losing themselves in their everyday struggle to pursue that prestige. They engage themselves in acting ways to acquire it, so somewhere down that prestige-hunting road they lose their identity- they simply become what modern society indicates them to be – welltuned robots. And that fact would be just fine if it didn't interfere with both our psyche and the enviromental prosperity. Our need for more leads to overconsumerism which has a horrific impact on our enviroment. Yet, nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care – and that is exactly where the system relies on. Our ignorance, naivity and apathy. As the CEO of Prism Communications put it once, “children are evolving consumers”. Ever since the day we were born, we have been long nourished the idea that having more, brings us happiness. However, our greediness brings us anxiety, depression, sense of unequality and so much more side effects of the disease called consumer capitalism.

What we need to realise is that we are hurting ourselves and our enviroment in the process of impulsive consumerism. We are trained to be dissatisfied with what we already have so now we must unlearn what we have been programmed to believe since birth. Less is more. More freedom, more personal, enviromental, even financial health. Spend your money on meaningful activities rather than on stuff which are unlikely to be used ever after the day you bought them. I myself resolved to go minimalist too. I'm getting rid of my JICS (Just In Case Stuff), things that I don't necessarily need or I will ever. Also, I am going to declutter my house by donating clothes and shoes that I longer wear, and also, by throwing away things I have absolutely no clue why I am still holding on to. 

Next time you feel like you want to buy something ask yourself first if you really need it. Remember that the less stuff you own, the less your stuff owns you. Set yourself free. The point here is not to be cheap, but rather substantially whole and integral.

Back to culture. Yes, actually to culture. 

You can’t consume much if you sit still

and read books.

Aldous Huxley