I recently watched "Minimalism: a Documentary About the Important Things". It was pretty good, I would strongly recommend to folks who like NPR, skaters, unhappy people, and those who can appreciate some pretty photography. The gist of this film was that compulsive consumerism brings nothing but regret and that true happiness comes from the freedom of removing every unnecessary item from one's life.

I like this stance a lot.

The environmentalist in me appreciates glorifying a smaller carbon footprint, and the economist in me appreciates the argument for a fairer distribution of limited resources. However, throughout the film I couldn't help but point out that all of the cast were former Wall Street wolves, successful designers... You know, people with a hefty financial safety net. These were people who could AFFORD to throw everything away and live the with the romanticism and bliss of the simple life. One family was speaking proudly of their ability to live with only a few articles of clothing in their closet. Of course they were being interviewed behind the granite counters of their LA-suburb home...

Now, I understand the logic behind using these individuals as the faces of this movement. If the people with the most could give it all up to live a life of simplicity, then anyone could. One interviewee spoke of his meteoric rise through corporate finance, and how he quit the day he was offered a junior partnership in the firm. He gave up a stable 6-figure salary plus stock options to preserve his identity and to avoid feeling "trapped". He took his newfound freedom onto a sporadic trip around the world to see and experience everything.

These stories are inspiring and honestly, very genuine, but they are hardly a good representation of what the average person attempting minimalism would experience. In fact, most of these "Minimalists" just downgrade from luxury to something that is still better than a normal family could ever have.

Again, the film was quite good, by all means I would recommend to anyone. It got me thinking more about my own reasons for making purchases. A recurring phrase throughout the movie was "buying to fill the void inside". I believe this is a fairly accurate sentiment. Compulsive consumerism is in many ways big advertising's fault, but I think humans are naturally gluttonous without anyone telling them what to do.

There's always something better, the grass is always greener on the other side, and we are never satisfied with what we have. Who knows if there will ever be enough for us.