Old Words - Minimalism (Enhanced Simplicity)
October 4th, 2007 by pale_whites
In the year 2000 I discovered Newsgroups. I came across a group called alt.lifestyle.simplicity and briefly posted and commented on the simple life. I thought I would share with you some of my posts here.
on the 7 Oct 2000, 08:00 I wrote;
My understanding of the term ’simplicity’ when applied to lifestyle is one of self inflicted poverty. This comes about when practitioners ‘give-up’ ‘things’ in order to be free. In effect the freedom ‘costs’.
Whoa!, I hear you say, just what is it I am giving up if I choose this lifestyle? More often than not things of little value that were acquired as part of living the ‘normal’ life.
Things of little value, things and people that cause us to waste time, things to worry about unnecessarily, things never used, etc, etc.
All of this can be jettisoned by adopting the simple life.
BUT my argument is this, quality of life is important. Under the Minimalist ethos, the way we live is very pared-down: pared down possessions, pared down homes, and on.
It demands effort.
All of the positives of simplicity are there but the minimalist lifestyle is enhanced by virtue of the fact that what remains in our lives has the highest possible aesthetic qualities.
Imagine a fine, pure, simple, and understated life which is based upon discreet wealth. A clean & light existence with a minimum of possessions which are exquisitely crafted and often, perversely, look less than the sum of their parts.
Modest homes with simply beautiful interiors, uncluttered, almost bare to the casual observer, with all the ‘tools’ of life hidden away when not in use.
Minimalism is about questions like ‘What shade of white should I paint my walls?’. It takes great effort for what appears to be little gain.
Here’s to enhanced simplicity or, as I prefer to call it, minimalism.
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