View Full Version : Simple living - what's your incentive?
I am interested to hear what your incentives are as it might also help me stay on track.
mine are:
Clearer mind, I hate clutter.
less anxiety - I don't seem to worry about future financial situations as much.
the money I save can be put towards holidays, I do like to travel.
healthier diet, I feel and look healthier since I started home growing produce.
Not having to work so hard,more time spent at home, I would hate to join the rat race again.
much more content, less stressed, more relaxed.
i am still very much a beginner but already reaping the rewards, thank you for reading my post.
david
awakenedsoul
8-28-14, 11:19am
Hi David,
I like your incentives. Mine are:
To stay healthy and fit. I like having time to swim, bike, or do yoga each day.
To live on half. When the economy tanked, Suze Orman advised people to "live on half." That really resonated with me. I was able to slash my expenses, and found money by cancelling cable, growing fruits and veggies, and giving up the car.
To have plenty of savings. I used to live paycheck to paycheck. When the car broke down, or an appliance failed, I would panic. Now I have a year's living expenses in my emergency fund. It's a huge relief.
To do things myself. when possible. Trimming the trees, caring for the garden, cleaning the house, and walking the dogs takes time. By living simply, I can do these things myself, and save money. I also cook and bake from scratch, which is much less expensive than buying prepared food.
Going green. Riding my bike, using public transportation, and recycling all feel "right" to me. When I'm on a bus full of people, I get the sense of "We're all in this together." There are so many cars on the freeways here with just one person in them. We could have a lot less congestion if more people rode together. The subways are efficient, and the people are friendly. I like supporting that system and way of life.
Being around like minded people. I enjoy talking with those who have similar values and interests. Life is much less stressful when you are debt free and don't have expensive "wants".
Hi David,
I like your incentives. Mine are:
To stay healthy and fit. I like having time to swim, bike, or do yoga each day.
To live on half. When the economy tanked, Suze Orman advised people to "live on half." That really resonated with me. I was able to slash my expenses, and found money by cancelling cable, growing fruits and veggies, and giving up the car.
To have plenty of savings. I used to live paycheck to paycheck. When the car broke down, or an appliance failed, I would panic. Now I have a year's living expenses in my emergency fund. It's a huge relief.
To do things myself. when possible. Trimming the trees, caring for the garden, cleaning the house, and walking the dogs takes time. By living simply, I can do these things myself, and save money. I also cook and bake from scratch, which is much less expensive than buying prepared food.
Going green. Riding my bike, using public transportation, and recycling all feel "right" to me. When I'm on a bus full of people, I get the sense of "We're all in this together." There are so many cars on the freeways here with just one person in them. We could have a lot less congestion if more people rode together. The subways are efficient, and the people are friendly. I like supporting that system and way of life.
Being around like minded people. I enjoy talking with those who have similar values and interests. Life is much less stressful when you are debt free and don't have expensive "wants".
Thanks for the reply - that is really inspirational, I am going to borrow a couple of your incentives, definitely the fitness one and the cycling and transportation one. In fact all of them eventually!
David
catherine
8-28-14, 11:59am
My incentive is to live the way that makes sense for human beings to live; that is to say, close to the way nature does things. In spite of the fact that my family history is nothing but a bunch of uptight, high-achieving, strong Puritan work-ethic, Victorian-valued, WASPs (well, some Catholics in there too), my own worldview has shifted, and I feel we have gone so far in the wrong direction and that a lot of back-pedaling is in order if we are to save ourselves on an individual level, and also on a societal level.
For instance:
Food: Eating stuff consistent with one's bioregion makes the most sense, and as local as possible.
Health: Working outside and doing your own manual labor is better than spending money to join a gym. Environmental toxins are killing us
Spirituality: We're all nature-deprived and anxious and depressed as a result. We've lost touch with the mystical and our ability for awe and reverence is just blinded by our reliance on the material world and science
Economics: We are living for the dollar--going back to making money simple a "means of exchange" rather than a tool for power and exploitation would get us back in the right direction
Symbiotic relationships: We have thrown the ecological balance of things way off whack! And we have also diminished the symbiotic nature of true community as well.
Those are some of my incentives, but that's just a start.
My incentive - simple living gives me a sense of direction and informed decision-making which results in peace of mind.
SteveinMN
8-28-14, 12:39pm
David, like you, I left a high-stress job. I simply burned out on it -- the few hours of enjoyable work each week did not make up for the hours of misdirection and bureaucracy. And the goods and experiences my income brought increasingly seemed like less of a compensation. I'm lucky -- my wife was (is) fully in favor of the change and she makes a decent salary. So I was able to quit and we both live more simply now.
Maybe the biggest incentive for us is that it puts more of life in focus. The drop in our income forced us to first track and then examine our spending and gave us the opportunity to align that spending with what we said were our priorities in life. It's not like we had to become ascetics. We enjoy time and events with family and friends; we go on the occasional vacation; we support the causes that interest us with money and time. We're certainly healthier for the lower stress. And we do live greener since we're not maintaining or storing or even buying that much stuff. It's just a way of life that really works for us. Almost no downside at all!
To me it is really a simple equation. The less stuff I have the less money I have to earn doing things that I really don't enjoy. I too have an extremely stressful job.
Maybe the biggest incentive for us is that it puts more of life in focus.
+1
My incentives? Living life on MY terms! Because I don't really buy into the American consumerist culture, I am free to do what I like and want to do, which is honor myself as an artist and to be able to travel. I have been able to achieve some of this as of late, now that my daughter has grown up and I just have myself to fend for. Even though I am a worker~bee for Wholefoods, I have been able to live my life the way I have been dreaming about for years ~ I have been taking a yearly summer out-west camping/road trip. I can do awesome stuff like that because of my frugal ways. I find creative ways to earn extra money; I am drawing more and more income from my jewelry business, I have a house mate, and I occasionally sell my blood plasma for stretches at a time for an extra boost to my income. Even though I work hard physically, I don't really stress out about my job, though it is easy to get caught up in the departmental interpersonal drama. I live my life outside of work anyway; it's just a way to earn a living. And I hate having unnecessary stuff cluttering up my home and my mind.
When I first became intested in the topic 20 years ago, it was mostly about finances and time balance. Now my motivation seems to be seeking peace of mind as everyday life at least here in the big city feels very stressful. I don't have any desire to overindulge in activities or "get ahead" at work anymore. I would just like to retire and appreciate the natural world before it disappears as we have known it.
awakenedsoul
8-28-14, 10:47pm
Thanks for the reply - that is really inspirational, I am going to borrow a couple of your incentives, definitely the fitness one and the cycling and transportation one. In fact all of them eventually!
David
That's wonderful. Thanks David. I realized a few more incentives. I like being able to study things that interest me. I think it's really healthy to develop your inner talents. For me, that means taking an on line course in sight singing, and going to a first class vocal coach in Hollywood. I need that sort of artistic outlet.
I also enjoy rescuing abused animals. Having a small house with a large yard has enabled me to adopt dogs, a pot bellied pig, and chickens. I couldn't do this when I lived in a apt.
Spiritual practice is something else that I value. Living this way gives me the time to do yoga each evening. I feel much calmer and more peaceful when I meditate and do my spiritual work...
I like SiouzQ incentive -- doing it on my terms and not working for weasels in the rat race. Life is much more satisfying in a simpler form without all the consumerism demands to keep up with those who can't the lifestyles they've built.
flowerseverywhere
8-29-14, 1:25pm
We lived way below our means during our working years so we were used to spending little. Consciously living simply enables us to live life on our terms. I wear what I want, eat what I want when I want to, sleep when and for as long or short as I want.
While that sounds selfish, it is in fact the opposite. I am able to feel relaxed and do my artwork, most of which I give away or sell for charity. I cook extensively a mainly plant based diet, and support our local farmers as much as I can. I don't pollute the air, or add lots of trash destined for the landfill. I have created extensive flower gardens full of butterflies and hummingbirds people tell me they purposely walk or drive by my house to see what is blooming. If our last remaining parent needs something, or help is needed with the grandkids, I can go at almost an instants notice.
I also can can devote as much time as I want to my charitable work. That fills my spiritual needs. I work with a group that raises money for scholarships for high schoolers, money for books and computers for the school library, and a third that helps with big art purchases for the high school, like wheels and a kiln.
I also volunteer at the local library.
My my life is better than I ever imagined it could be because we are not chained to desks to buy junk, eat crappy food, drive cars, buy more clothes etc.
My incentive for simple living is that I enjoy living this way! I get a lot of pleasure from taking abandoned objects and rescuing them, bringing them back to life, and using them in the world again. For example, I don't mind paying a good local seamstress or cobbler to resurrect a good wool coat or a quality handbag, instead of it just going onto the landfill. Likewise, I don't mind taking certain cheap, modern, second-hand clothes and investing in strengthening them so they can last for a long time, instead of just falling apart right away. I like having a story about everything I have, and knowing why I bought it and why I still have it. (This took a LONG time to develop, as I used to just shop indiscriminately and with no thought or care about finances, the environment, simplicity, clutter, life energy, or anything at all, for that matter!)
Living more simply just gives me more pleasure, satisfaction, and mental freedom than living with clutter, debt, waste, and no financial security. It also means we can "afford" to work less, which is a HUGE incentive for me--I really cannot handle full time work, so for health reasons I need to have a lifestyle that is easy to maintain on part-time or 3/4 time work, max.
Oh yes, and the food tastes a lot better when we cook at home! :)
flowerseverywhere, I love your lifestyle. I love the way you explain that looking after your own needs frees you to serve your family and community. Brilliant.
I really like mastering hard, long-term goals, and simple living is that for me, one that fits my values. I learn all the time from doing it.
Gardenarian
9-8-14, 10:40am
Well, I want to save the world, so that's a pretty big incentive.
Freedom. How I went for so many years without realizing that I always have a choice in this life (even of the choices are not always the best) is a mystery to me but the incentive of freedom in a simpler life is my main motivation.
I really like mastering hard, long-term goals ....
Interesting, larknm. I'm watching some of my co-workers teach their middle school and high school children this same lesson. One of them actually forbids the word "can't" in his house when they're trying to do their homework.
Not everything comes quickly and easily, nor should it.
I think my simple living incentives can be divided into two basic groups. One is personal and one is more global.
There are people I know who have jobs that are both personally and socially redeeming. Doctors, environmentalists, farmers (especially organic), and so on. Some people in those jobs, who can tolerate or ignore the bureaucracy, seem to have no incentive to escape the typical work environment and sketchy retirement plans. Most of us, including me, end up working for The Man. I believe there is an intrinsic value to work, but have found through simple living and good money management I can work basically for myself and can divide my time between personal enrichment and health lifestyle, more time with friends and family, and volunteer work that is more globally or socially rewarding.
My second incentive for simple living is more environmental. I believe consumption, especially for us in the tradition western life style, is intrinsically related to habitat loss, climate change, toxic pollution, and an ever diminishing loss of connection to the natural world. I know that my little efforts are not going to save the world, but feel like setting an example of how a person can live frugally and have a rewarding life might just nudge things along. Plus, it just seems like the right thing to do.
I have spent an inordinate amount of time "in my head", thinking about my life path. What I finally realized is that the person I'm trying to be is sixty years old and six, at the same time. The "sixty" part is about becoming both wiser and gentler.
The "six" part ... I look back on my early childhood with wonder. My "personals" consisted of a toothbrush. I shared toothpaste and a comb with my mother, shampoo and soap with my father. Thus ends the list of Personal Products. Amazingly, I liked myself just fine and never gave my appearance a thought, with nothing but a toothbrush. My other possessions were equally streamlined. My day consisted of a series of interesting activities that brought me satisfaction and new knowledge, I didn't really distinguish (school)work and play, all of it was just "my life". I remember feeling extremely competent and connected to myself and my life, and I don't remember having any of the mental burdens I seem to have acquired along the way.
I don't mind the complexity and responsibility of being an adult, but I long for that sense of ... simple sturdiness. I also believe that living as if I were six, in a manner of speaking, is a much less environmentally impactive life. It's an inside-out focus, in other words not-consuming is a way I once was that made me happy and so I do it now, but the outcome is the same as a focus that deals with limits for the benefit of the environment: less consumption.
I don't know if this would be incentive, strictly speaking, but I am now doing my best to operate with the open, positive attitude and determination I had when I was six, and to think about that before I act. "When I was six I had a toothbrush, and I was happy. Will a 25 piece "beauty kit" from Clinique actually improve my life now?"
ToomuchStuff
10-19-14, 10:05pm
kib, your post made me chuckle. I saw some friends today with a new kid and the kid was in some kind of a seat thing that rocked. Made me think about being old and young at the same time; rocking, lack of teeth and hair, grouchy and not making a lot of sense to people.:laff:
Tussiemussies
10-20-14, 12:56am
I never lived simple in my twenties or early thirties but became disabled and could not work so I started implementing simple living in every way that I could even though my husband makes a very great salary living in first central NJ and now northwest NJ the money goes fast. Especially for the five drugs I am on. I love being simple, we have moved . Into a new home two years and have not yet put our raised garden in and our clothes line either. I am excited about both and hope it will be this coming summer. I also enjoy doing all that I can to support. Our environment.
Please excuse the grammar and punctuation. My Kindle changes . Things on me....
I have spent an inordinate amount of time "in my head", thinking about my life path. What I finally realized is that the person I'm trying to be is sixty years old and six, at the same time. The "sixty" part is about becoming both wiser and gentler.
The "six" part ... I look back on my early childhood with wonder. My "personals" consisted of a toothbrush. I shared toothpaste and a comb with my mother, shampoo and soap with my father. Thus ends the list of Personal Products. Amazingly, I liked myself just fine and never gave my appearance a thought, with nothing but a toothbrush. My other possessions were equally streamlined. My day consisted of a series of interesting activities that brought me satisfaction and new knowledge, I didn't really distinguish (school)work and play, all of it was just "my life". I remember feeling extremely competent and connected to myself and my life, and I don't remember having any of the mental burdens I seem to have acquired along the way.
I don't mind the complexity and responsibility of being an adult, but I long for that sense of ... simple sturdiness. I also believe that living as if I were six, in a manner of speaking, is a much less environmentally impactive life. It's an inside-out focus, in other words not-consuming is a way I once was that made me happy and so I do it now, but the outcome is the same as a focus that deals with limits for the benefit of the environment: less consumption.
I don't know if this would be incentive, strictly speaking, but I am now doing my best to operate with the open, positive attitude and determination I had when I was six, and to think about that before I act. "When I was six I had a toothbrush, and I was happy. Will a 25 piece "beauty kit" from Clinique actually improve my life now?"Hey KIB, chuck the 25 piece beauty kit (or save it for special "adult dress up" occasions), and join me on The Dark Side where I spend most of my time channeling my inner 12 year old boy. Throw on some clothes (and no need for fashionable stuff) and go out and play without a care in the world for what other's think of you or what you look like or what you do. Play in the dirt (it washes off) eat a few bug (OK don't really), and forget about what society tells you that you need to be happy. Society is wrong generally - so is Clinque :-)!
I never lived simple in my twenties or early thirties but became disabled and could not work so I started implementing simple living in every way that I could even though my husband makes a very great salary living in first central NJ and now northwest NJ the money goes fast. Especially for the five drugs I am on. I love being simple, we have moved . Into a new home two years and have not yet put our raised garden in and our clothes line either. I am excited about both and hope it will be this coming summer. I also enjoy doing all that I can to support. Our environment.
Please excuse the grammar and punctuation. My Kindle changes . Things on me....
AH! That explains your post about acclimating to winter temperatures. :D
Living simply for most of my life has meant an early retirement and freedom for me! And most importantly - no debt, no stress, and lots of time to spend with family, pets, gardening, cooking, and volunteering in animal rescue! :)
Thank you all for responding with such inspirational comments. I am finding with simple living I suffer with much less anxiety by not worrying about future finances so much. By being more self sufficient I feel I am more in control of my life and surroundings. I am much more content and satisfied with my life and "my lot". I now look forward to every day, I remember not too long ago I used to dread waking up in the mornings.
Thank you for helping me along on this very interesting journey!
I am happier with things simplified. I don't like clutter but I do like things that are well-made and last for a long time. I don't like crowds and am very happy with small groups of family or friends. Because of our simple living we have a paid for house on 4 acres. We have a solid retirement account. I have been frugal for so long that it is just part of who I am. I don't worry about money or what other people think. What's not to like about that?? LOL!!
Hey KIB, chuck the 25 piece beauty kit (or save it for special "adult dress up" occasions), and join me on The Dark Side where I spend most of my time channeling my inner 12 year old boy. Throw on some clothes (and no need for fashionable stuff) and go out and play without a care in the world for what other's think of you or what you look like or what you do. Play in the dirt (it washes off) eat a few bug (OK don't really), and forget about what society tells you that you need to be happy. Society is wrong generally - so is Clinque :-)!
I can highly recommend having friends who are crazy enough to go to a playground (at night, so we don't scare the kids away). (Okay, once someone threatened to call the police because people in their mid-twenties sitting on swings laughing their asses off obviously MUST have a drug problem.)
@Topic:
I started simplifying because our home is small (40 square meters/430 square feet for two persons). This makes it look cluttered very fast.
My desk is in the bedroom, so I see it when I wake up, and wouldn't want to see clutter.
Our kitchen is one part of the living room, so when I don't wash the dishes after eating, they'll sit there and I see them all the time.
I literally have no place to pile up things and not see them all the time. This forces me to keep things clean, and that's easier when there aren't so many things.
seedycharacter
12-30-14, 4:54pm
David, Thank you for posing this question. I'm newly returned to SL forums and I enjoyed reading all of the responses to your query.
I grew up with two parents who lived frugally out of necessity and because they'd survived the Great Depression in poverty and were forced to conserve, re-use, and stretch the proverbial and literal dollar. They had acquired many skills for living simply and they passed both the consciousness and skills on to me. I am forever grateful for that. I have always been a "cheap date" in that my biggest pleasure is sitting with a friend over a cup of tea, having a good conversation . . . or watching birds hunt for bugs in my backyard or . . .
The saying "Live simply, so others may simply live." is an ongoing motivator to me. I have a Ugandan friend who visits me every couple of years and I'm reminded of how luxurious my relatively modest (according to American standards) life is (by Ugandan standards).
Still, simple living is a process . . . I have a long ways to go on that path. I enjoy my things even though I acquire most of them second-hand and they are mostly books, LPs, clothes and basic furnishings and decorations. I love shopping at my local thrift store on its half-off day and buying stuff I don't really need just because it's such an incredible bargain. That's my "cheap thrills" form of consumerism. I justify it by telling myself that I pass on most of the objects and that the thrift store supports a food pantry . . .
Lastly, I also love the challenge of making my tube of toothpaste last a few days longer, my funds last through the month with some left to save or donate, my hybrid get higher MPG, etc. What was an imperative for my grandparents and parents has become fun for me. And does have me leave a slightly smaller footprint on the planet.
Good luck in your simple living journey!
Thanks OP for his initial question. I hope I can bring something new in to the discussion.
For me, simple living means less choices, more freedom and a clearer mind.
Let me give you an example. Mark Zuckerberg - as controversial his personality and Facebook is - made a great statement why he is wearing the same grey t-shirt every day:
"I really want to clear my life so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.
"I'm in this really lucky position where I get to wake up every day and help serve more than 1bn people, and I feel like I'm not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life, so that way I can dedicate all of my energy towards just building the best products and services." - Source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/11217273/Facebooks-Mark-Zuckerberg-Why-I-wear-the-same-T-shirt-every-day.html)
I think if you have so many possibilities in front of you, the opportunity costs are so high that you feel stuck in a gridlock where you just can't get out of. This makes you unhappy, this makes you think about unnecessary decisions, you will loose a lot of time, and so on.
I think Zuckerberg's t-shirt - as trivial as it may sound - can be used as a metaphor, used in different aspects of live.
Therefore, reducing the amount of time I use for decisions which are unnecessary, have high opportunity costs and don't help me to become a happier person are the incentives for keeping the simple live.
Teacher Terry
1-16-15, 3:04pm
I noticed that since retiring I rarely wear makeup anymore when I always wore it. One of my favorite daily activities is a long walk with the dogs. Have recently discovered a place right in town that takes you up a steep hill for an amazing view & a place you can let the dogs run free. It is great exercise for everyone & I run into like minded people but not too crowded.
seedycharacter
1-19-15, 11:30pm
p00c: I like your statement: "For me, simple living means less choices, more freedom and a clearer mind." This is pretty much true for me, too. An additional motivator for me is "Live simply so others may simply live."
This reminds me of my Ugandan friend who said, after just arriving in the U.S. and spending several minutes struggling to order a meal (drink:6 types of tea, appetizer: a dozen to choose from, main dish: 6 kinds of meat cooked various ways, sides: half a dozen) . . . "Oh, America" shaking his head wearily "Too many choices."
"Oh, America" shaking his head wearily "Too many choices."
For this and what I have mentionend in my post, I have a fantastic TEDtalk for you (maybe you haven't seen it): Psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about the paradox of choice and says that more choice means less freedom and less happiness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6XEQIsCoM
At the end I'd still say that choice is an integral part of Western culture and the key to our wealth and even happiness but I think when we use our intelligence to distinguish what is important and what is not then more choice does not consequentially lead to paralyzation.
seedycharacter
1-25-15, 10:44pm
p00c: Thanks for sharing that TED Talk. I don't want to waste time making choices about the little things--I do get seduced by all them. I tend to not get paralyzed so much as distracted. I can spend an entire morning organizing my too-many objects.
Interesting thread. My incentives are not to different from others. I am tired of being a wage slave. I've wasted enough of my life and money buying stuff. I am a little rebellious and contrary, and society telling me more and bigger is better make me want the opposite. I want more time to read and paint. I want to save money for retirement. I am tired of being anxious and running around all the time. Consumerism has only given me a fleeting pleasure, and I am tired of chasing that feeling. The pleasure I get from simplicity is longer lasting.
I am obviously late to the game but for me, simple living facilitates happiness in a way like nothing else has. This has been a sustained feeling since the beginning (two years ago, or so). While I still have funks and blue moods my general feeling each day is happier for having simplified. This is obviously a major motivating factor to further simplify and minimize.
My simpler living was a result of penny pinching due to the debt I accumulated. Something I had to learn since my parents never taught me personal finance. Then came the stuff of having kids. Holding on to things I may use someday. Clutter almost killed me she I was cleaning out an overstuffed closet and the picture frame fell apart causing the glass to miss my crawling baby and slice my knee open resulting in stitches. Streamlining minimalism is next as even thought I decluttered I'm inefficient and still disorganized. Need to create an effective system of cleaning,budgeting etc. But life is better and I feel less attached to stuff.
Great topic! Simple living was a result of uneducated, bad financial decisions, first led to cutting down on debt and eliminating it. Then it affected my lifestyle, too much clutter for my sake , family of 4 living on one income and trying to stay afloat. Then I really started grasping YMOYL and time and effort spent tobuy stuff we later toss. So I embrace simplicity becuase of less work and time wasted with stuff. Now Im slanting towards minimalism so I can streamline my home and have more time for self and family. Now we have a baby in the mix which came with the baby shower and stuff but Im minimalising this and its become a joy to be with our baby not a burden going through all the stuff.Now I have more joy and peace.
Teacher Terry
11-27-15, 7:41pm
You can end up with a lot of crap when you have a baby that people think you need. Having moved alot forced me to downsize before moving. NOw I realize that having less makes me more comfortable which was not true in the past. Also easier to clean. However, I am not a minimalist. I do like to have some decorative items. I also have a lot less clothes then the average person & like having room in my closet. My hubby however is another matter so if I die before him his kids will be stuck cleaning out a huge shed, his office, garage & very small dirt basement. Actually the shed is only about a fourth full when a little fairy cleaned it when he was working out of town last summer:cool:
JaneV2.0
11-27-15, 10:14pm
I've never really understood Gandhi's "Live simply, so that others may simply live." It sounds noble and all, but it reminds me (I know I'm repeating myself) of "Eat your broccoli--there are starving children overseas." I really have to stretch to imagine why my living in !000 sq. feet instead of 350, for example is harming a child in Haiti. (I did eat my broccoli today, btw. I hope that helps someone. :D )
Ultralight
11-27-15, 10:24pm
I've never really understood Gandhi's "Live simply, so that others may simply live." It sounds noble and all, but it reminds me (I know I'm repeating myself) of "Eat your broccoli--there are starving children overseas." I really have to stretch to imagine why my living in !000 sq. feet instead of 350, for example is harming a child in Haiti. (I did eat my broccoli today, btw. I hope that helps someone. :D )
I think you are comparing two different things.
Imagine a room with 20 people in it. You have a large pizza with 40 slices and it takes two slices to make a meal. If you eat three slices, then someone else is only going to get one slice and therefore not have enough to be full. So in this context, living simply would be only eating the two slices you need.
When mothers tell their kids: "Eat your broccoli--there are starving children overseas." They are probably more likely saying: "Be grateful you have food because but for other life circumstances you could be starving like kids in Africa."
See the difference now?
Our planet is finite.
But to be quite honest, I still don't expect you to be compelled by the distinction I described or the idea of living simply so others may simply live.
JaneV2.0
11-27-15, 11:22pm
I wouldn't eat more than my share of pizza; in fact, I generally avoid grains. So where do I send my two slices? From what I've read, international food aid is notorious for going missing or being held up indefinitely. Wars and local power struggles contribute to the problem. Health regulations make it unlikely that I could donate it locally. I guess I could take to the streets and try to find someone hungry...
It's a nice aphorism, but its practicality escapes me.
Ultralight
11-28-15, 9:31am
I wouldn't eat more than my share of pizza; in fact, I generally avoid grains. So where do I send my two slices? From what I've read, international food aid is notorious for going missing or being held up indefinitely. Wars and local power struggles contribute to the problem. Health regulations make it unlikely that I could donate it locally. I guess I could take to the streets and try to find someone hungry...
It's a nice aphorism, but its practicality escapes me.
That is how I would have predicted you would respond.
JaneV2.0
11-28-15, 11:20am
Very helpful, Ultralite.
So I stand by my original assessment of Gandhi's philosophy. Which is, ironically--simplistic.
Taking just one example, food: we produce more than enough for everybody, but we waste nearly half of it. If we can manage to salvage it all (and compost the unsalvageable), and distribute it (there's the rub) we can make sure everyone has access to nutritious food. If we attack the problem by buying less, soon less will be produced, and there will be no excess to distribute. I'm not sure that's helpful.
At any rate, need is a complex problem, not easily summed up by aphorisms, however pithy.
ApatheticNoMore
11-28-15, 12:05pm
I would imagine Ghandi's quote may have had to do with the actual situation in India etc.. and what he was trying to achieve (Indian self-sufficiency - why relying on the spinning wheel instead of industrial cloth production etc.. - to achieve this independence from colonial powers etc. is my understanding). But then I don't really know the context of the quote, when or why he said it, and I don't know if it even worked there. Not all things were supposed to be purely rational, the fasting for instance was political of course, but it was also religious to him.
Taking just one example, food: we produce more than enough for everybody, but we waste nearly half of it. If we can manage to salvage it all (and compost the unsalvageable), and distribute it (there's the rub) we can make sure everyone has access to nutritious food. If we attack the problem by buying less, soon less will be produced, and there will be no excess to distribute. I'm not sure that's helpful.
I'm not even sure less will be produced by demanding less, given farm subsidies and so on, depends on how the farm subsidies operate. But if people wasted less food, given industrial food production which is most of it, is incredibly damaging to the environment etc., if less food was therefore produced, it would be a good thing.
JaneV2.0
11-28-15, 12:15pm
Context may be the problem. Eradicating injustice in the world will always be a pipe dream, though a worthy one. Thanks for the thoughtful answer.
At any rate, need is a complex problem, not easily summed up by aphorisms, however pithy.
Pithy aphorisms are handy at reinforcing one's sense of superiority though, and require far less effort and engagement. That's the whole point of thought-terminating clichés.
Ultralight
11-28-15, 4:12pm
Very helpful, Ultralite.
So I stand by my original assessment of Gandhi's philosophy. Which is, ironically--simplistic.
Taking just one example, food: we produce more than enough for everybody, but we waste nearly half of it. If we can manage to salvage it all (and compost the unsalvageable), and distribute it (there's the rub) we can make sure everyone has access to nutritious food. If we attack the problem by buying less, soon less will be produced, and there will be no excess to distribute. I'm not sure that's helpful.
At any rate, need is a complex problem, not easily summed up by aphorisms, however pithy.
I feel like I am talking into quicksand. But I will continue for the heck of it.
Of course Gandhi's statement is simplistic. It is one dang sentence. You can explain a lot more and get into more detail in a dissertation than a limerick. You ought to know this.
If we have "excess" and people are not getting enough, then we don't have excess. Go back to the room full of people with the pizza. If you hoard 10 slices you cannot call it "excess."
Try to think of this aphorism -- and perhaps all others -- not as an end in itself. Think of them a seed to be planted in your mind. You can cultivate it, examine it, expand on it, and so forth. Or you can conjure up some misanthropy (or whatever defense mechanism you choose) and dismiss it through rationalizations or some such. It is up to you. I can't do your thinkin' for ya! ;)
Ultralight
11-28-15, 4:12pm
Pithy aphorisms are handy at reinforcing one's sense of superiority though, and require far less effort and engagement. That's the whole point of thought-terminating clichés.
Give me some examples of this.
Ultralight
11-28-15, 4:40pm
I was thinking, why not reconfigure "Live simply so others may simply live?"
Let's try a few...
"Consume more than your share so that others may consume more than their share."
"Live a complicated life so others' lives may also be complicated."
"Live extravagantly so that others may extravagantly live."
Give me some examples of this.
"Eat right. Exercise daily. Die anyway."
"Those who say it cannot be done shouldn't interrupt those proving them right."
"Live like there's no tomorrow, you'll eventually be right."
"Luck only lasts a lifetime if you die young."
"Force is the product of mass and acceleration. This is mainly relevant if you don't get out of the way."
"The awesome beauty of nature varies with your position on the food chain."
"You are unigue and special. Exactly like all the other snowflakes."
"The journey of a thousand miles often ends very badly."
"Nothing is too hard for the person who doesn't have to do it."
"Accountants get the last laugh on visionaries."
happystuff
12-30-15, 5:51pm
Responding to the OP: My foray into simple living began out of necessity - no money - and unfortunately continues for the same reason. However, one of my many perspectives on simple living has grown to include one of gratitude, as I continue to learn what I actually need versus what I actually want. I've learned that the wants dissolve quickly and the needs really do tend to come easier due to the simple living lifestyle.
I'm also now striving for a more minimalist lifestyle but will readily admit that this started because of close family deaths that left me having to deal with "stuff". It was (and continues!) to be hard to deal with and I want to reduce how much stuff my children/family will have to deal with when I die. An end result is that I really do enjoy living with "less" as I'm much more aware of what I actually have!
Ultralight
12-30-15, 9:29pm
I'm also now striving for a more minimalist lifestyle but will readily admit that this started because of close family deaths that left me having to deal with "stuff". It was (and continues!) to be hard to deal with and I want to reduce how much stuff my children/family will have to deal with when I die. An end result is that I really do enjoy living with "less" as I'm much more aware of what I actually have!
Feel free to explain more.
happystuff
12-31-15, 8:13am
Feel free to explain more.
One of my children died. It's amazing how much "stuff" even a young person can accumulate. I had the task of having to "deal" with it all. My father also passed about 2 years ago. His wife packed up about a dozen large boxes of his stuff for us children to go through and, again, "deal" with. (most is actually being donated) My mother is also aging, however, there has been family dialog about "who gets what" and so on. I am actually supposed to receive 1 thing and everyone in the family is aware of it (written down to avoid any possible issues - LOL). Like my mother, I am reducing my stuff down to what I actually like and use. Things family members want... I usually hand over the minute they express an appreciation. I like seeing people enjoy things I can give them so why wait until I am dead!
Hope that explanation isn't too confusing. :)
Ultralight
12-31-15, 9:09am
One of my children died. It's amazing how much "stuff" even a young person can accumulate. I had the task of having to "deal" with it all. My father also passed about 2 years ago. His wife packed up about a dozen large boxes of his stuff for us children to go through and, again, "deal" with. (most is actually being donated) My mother is also aging, however, there has been family dialog about "who gets what" and so on. I am actually supposed to receive 1 thing and everyone in the family is aware of it (written down to avoid any possible issues - LOL). Like my mother, I am reducing my stuff down to what I actually like and use. Things family members want... I usually hand over the minute they express an appreciation. I like seeing people enjoy things I can give them so why wait until I am dead!
Hope that explanation isn't too confusing. :)
I appreciate the details and insights. I am sorry for you losses.
All in all, you seem to have a pretty darned good outlook regarding "stuff."
Williamsmith
1-1-16, 4:26am
Until I read the reply by happy stuff, I hadn't thought much about "why" I try to live simply. Some of it is inherited from my mother. We were always pretty minimal with things. The house was decorated sparsely, I think a religious choice not to value things. But my wife's side of the family was very close knit.
Then we had a tragic accidental death of my fourteen year old nephew and that changed the dynamic. The grief was overwhelming and I stored a lot of his possessions in my attic just because brother and sister in law couldn't deal with them in their house but couldn't get rid of them either.
Little by little they asked for things back or they asked me to get rid of them so they wouldn't have to stir up old feelings. I did these things and because I was so close to him and actually involved with the details of investigating his death and caring for his remains afterward......I suffered my own grief which I carry as a sacrificial burden to this day.
There were a few times when I visited homes where young children had died and their rooms were shrines. All their things still where they left them on the day they passed. Sometimes many years had gone by and none could deal with discarding the things.
So in a way, I make efforts to minimize the burden my things might have on my loved ones by getting rid of the ones that really don't matter to me but that take up energy in my life.
Then we had a tragic accidental death of my fourteen year old nephew and that changed the dynamic. The grief was overwhelming and I stored a lot of his possessions in my attic just because brother and sister in law couldn't deal with them in their house but couldn't get rid of them either.
Little by little they asked for things back or they asked me to get rid of them so they wouldn't have to stir up old feelings. I did these things and because I was so close to him and actually involved with the details of investigating his death and caring for his remains afterward......I suffered my own grief which I carry as a sacrificial burden to this day.
There were a few times when I visited homes where young children had died and their rooms were shrines. All their things still where they left them on the day they passed. Sometimes many years had gone by and none could deal with discarding the things.
So in a way, I make efforts to minimize the burden my things might have on my loved ones by getting rid of the ones that really don't matter to me but that take up energy in my life.
This is profound.
rodeosweetheart
1-1-16, 10:43am
My incentive is peace of mind, and a peaceful life.
Simple living a result of bad decisions. To stay out of trouble I am continuing onto minimalist living that includes tapering down stuff, projects and closing certain chapters of my life for sake of having the least amount of drama/stress. I am shifting from having / consuming to doing/ creating /outputting. I feel so rich now, abundant since I got rid of so much unnecessary stuff now I'm surrounded only , mostly by useful, functional things and feel empowered. Time is a big issue that's why I will have to structure my day more and make what I do more efficient, not like a robot but a carefully, thoughtfully crafted clock.
My incentive was that I didn't like working for a living. Now that I'm long retired (which, I'm sorry to say, simple living didn't have much to do with)--problem solved.
Teacher Terry
1-2-16, 2:29pm
My good friend lost her 19 yo daughter 4 years ago and within a month I helped her get rid of her things and only keep a few special things. It was really tough and of course everyone is still grieving. I can't imagine how much tougher it would be if her room was left untouched. They actually moved to a different house which helped because there no longer was a Hannah's room. Getting rid of a person's stuff never means forgetting them. They live in your heart and mind forever.
Wow teacher Terry, thats really hard. My grandmother passed away in 1995 and her things are still there but last summer mice raided her apartment and estroyed half the stuff. Which was sad the memories or the stuff.I guess that taught us a lesson. now I donate what I dont need and keep the pictures of our memories.
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