Practical Minimalism pt 3
Why it matters
We, humans, do one thing better than any other creature on this planet — consume. Most creatures on this planet consume in some manner, but they also contribute. Historically, we do a terrible job of this. We contribute technologically and to an extent socially, but in symbiosis with the plant, no. What if we did, what would that look like? In my mind, it looks like less. Less consumption, less production, less waste. How can this be done practically — minimalism.
This is the third, in a four-part series about minimalism. I am not trying to preach or force anyone to practice minimalism, just educate. If you do not want to give it a chance, just skip these next four editions — no harm done.
I am not in your inbox to talk about the environment in exclusivity, I did that already. I am here to tell you why I think minimalism truly matters. It just so happens that our environment benefits from it.
We are living through a tumultuous time. Not only in regard to the environment, but also social injustice, war, and pandemics. I personally think that a lot of this can be mitigated if we simply strive for less.
Less Consumption
As I mentioned above, we humans consume a lot. This can be taken literally or metaphorically. Regardless of the type of consumption, we take more than we give back. I believe the saying is, "be part of the solution, not the problem".
I am not telling you to eat less. I am telling you to eat less meaningless shit. Stop the shortcuts, whenever possible. That means less McDonalds, less Subway, less crap. This is not only great for you but benefits the planet and our society.
The less we consume en masse, especially from shitty sources, the less demand they will have. This means less butchering of animals, fewer single-source crops, and fewer poor working conditions.
By consuming less, you can be more intentional with your decisions. You can slow down. You can think. You can make dinner with your family, rather than picking up fast food on the way home.
Less Output
Output can be perceived as waste. Waste is both physical and metaphorical. By producing less output, we take up less room on this planet, require less from it, and stop poisoning it. Again, outside the world of environmentalism — this can manifest in simply reclaiming land for ourselves and nature, requiring smaller infrastructure in cities, and stopping requiring so much out of each other.
If we produce less physical waste we can stop filling our lands and seas with garbage. This means we can fill it with homes or nature. We can live in our surroundings, rather than surround ourselves with waste. This applies at a micro-level as well. Less unused items in your home mean more room for living. This, in turn, means less need for space.
If we output fewer emissions we can lessen the infrastructure in our cities. If we simply choose to walk, ride bikes, or scoot around — we can lessen the need for cars and busses. We can even lessen the gas stations and facilities to house all of these things. We can then reclaim these areas for more meaningful things. And of course, our air and health will benefit.
If we stop worrying about our output we can slow down and enjoy our surroundings. We are so focused on doing more — being more and being better. As much as I appreciate the boom of the knowledge worker, it has made us want to make our lives overly productive, overly optimized. We don't need to automate our lives to get the most out of the 40 hours of work, we need to clock out. We need to stop multitasking and start prioritizing — ourselves and our loved ones.
Less Judgement
Lastly, if we judge less, we will thrive more. Judgment is the kindling of segregation and war. In a world riddled with cultural segregation, we can use less judgment to break down walls and stop battles.
Imagine if you didn't get judged by the way you looked, how you spoke, or who you loved. If you weren't judged by the actions of your ancestors or the god(s) you pray to. We could live a more meaningful life based on experiences with, not against, one another.
By judging less, we will start to realize the wonder we are surrounded by; the planet and the people. We can embrace our differences. We can learn from each other. We can evolve once again.
We could use minimalism to shape our world for the better. We need a solution now and minimalism seems like such a simple one. Just strive for less.
The beauty of it is that it doesn't require mining for minerals, exploring space, or gathering tons of money. It only requires intentionality. Because less is exactly what we need, to balance what we have taken.