Hoarders, are far from being a myth these days considering everyone wants to be on top of their game in the war against society’s superfluous, affluent culture that is ingrained in the minds of individuals in this day and age. Cluttered and messy spaces spell financial stability to subsequent relatives that vie and pry onto the co-existence of their very own kin.
Like Veganism is a now a trend and an emerging cult for the people who pursue exclusivity and awareness about their co-dependent beings, minimalism seems to be catching on to find a tribe of their own. But then again, so are the New Rich, as Timothy Ferris described them in his famous publication, The 4-Hour Workweek.
People seem to be going back to the basics with their ideologies of de-cluttering and donations and living a simple life, but what remains to be seen is if they succeed in their goals by leaps and bounds.
Minimalism involves getting rid of sentimental clutter as well as dealing with physical clutter. The motive also emphasizes simplicity.
The idea that capitalism is taking over the reigns of a foraging economy seems to encourage a cycle of binging and purging. This Western-culture influenced idea might seem to be initiated by the agrarians of the world to make their main focus in life, not materialistic goods, but emotional satisfaction.
There are quite a few examples of famous people that endorse and emancipate capitalistic ideas yet, this concept still seems foreign to people who want to be a part of the generation that doesn’t look down upon them for not having multiple possessions or branded things.
The flip side to this coin is living the American dream. A documentary on minimalists speculates and salvages facets of people’s lives that excel in most fortes or in their one-common goal: minimalism.
Here’s a trailer of the designated documentary: The Minimalists
Is this fad a trend worth cultivating? While it is a reality for so many people in Third World countries or the deemed poor, excessive consumerism isn’t an option. And minimalism isn’t a choice.
Yet, minimalism exhuberates freedom. Freedom from anything that holds you down. Freedom from the guilt of attaching yourself to possessions, freedom from the commitments you cluster together to reach an ultimate materialistic goal.
You live in the moment. You can finally be in pursuit of happiness without the shackles that associate themselves with hoarded goods.
Minimalism isn’t about playing by the rules. Minimalism isn’t a religion. Minimalism is a way of life that might or might not beguile most people. But are we going to overlook the fact that it might be the way forward? A way away from being bound by what money-minded industries intend to charm us with?
And while the internet might seem to enchant us with the varied types of minimalism, and the ruckus and hullabaloo that excavates unnecessary skeletons, it is only a choice. Nothing more. Nothing less.
But sometimes, less is more.