"All I Own" photos of Millennials with all their possessions.

[Ultralight]

Check this out! Thoughts?

http://sannahkvist.se/projects/all-i-own/

Seems like a fun project for the artist and the subjects.

[rodeosweetheart]

I think it's a sad commentary on our culture when folks define themselves by what they own--whether it's a little or a lot.

[Ultralight]

I think it's a sad commentary on our culture when folks define themselves by what they own--whether it's a little or a lot.

There is a difference between defining oneself by what one owns and defining oneself "subtractively." By this I mean, I partly identify and define myself by not owning a bunch of cheap plastic crap made in China by wage slaves.

Is that such a sad commentary? Or is it a form of cultural civil disobedience in the name of social justice?

I think that many minimalists demonstrate what little they own as a visual testament to what is really important to them -- relationships, experiences, personal philosophies, etc.

For instance, check out The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno. He created it and is probably the father of modern day minimalism, not because he defines himself with the 100 things he owns but because owning so few things served him spiritually.

I have a good friend who went to a Quaker school. And apparently many Quakers live simply with few possessions because of their belief in an "inner light," which is sort of defined by each individual. I am not an expert on Quakers or anything but it is still interesting.

While I am not spiritual, I think owning so few things and just not taking ownership serious enough to be materialistic helps me to do what really matters in life -- like being a good friend, a good community member, and to go fishing and such!

[rodeosweetheart]

Well, I am a Quaker, so I wanted to send you this link about the Quaker testimonies on simplicity:

http://www.quakersintheworld.org/home/testimonies.html

You might find them useful to you!

Nonetheless, I think what I said, that it's a sad commentary when folks define themselves by what they own. Quakers were instrumental in founding Barclay Bank and Cadbury Chocolate, and the ones I grew up with were extremely rich, as their families owned most of the real estate in down town Philadelphia.

So you can't really generalize based on the idea that someone is a Quaker. . .

But absolutely, simplicity is a guiding testimony, and a wonderful thing.

I want everyone to have enough.

I don't want to define that for others.

[Ultralight]

You're a Quaker? I am not that familiar with it, though I find it intriguing. I have a friend in the atheist crew I am a part of who is also a Quaker and his explanation of why he is both an atheist and a Quaker is quite compelling.

Interesting factoid: I took this "Which religion are you test" and posted it on here. Of course, I came out Secular Humanist by a landslide.

My girlfriend though, she came back Quaker by a landslide (even though she identifies as non-denom Christian)! I suggested that both of us attend a meeting, but we have not gotten around to it.

[rodeosweetheart]

You're a Quaker? I am not that familiar with it, though I find it intriguing. I have a friend in the atheist crew I am a part of who is also a Quaker and his explanation of why he is both an atheist and a Quaker is quite compelling.

Interesting factoid: I took this "Which religion are you test" and posted it on here. Of course, I came out Secular Humanist by a landslide.

My girlfriend though, she came back Quaker by a landslide (even though she identifies as non-denom Christian)! I suggested that both of us attend a meeting, but we have not gotten around to it.


You should definitely go to a meeting together! I think you might find many like minded people. I don't know anything about this meeting, but here is one in Columbus:
http://www.northcolumbusfriends.org/

There are programmed meetings and unprogrammed meetings. Unprogrammed are the traditional meeting with silence which people break when Spirit leads them to share. I like those, but I go to a programmed meeting because I am so lazy and cannot get up early enough to go to the unprogrammed one. Meetings really do differ based on members and what group they are affiliated with. There is a meeting here in our town that I would not go to--there is an evangelical branch of things that kicked our meeting out, as we are for inclusivity, welcoming everyone.

So read up on the differences and check it out, you guys might really enjoy it. It is the only church I have ever been to that does not badmouth other churches or use shame to control people. Ouch, can't believe I said that, but it is true. It is so wonderful to have a safe place to be on the spiritual path with others.

[Ultralight]

I'd go out of curiosity and to support my gf if she wanted to go the Quaker route.

I will bring it up to her again. :)