You’ve probably heard about the minimalist trend going on these days. Maybe you’re even one of the people who has thrown out everything they own except their iPhone, laptop, and a few basic necessities like clothes and scant furniture.
Maybe you’ve turned your apartment into a stark white oasis in a society where objects are as common as desert sand. Or maybe you’ve just finished The Minimalists’ 30 Day Minimalism Game and feel oh so good about yourself for not getting your self-worth out of materialistic possessions.
What the hell is wrong with you?
If you haven’t gotten the message yet, here it is: minimalism is ridiculous. Or, rather, the trend of otherwise wealthy, happy people choosing to live with fewer things is ridiculous.
Let me paint you a picture: I’m a college student living in a trailer home with my family. I have three tank tops, a few nicer blouses, one pair of jeans, one pair of dress pants, and four sweaters for those chilly winter months. Most of these were found at Wal-Mart.
One pair of boots, one pair of sneakers, one pair of “dress shoes” I bought at Wal-Mart for six bucks because they were solid black and no one looks at your shoes during work anyway. I have a white desk I found somewhere. On top of it sits a Chromebook and the blandest, cheapest lamp I could find at...can you guess? Wal-Mart.
I’ve also got a few other things—a pen holder filled with gel pens, a stack of sticky notes, and a stuffed dog I got recently as a gift. But other than my phone and school books, that’s about it for me and stuff. Why?
Not because it’s trendy to have nothing (I’m not really a trend-follower.) Not because it makes the room look bigger (my bedroom is so tiny, even if it had nothing in it, it would still look cramped.) And not because having fewer things makes me feel “free.” Quite the opposite.
I don’t have a lot of stuff because I can’t afford it. Because decorations, a full wardrobe, and fancy gadgets are about as within reach as going to the moon. In fact, if it weren’t for some very generous relatives and the fact that even on-campus classes are half online these days, I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten a phone or forced myself to save up for a laptop that probably wasn’t worth what I paid for it anyway.
Imagine being me, a person who can’t afford much of anything, and seeing people brag about giving up “everything.” Imagine reading about someone’s experience playing The Minimalist Game, which involves giving up one thing, then two, then three, for thirty days, and doing the math in your head and realizing you don’t even think you own 465 things to throw out.
I envy you people. I really do. You got to make the choice to live like you have nothing, with a full bank account to fall back on whenever you discover you might need something new. You had the choice to have nothing. Some people don’t even have that.