The most abused word in the English language is “need.” If you’re reading this post, I contend there is little that you actually “need” beyond what you currently possess. You have ample electricity to power your computer in a climate-controlled environment, with running water and food in your well-stocked refrigerator. Why, then, do you always hear people talking about how they “need” more stuff?
Humans have a deeply-rooted drive to compete with each other, and advertisers capitalize on this impulse. Take a moment to picture the average person that you meet. What do they have to take pride in? Buying the newest thing allows them to join the club of consumers, and for a fleeting moment to be measured on an equal playing field despite their personal shortcomings. The internal pain of their life’s problems dissipates for the split second they can boast superiority over everyone who doesn’t have the same shiny widget.
This conspicuous consumption creates a self-fulfilling ego-investment in the broken system. Although borrowing money for useless luxury purchases subjugates people into debt slavery, the mentality is “If I paid $30,000 for this hunk of metal and I’m working overtime to pay it off, it MUST be worth it — and so are other things that the commercials are telling me to buy.” Quite literally, we are working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.
If you’re reading this blog, you are likely a male aged 25-35 who wants to do one or more of the following: quit your job, travel, explore a location-independent income, get yourself in shape, take charge of a relationship, and learn valuable life skills. A minimalist mentality helps you do all of these things.
Having fewer possessions forces you to properly place a higher value on experiences. This will make it safer and more fulfilling to travel because you are in touch with what truly makes you happy. If you’re working on a side hustle or starting a business, the desire for needless possessions drains your disposable income levels and prevents you from taking risks. “If my business fails, will I have to give up my car lease?” Preempt this loss aversion by having less to lose.
If you want to move to a better city with a higher cost of living, having excess stuff sets a floor on how much rent you’ll pay to house your crap, and in turn how much you can spend on leisure activities. If you’re a distractable person like me, removing visual “noise” from your area makes you more likely to create things with your mind, and less likely to fixate on your environment.
Throwing or giving useless things away is a good first step, since possessions have a psychic weight that you may not realize until you rid yourself of them. To fully embrace this mindset, you must also kill the desires that have been inculcated in you since birth. Cut down on your “consumer impressions” by watching less TV and trying to rationally dissect the techniques used in the few advertisements you encounter. Find fulfillment in hobbies and work, rather than chasing the rush and eventual hedonic adaptation from consuming. Much like a drug, successive bouts of consumerism create a higher baseline where your overall happiness is no different, but you end up having a bunch of useless crap that ties you down.
Girls can also be troublesome in this endeavor. Ever notice that when a girl spends extended time in your living space, she beings to tell you that you “need” a new this, or a replacement that? A good friend once told me “All human beings have an innate desire to create — most women can’t, so they redecorate.” Limit your exposure to women who attempt to thwart a separation from consumerism. Ironically, men likely to lead a minimalist/nomadic lifestyle are simply more attractive to prime-SMV women. Think about whether the starving artist or the bottle service guy throwing money around ends up getting more ass. As always, watch how women behave rather than listening to what they say when they are protesting your lifestyle change.
Ask yourself this: If your house burned down and you had nothing but the clothes on your back, what would you be worth to society and to yourself? How would you feel about losing all of the possessions you own? Most people plugged into the matrix would rather die than think about replacing Aunt Gladys’s vase or baby pictures they haven’t looked at in a decade. This is an illusion. Once you begin to divorce yourself from this emotional investment to “stuff” you will implicitly place more value on your skills and past experiences.
Minimalism is not a synonym for frugality or cheapness. I don’t wear a potato sack while pedaling a used tricycle to work every day — I simply choose to allocate my money to experiences (and a few possessions) that will fulfill me and advance my life’s purpose, rather than enslave myself into debt for trinkets that will collect dust somewhere.
Taking the red pill is about learning to separate your priorities and desires from those that society forces upon you. I don’t promise that adopting this mindset will make everybody happy, but it will certainly help to clarify what contributes to your individual sense of self, and will allow you to focus on the internal and external traits that exemplify a man of value.
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Another great post!
And thus the Black Knight turned my White Knight becomes a Monty Python Knight with a call for social re-engineering of male thinking (minimalism) as a way to a better, joyful, and fulfilling life. Or somethin’ like that.
“Minimalism is not a synonym for frugality or cheapness.”
Tell that to Miss Texas!
“I don’t promise that adopting this mindset will make everybody happy…”
Duh!
Not much else to add here other than I’m off to re-read “8 Cars [the Monty Python Knight will] Never Be Able To Afford.
Great article. Per this paragraph:
“If you’re reading this blog, you are likely a male aged 25-35 who wants to do one or more of the following: quit your job, travel, explore a location-independent income, get yourself in shape, take charge of a relationship, and learn valuable life skills. A minimalist mentality helps you do all of these things.”
I’m 47 and look about 36 – best shape of my life and at the top of my career. A year ago we sold or gave away everything we owned and moved from L.A. to Spain. Now we’re renting a 17th century furnished luxury apartment for less than we paid in the States. All we own are our clothes, our laptops, and a few suitcases. We couldn’t be happier.
Less is more. Shit just slows you down. And you definitely can’t take it with you when it’s time to meet the grim reaper.
“shit just slows you down.”
Goddamn right
Good post. I’m looking at the possibility of moving and have started packing up a few things in anticipation. I’m shocked by the amount of junk I’ve accumulated. Why in world am I saving a VHS player? A case could be made for vinly records and turntable but a cassette deck? Junk.
It’s tough to get rid of this junk. I have a sleeping bag that I haven’t used in 4 years; should I throw it out? I wish my house would catch fire and make the decision for me…
Clutter drives you mad. I had a bad case of it from going to auctions and loading my 16-ft trailer full of valuable crap, which has taken me years to get rid of. Also has taken me years just to put all my stupid books collected over 3 decades into boxes to dump at the local library. Same for clothes you never wear.
And you are right about the psychic weight of possessions. Often you are hanging on to something and every time you deal with it you get a dose of the angst you had at that point in your life or the litany of personal failures it represents.
When you travel, be ruthlessly minimalist. Toothbrush, some reading material, change of clothes. Should take you a couple minutes, not the entire evening, to get ready for the next leg of your trip. Anyone who has traveled has observed or been guilty (me included) of packing for a lunar expedition. Hilarious to see tourists in SE Asia struggling with massive backpacks and belly bags for their two-week trip. Small, cheap suitcase with rollers is all you need.
How can I psychologically commit to getting rid of my comic book collection? They got me through a lonely adolescence, but that was the past. Just have to move on. Its not easy though. Hey, it must be worse for people with pets.
How’d you go? I’ve been getting rid of shit slowly since reading this, some things are harder to part from than others.
you list the profitable ones for sale at a flea market and you give away the others to kids or a library or even a school. accept change and growth and move on with life. i have. i had a huge collection too started at age 15 and now i am nearly 40 and own none of it. it was good while it lasted
Love the post. Starting this year I have looked to rid myself of anything that is purely extraneous and or a waste of space. I still have work to do, but once you have rid yourself of the junk you realised that you never really needed it. This is including
– Clothes that are too big for me/ I haven’t worn in awhile
– Paperwork and mail that are years old
– Pretty much any social network I was on.
great!!
“Ask yourself this: If your house burned down and you had nothing but the clothes on your back, what would you be worth to society and to yourself? How would you feel about losing all of the possessions you own? Most people plugged into the matrix would rather die than think about replacing Aunt Gladys’s vase or baby pictures they haven’t looked at in a decade. This is an illusion. Once you begin to divorce yourself from this emotional investment to “stuff” you will implicitly place more value on your skills and past experiences.”
Excellent. I have noticed too that there exists a connection between being married and having shit you don’t need. We are seeing a paradigm shift with respect to marriage. Getting hitched no longer serves mens interest anymore, therefore what to have in one’s house or apartment no longer applies to what “cupcake” thinks. Of course there will be chicks that will have a problem if you do not have the latest whatever-doohickey nonsensical junk, but you will find plenty of women who are not the consumerist junkies once you leave the Western World.
“Getting hitched no longer serves mens interest anymore, therefore what to have in one’s house or apartment no longer applies to what “cupcake” thinks.”
Excellent statement. I am really enamored with a certain woman right now, but she is a bit of a hoarder (of course, she doesnt see herself like that). Its a complete turn off and a deal breaker for me. I don’t want all her crap in my life. Can’t do it.
Minimalism is the new form of conspicuous consumption. Instead of a closet full of cheap clothes, you buy very expensive clothes that last. Instead of a home full of furnishings, you trade that money for travel and experience. Even if you eschew vacations and bespoke suits, you have to park your money someplace. So now it becomes a lifestyle independent job or a real estate investing and stock trading.
” Limit your exposure to women who attempt to thwart a separation from consumerism.”
You’ve not separated yourself from “consumerism” one bit as you yourself describe here;
“Minimalism is not a synonym for frugality or cheapness. I don’t wear a
potato sack while pedaling a used tricycle to work every day – I simply
choose to allocate my money to experiences (and a few possessions) that
will fulfill me and advance my life’s purpose, rather than enslave
myself into debt for trinkets that will collect dust somewhere.”
Coupe De Villain above is correct when she states, “Minimalism is the new form of conspicuous consumption…….. Even if you eschew vacations and bespoke suits, you have to park your
money someplace. So now it becomes a lifestyle independent job or a
real estate investing and stock trading.”
Genuine minimalism is living the life of a monk.
http://www.ranprieur.com
Hey Stuki, thanks for that link. I followed another link on that site and it took me to this interesting article;
http://theviewfromhell.blogspot.com/2013/02/single-income-no-kids-supernormal.html
I’m leaving for Bangkok in a couple weeks and I’ve just about paired down to where everything I own fits in one carry-on bag and a guitar case that I will bring with me.
I’m also a believer in investing in much fewer, but much higher quality possessions. There might still be some conspicuous consumption going on (I work on a Macbook Air), but every possession I have is now highly considered as it takes up space and weight in the one medium sized bag it must fit into.
I think the challenge is keeping possessions ultra minimal while still presenting myself as a man of class and style. There’s a lot of backpacker nerd types big into minimalism that get by with one pair of convertible REI hiking pants and some vibram five fingers, but those guys aren’t getting respected or laid anywhere they go. So I really have to think a lot of about every item of apparel and chose things that are sharp yet versatile.
I’m in Thailand right now. Bring 2 light button down shirts. Roll up the sleeves and wear with shorts. You will destroy the singlet wearing rejects that are your competition. All else is largely irrelevant.
Yes and no. I am pretty much a minimalist, but at some point you have to just work harder if you aren’t earning enough. I refuse to live in an RV or the same 3 shirts like some of these minimalist bloggers…
RVs rule, as long as they’re not stacked too close together.
I will also add…. minimize your erotic imagery collection, UNLESS, you’re making money off of it! 😛
dude, so with this. i’m getting rid of all my shit. which i really don’t need- $2500 leather sofa…..nope, gave it to my sister. all i’m keeping are my books and some clothes. got me some acreage and i’m parking a travel trailer on it. i’ve learned all the crap i have is completely unnecessary.
maybe a bit too extreme for some, but it’s perfect for me. it’ll be an extended camping/hunting trip.
Most people, especially in the west, definitely have too much crap. In the old days, when you “settled down and got married,” a cedar chest was a meaningful gift because it provided useful storage space for clothes in your otherwise bare tenement. Nowadays, most people have walk-in closets full of clothes, cabinets full of kitchen gadgets, a million useless knicknacks and souvenirs, electronics, gifts they don’t use, but won’t get rid of… the list goes on. For most people, it isn’t necessary to be able to fit all their worldly belongings in a small suitcase, but there is no need to have useless “stuff” either. I think an excellent rule of thumb is “if you haven’t touched it in a year, you don’t need it.” When I applied this rule with some rigor when I last moved, I ended up making a couple grand on Craigslist and ebay.
Damn, this is a great message. Adopting the mendicant philosopher’s lifestyle can have real, tangible benefits. Notice that the author is not saying you should be a vagabond, just remind us of the old axiom: the things you own end up owning you.
Excellent article. In the spirit of minimalism, will refrain from adding more.
Clever. It must be acknowledged.
Things rule.
What about cds throw em or keep em?
The very essence of minimalistic/scandinavian design is very soothing. I feel like I am in total control of my surroundings when I am in a minimalistically decorated environment.
My bachelor pad consists of old rustic floor, white walls and only the essentials like a futon bed/sofa, some stools (Artek, scandinavian quality and minimalism) that act as a table/chair/leg rest.
Only thing I am not willing to give up is my books, but I have made a promise to myself not to by more books than can fit in the bookshelf. When I buy or loan books I make sure I always get rid of the old ones so my bookself is quite “dynamic” 🙂
I had the same attitude with books. Then I got a kindle. I now have zero books and no book shelf. A kindle is great for minimalists…
Can we make an exception for books? That’s literally the only thing I collect. I do love reading…
Kindle is changing this.
How many books have you read more than one?
For myself, quite a few I’ve read over. Several as much as 5 times. But most? Just once, and then to Goodwill.
knowledge addiction is just like any other addiction. money sex drugs, alcohol, clutter. seeking these things is great and all but too much and one day you wake up, and realise you havent really created/done anything.
too much information leads to hesitation and mental masturbation instead of spurring self-creation
IMO, books are fine, just like everything else, provided they don’t encumber you excessively. I have an apartment with room to spare, so my ~1,000 volumes are perfectly fine, and when I move, I need a truck for the furniture anyhow, so why not keep them? If I were to permanently move out of the country, and couldn’t easily bring them, and didn’t have plans to establish a “home base” somewhere, then I’d keep the twenty or twenty five most worthwhile and sell/donate/pitch the rest. It’s a great luxury to have so many books, but luxuries are not necessities, and although I have read most of them, it would be stretching things to say that I read or look something up in each of them even once a year.
Great post. I haven’t done a ritual “stuff cleanse” in a while. This will prompt me to do it. At one point I could fit everything I owned in the back of my Ford Ranger. But between hiking/hunting gear and art supplies its hard to keep minimal.
Excellent post.
Good article. This is the direction the Manosphere needs to go in. Telling men to waste less money on useless crap is some of the best advice you can get anywhere.
I disagree. Slightly.
It is not possible to eliminate your desires.
On the other hand, desires can push you forward.
However, what is required is, and what needs to be practiced is: do not create either a craving or an aversion to either the desire, or the outcome of it.
That alone will give you peace.
“If you’re reading this blog, you are likely a male aged 25-35 who wants to do one or more of the following: quit your job, travel, explore a location-independent income, get yourself in shape, take charge of a relationship, and learn valuable life skills. A minimalist mentality helps you do all of these things.”
You forgot fucking. Lots of fucking!
“Ask yourself this: If your house burned down and you had nothing but the clothes on your back, what would you be worth to society and to yourself?”
My house did burn down, and left me with pretty much nothing. Personally, I never placed any value on most of my posessions anyway, so I wasn’t affected too badly. The only things that really survived were my guitar (at a friends place), and my cricket gear (I had it with me at the time), which were 2 of the only things I really cared about at that time in my life.
My value didn’t really change at all, except I became slightly more popular for a couple of weeks after, when people wanted to ask me what it was like losing all my shit.
It seems their curiosity is enough reason to believe that people DO want to get rid of their stuff, they know it is constricting them. Too bad your amp got burnt though, assuming you play electric.
Saving money is the best thing lol
Man, this is good.
God I love this blog
I have become a minimalist myself. Most of the stuff I own that I use on a daily basis other than my motorcycle can fit in my 33 liter backpack. It’s actually a pretty awesome way to live. I am able to be in freezing cold temperatures and be in hot temperatures I’m pretty much prepared for anything with my little backpack.
I had a 5000 cd collection not so long ago, that filled up many boxes and nearly a room! I decided one day to start download or ripping the cds onto a hard drive. Took me over 8 months to do it all. Now i have my CD collection all on a 2 gig hard drive that fits in the palm of my hand! Now thats being a minimalist!
I’m a sort of a minimalist and my friends think I’m poor, lol. They think that I don’t make much money off my job and that because I choose not to fill my apartment with gigantic TV’s in every room, fill the rooms up with loads of furniture, knick-knacks and other crap, have two or even three cars, buy a new computer every 6 months, that my bank account must be empty as a bucket with a hole in it. No, I just save my money. I have never needed to apply for a loan and if I really -do- want something, I can pay for it in cash and not run to the bank to get expensive loans.
George Carlin – A Place for my stuff
Another good watch: TEDx Adam Baker – Sell your crap
Funny. When I moved to the States and saw people in the suburbs having nice stuff, I thought, man this is an awesome country, people must do really well and are happy. Later on I realized that that was possible thanks to credit, even more since the Great Recession of 08.