There is truth to the old adage that says less is more.
For decades it seemed American society tried to measure success and happiness with stuff. More stuff meant greater prosperity, joy, and fulfillment.
Except that it didn’t.
A younger generation watched an older one accumulate material goods and could easily see that stuff did not equal happiness. In fact, sometimes stuff was a hindrance to it!
More stuff means more to manage. More to store. More to clean. Sometimes stuff gets in the way of success and happiness!
And as the result the cultural pendulum has swung far, far in the other direction, until today minimalism is all the rage.
There are many aspects of minimalism that make it a wonderful trend: It recognizes that happiness is not found in possessions, and it forces us to take a good, hard look at just how much unnecessary stuff we buy and keep, which should teach us to be more conscious of our buying habits.
All good things, right?
But let’s not kid ourselves. Minimalism has its issues, too.
It’s hard to live like that long-term
Maybe I’m thinking more in terms of hardcore minimalism here, but who really wants to live years in a 400 square foot space? It may sound delightful for a cross-country trip. It might even work well for a year, maybe two, but for the rest of your life?
So you have less stuff and maybe even fewer bills? That’s awesome… but life also must become about keeping your existence contained within that tiny space. Necessity then turns minimalism into an obsession, not just a lifestyle. If keeping life small isn’t a constant fixation, then outgrowing your space will happen regularly, even if it’s just because you accidentally overbuy groceries one week!
But let’s be real here: If I’m having to obsess over something constantly, is it really simplifying my life?
Living with less stuff is great! But when you have less, it means what you do have wears out faster
The whole tiny house craze has fizzled considerably. There are a lot of reasons for that – like the challenges often involved just in finding a place to park one!
But while I was fascinated at some of these little homes and the creativity with which they crammed functionality into such tiny spaces, I didn’t give much thought to the fact that when a space is small, all of it is being used a lot. Floors wear out more quickly. Plumbing and electric systems are put under greater stress. Maintenance can become a major time and money vacuum.
And similar things happen even when you aren’t living in a tiny home: Reducing your wardrobe to just four outfits will open up tons of space in your closet, but you’ll be wearing, dirtying, and washing those clothes a lot more often, so keep in mind you’ll be buying replacements much sooner! The same goes for dinnerware, towels, furniture, everything.
Minimalism isn’t always family-friendly
Most kids have more toys than they can ever play with, so I certainly don’t want to imply that children need stuff and clutter in ways that adults do not.
But it is a little heartbreaking to me when children can’t have things that make play enjoyable because there isn’t space for it, or when kids can’t have a backyard to explore because even a simple house at fixed address is somehow too much stuff.
Besides, kids naturally need more things. They go through more clothes, more shoes, and more everything! And there are so many products today that can assist moms, especially in the baby stages, and they are incredibly helpful. Are they absolutely, totally necessary? No, probably not, but if they can help alleviate some of the stress of motherhood, why on earth wouldn’t you want to take advantage of them? Even all of them!
Minimalism sometimes devalues history
Listen, just because something is old doesn’t mean it is of value. Many times our attachment to old things is more sentimental than history-honoring, and I don’t advocate keeping every piece of Aunt Martha’s 64-piece china set just because it is old, or Grandpa Pete’s broken shovel, just because you have fond memories of helping him dig potatoes with it.
But sometimes things that could be considered clutter are actually amazing glimpses into the past, like a wartime charm bracelet or a collection of old letters. I’m not sure everything in our lives has to be entirely functional, nor does it necessarily have to “spark joy” for it to be worth keeping. Sometimes maybe it just takes us seeing the value of something as a teaching tool.
Hey, there’s no doubt about it – Getting rid of stuff can be freeing! But minimalism has its drawbacks, too.
And sometimes holding on to stuff can spark a lot of joy, don’t you think?
