The 6 Types of Minimalists...

[Ultralight]

Hi all, for those of you on here are minimalists (or aspiring) or those of you that merely find us minimalists amusing, you'll maybe get a chuckle from this article. It is, in many ways, spot on!

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/these-are-the-6-types-of-minimalists-which-one-are-you-250532

[Chicken lady]

I found that interesting because I have the motivational traits of a thrifty or eco minimalist, but the result has been hoarding. (Wondering what my life would have looked like had I been raised in a society where I was not constantly surrounded by a torrent of free or nearly free useful things on their way to the dump....)

also, the “might like” items they suggested for the two mindsets were absurd. That “do it yourself” kit is mostly virgin packaging, and that tool is expensive.

which parts resonated with you?

[Ultralight]

I found that interesting because I have the motivational traits of a thrifty or eco minimalist, but the result has been hoarding. (Wondering what my life would have looked like had I been raised in a society where I was not constantly surrounded by a torrent of free or nearly free useful things on their way to the dump....)

also, the “might like” items they suggested for the two mindsets were absurd. That “do it yourself” kit is mostly virgin packaging, and that tool is expensive.

which parts resonated with you?

I would add a 7th type of minimalist: The Thinking Minimalist.

The Thinking Minimalist loves the idea of minimalism, but not the practice.

The other 6 types (in the article) are practicing minimalist styles.


I have some traits from a few of the 6 types. But I know some minimalists were fit snugly in just one type.

[happystuff]

Amusing and true!! I like to think I'm a want-to-be combination of all of the above. Thanks for sharing.

[Ultralight]

I would say I have been and still go through bouts of being an "Essential Minimalist." I tend to my spreadsheet to see how low I can get. haha

I also lean a bit toward the "Experimental Minimalist." This is why I save and spend on travels.

Thrifty and Mindful are still more aspirational than in practice.

[catherine]

I would add another, also--The Spiritual Minimalist. Minimalism for the sake of detachment and other spiritual benefits. Spiritual Minimalists may believe "Live simply so that others may simply live."

I love this little poem--minimalism at its spiritual best!

Like a snail, I carry my humble zendō with me.
It is not as small as it looks
For the boundless sky joins it
When I open a window.
If one has no idea of limitation,
He should enjoy real freedom.
A nameless monk may not have the New Year callers to visit him,
But the morning sun hangs above the slums.
It will be honorable enough to receive the golden light from the east.

[Ultralight]

I would add another, also--The Spiritual Minimalist. Minimalism for the sake of detachment and other spiritual benefits. Spiritual Minimalists may believe "Live simply so that others may simply live."

I love this little poem--minimalism at its spiritual best!

Like a snail, I carry my humble zendō with me.
It is not as small as it looks
For the boundless sky joins it
When I open a window.
If one has no idea of limitation,
He should enjoy real freedom.
A nameless monk may not have the New Year callers to visit him,
But the morning sun hangs above the slums.
It will be honorable enough to receive the golden light from the east.

That is on the list, The Mindful Minimalist.

[catherine]

That is on the list, The Mindful Minimalist.

Yeah, I saw that, but it's still a little too materialistic for what I was thinking of. The "Mindful Minimalist" book is Marie Kondo?? Come on. But it's on the right track.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yea there is a world of difference between sparking joy from one's things and reaching a state of about of not caring about things at all pretty much because they reject a lot of worldly values (of course there are likely hoarders who also don't care *much* about things either but ... it's probably a more annoying way to go about it). I don't reject all worldly things. But the main stream is polluted.

[Geila]

I would say I used to learn towards the Thrifty and now am working towards Mindful. The primary purpose of getting rid of stuff is for me to feel more peace and contentment. Having a lot of stuff we don't use or need stresses me out. I'm a bit claustrophobic and stuff and clutter stir it up.

[Teacher Terry]

I identified with the mindful aspect. I don’t want to buy more junk and then throw it away. I feel better with less and it adds value to my life because I don’t spend so much time cleaning things. On our summer vacation it really hit me how much junk people have because we were in so many houses. Only 2 houses had about the same amount of stuff as ours. I also love Kondos book and others on decluttering.

[mschrisgo2]

... Wait, which one was "I just can't be bothered with caretaking much stuff?" That's me.

[jp1]

I definitely have the traits of the thrifty minimalist but like chicken lady the result is a bit of a hoarding mindset. Why throw out something that may be useful at some point and would then need to be replaced? So for me the result is I don't buy a lot and I get great joy when that big box full of a spaghetti of computer cables has just the cable I need years after the last time it was used.