Simplify, Simplify | A Philosophy of Needing Less

Can we be happier by consuming less?
Cuts, voice, footage, script by Einzelgänger. I also used Creative Commons (links below) licensed material from Storyblocks & Pixabay (links available upon request), and some material under 'fair use'.
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Thoreau (3): en.wikipedia.o...
Walden: en.wikipedia.o...
Civil disobedience: en.wikipedia.o...
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Epicurus: en.wikipedia.o...
Seneca (1): en.wikipedia.o...
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Fair use:
Tyler Durden quote: • Fight Club Best Scenes...
#thoreau #minimalism #simplify

[@a.b1266]

"Being content with little is the ultimate civil disobedience in modern times" , I'll be saving this in my collection of inspirational quotes.

[@faza553]

Disciplined practice of avoidance of the wanting-it tax!

[@themellowway8352]

Austin Brown love that quote too

[@brownpunk1794]

yep,its one for the books for sure!

[@dianeyoung8068]

I have not listened to the video but this quote is perfect.

[@monicalarson4615]

I too collect inspirational quotes for future reference, and perhaps one day when I'm gone my children and grandchildren will read, learn, and live by them. Ultimately know not to take things too serious, life is to short for all that unnecessary "junk".

[@catherine4246]

"Those who know they have enough, are truly wealthy." -Lao Tzu

[@BenTabulaRasa]

Yes. Being content with little.

[@varniitprofessional]

I said same before cops charged me with robbery.

[@joann5157]

As a high school student, I never understood Thoreau. Who wouldn't want more, more, more? But now I understand the responsibility that comes with everything we own: caring for it, insuring it, protecting it. The more you have, the more the stuff owns YOU!!

[@RichardHowells1234]

We can't get drunk if we King😮😄

[@jamiemcrae6024]

"If you seek tranquillity, do less." -Marcus Aurelius

[@almollitor]

I was never big on status or impressing strangers, but I'm finding it even easier to resist societiy's pressure as I get older and - I hope - wiser.

[@gadfly5792]

lucky for all of us, my friend, those two things generally share a positive corelation, age and wisdom. societal status is completely irrelevant in the greater context of our human experience we call life.

[@scarletpimpernelagain9124]

Burger Man but isn’t it sad that age and wisdom seem to decrease social status rather than increase it, at least in the west. Instead society worships youth because spending power? Oh.....

[@jumbo4billion]

Nah, you're trying to show strangers on youtube that you are wise and humble and have learned from your mistakes.

[@almollitor]

@@jumbo4billion Marcus Aurelius warned me about people like you.

[@Hgulix62]

@@jumbo4billion - He never said he was wise and humble, he never spoke of himself like he is someone. He just remarks that he find it easier to resist societiy's pressure as he get older.

[@denniss3980]

I have been down sizing my life and without a doubt the fewer things I own the less stressful my life has become

[@FireBIaze]

I noticed the same thing.

[@natashamudford4011]

The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to take care of.

[@rolandbay-an9774]

less is more.

[@AbbasBinYounas]

But how to downsize?!

[@mariasoniamoreno3433]

@@AbbasBinYounas Before you buy anything, ask yourself WHY you are buying it. Never buy stuff impulsively.

[@denniss3980]

Think about it, we fill our home with junk, rent storage for the junk we have no more room for. Then spend thousands on a vacation to get away from all our junk, it is an insane way to live

[@lifeismeaningless5512]

Waste of time and money

[@dianeyoung8068]

So true Dennis.

[@jarichards99utube]

As we used to say, "Right On Brother"... Well said. : ) -60SomethingGuy

[@Momma_AL]

This is why I strive to live as if I am on vacation.

[@wendyparry437]

What a wonderful opinion Dennis . Thanks.

[@popsfereal]

"I sold all my crap, quit the job I hated and now I have everything." - Me.

[@theItalianshamrock]

Hows everything going? Im trying to sell all my stuff now. Then looking to move

[@anthonydowling3356]

How is being homeless and jobless and living on the street working out for you ?

[@ChilloutLibrary]

Minimalism doesn't mean living on nothing 😑

[@skinnypete8928]

Guess he died from not having food

[@nevermind-he8ni]

ditto

[@janedoe7971]

Today I told my manager that I only wanted to work part time and they were fine with it. I am immensely relieved.

[@patriciafisher3108]

Jane Doe, Good for you. ( :

[@kayaeki]

The more I grow older the more I realize how people are chasing shitt and sacrificing their life for soo much expensive things! Someone taught me that "buy moments, not things". I don't know about anyone else but it's helped me become more happy and self peace of mind

[@a.b1266]

"A guys name on the underwear" , I laughed at the truth and ridiculousness of this. Thanks for the video and the continued food for thought.

[@kevindenning7361]

Who neeeds underwear anyhow.

[@a.b1266]

@@kevindenning7361 simplify!😎👍

[@lolatoa581]

@@kevindenning7361 That's what i'm wondering___,wait maybe so bacterias can not get the private part or insects ......,things like that

[@chestervillaruel6565]

Hahahahahhaa Calvin Klein hahaha

[@oldschoolman1444]

It reminds me of Back to the future where she keeps calling Marty Calvin. =)

[@workshop3301]

If this pandemic teaches us one thing, it is: SIMPLIFY.

[@sychosaint8936]

🇭 🇪 🇵 🇷 🇪 🇩 🇮 🇨 🇹 🇪 🇩 🇴 🇺 🇷 🇱 🇮 🇫 🇪 🇸 🇹 🇾 🇱 🇪 🇸

[@georgebell9634]

That's what you're learning from the pandemic?

[@slimytoad1447]

You're quite right, it showed life is short so invest time in being with loved ones

[@anitaberendsen2425]

I don't think you understand a thing about the big plan after the big lie. Totall control and destroyed brains by the v...., wake up!

[@Alex722]

I agree. There is a beauty in simplicity, but the majority of people seem to have forgotten it or ignore this fact.

[@wavecat8242]

“After we’ve lost everything we’re free to do anything”

[@_M_D_M_]

Right

[@eduardoescobar566]

In Tyler Durden we Trust.

[@archivedaccount2049]

Fight club

[@heisag]

As long as the freedom is not counted among those losses, i suppose it is somewhat true.

[@p.b4287]

Wrong, choose to keep what you need, but losing everything makes you a very easy prey to anyone. Look the poorest of the poorest. They always are the first to die.

[@joycegonzales4994]

I’ve always remembered this quote,”. We need to live simply so others may simply live.”

[@jamiemcrae6024]

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo Da Vinci

[@dianeyoung8068]

Very good quote.

[@sherylmac40]

I didn't know that, thank you.

[@duchi882]

Remember what you learned in Math Class _"Simplify!"_

[@ultralordd7625]

Indeed.

[@tarakmaammar214]

Generally when things get too complex in math, It means you were doing something wrong from the start

[@martinprochazka3714]

@Tarak Mâammar not necessarily, sometimes the problem just does not have a real solution... ;)

[@priscillajimenez27]

And isolate the variable 😊

[@jessicalatorraca8507]

@@priscillajimenez27 Great thought! 😄

[@MisterClassic77]

"We can exchange time for money but we can't exchange money for time."

[@РостиславБачурин]

In reality Aubrey de Grey would disagree :)

[@hansludwig4732]

I did it. Sold everything and went to Indian Ashrams

[@luzbenitez1799]

We actually can

[@djteefah]

"The stuff you own ends up owning you." No truer words have been said. I once encountered a seemingly rich man. But he never had enough money because of all the things and obligations he needed to maintain. That's why I'm a minimalist and feel better with less.

[@suzanneadamson1306]

Breaking free of consumerism is liberating. On holidays I give only functional gifts & I request no gift or, birdseed!

[@surfside75]

The birds around my parents home are so colorful, lively and big when I mentioned it my mom said, we get the best birdseed we can find to give to the lil birdies🐦😁 -cheers🍻

[@MrSojek]

Remember that you don't need holidays.

[@dancoleman1070]

It’s true less is more

[@theremedy5564]

Maybe this is the reason why most of the time,I feel depressed inside a shopping mall😔.

[@SteveWKk]

100%

[@Shortana]

Yeah, I feel the same. It's a vibration of grabbing, searching, buying. Very frantic and suffocating. I love needing less. Feels like waking up from a bad dream and realising there's nothing to really need

[@suesun555]

Me too. This is the first time I've ever heard of anyone else feeling this way.

[@harshag5423]

Me too feels the same😞

[@theremedy5564]

@@Shortana : shopping malls sap my energy. I don't know but everything there is phony for me😟

[@johnbroadbent8403]

"Being content with little is the ultimate civil disobedience in modern times" I have lived this way for years for this very reason but could not articulate it so well until reading your comment. Thanks

[@threethrushes]

Like many, I had a mid-life awakening. Quit a well-paid career that left me suicidal and left it all behind. Life is good.

[@darnyiagnes6940]

Same here. I was an architect. I burned out, quit, but I don't know which direction to go now. I feel I don't belong to anywhere as a stranger in life.

[@threethrushes]

@@darnyiagnes6940 Follow your passions. I quit the UK to play ice hockey in Czech, where I live and teach English part-time. Every day I play sport, train, and enjoy teaching motivated students.

[@threethrushes]

@J G If architecture is your passion, why did you quit? Or will you tell me that work was your passion, I wonder. I have had various passions in my life: literature, language, hockey, motorcycling, art, music - all of these were independent of my former professional life. I've followed them. It takes courage and intellectual honesty to follow one's passions. I wish you both for 2020, my friend.

[@darnyiagnes6940]

@J G Thank you J G for your understanding. It's really a solace to me. I'm happy for you enjoying your choosen profession. I wish you all the best.

[@dexterne]

I left the 60hr/ wk grind just before reaching 30 years old. I started a business determined to work no more than half of that. Now 12 years in and faithful to that ideal, never happier. (Or more successful. It is a wonder what you can achieve without the bonds of employment)

[@joannaedwards6325]

Every time I see a clever, persuasive advertisement on TV or KZbin I just say to myself, " They're trying to separate me from my money. " Also I chant throught the day. " Money flows easily to me and money STICKS to me " Usually I have EXTRA money leftover one month to the next. Makes me feel secure. 💜✌

[@osse1n]

A classic path towards detachment. Cut your ties with owning thing, before those things start owning you.

[@Ozymandias961]

I think detachment doesn’t mean to cut things out of your life, but to be internally detached from the object or experience and not let your happiness and internal peace get affected by it ✌️

[@carlbowles1808]

More stuff leads to the desire for more stuff. Greed is bottomless like hell.

[@johnkarpf2638]

@@carlbowles1808 Greed Feeds Greed.

[@carlbowles1808]

@@johnkarpf2638 Sho Nuff

[@noellajunecustodio5431]

@@Ozymandias961 $

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Diogenes saw a young boy drinking out of the fountain with his hands so he threw away his cup

[@itsok5954]

I realised this after getting into meditations last year. I went from depressed to hopeful. I could not feel happier in my life.

[@adrianoss.bougas3720]

Synchronicity is real. Tell me about synchronicity please

[@itsok5954]

@@adrianoss.bougas3720 With pleasure. You can regard me as if I do not know what I am talking about if you want to, but this is what I have realised for now. Mathematically we have proven that there are way more dimensioms than just ours. String theoey says that they are at least 10. That means that there is a posibility that there is a realm within ours. I would like to propose that in those realms intelligent beings do exist, Alex Jones was right, inter-dimensions aliens are real. It is just that they cannot communicate with us at all when we are in our sober state. Lucid dreams, meditations and the use of psychedelic substences all seem to increase this signal. When I first tried weed strange synchronicies started ocuring way more frequently than ever before in my life. A lot of people expirience this phenomenon. The same happend when I got into the habit of meditation. A lot of people that do use psychedelics will tell you that even after you sober up, expect weird and bizzare things to occur. You can say as if I am crazy and that I do not know what I am talking about. But this hypothesis solves the fermi paradox. It is not like there is no one out there. We just do not pay enough attention, all those strange feelings we get, deja vùs and all are in fact just the only communication tool that they have with us in this reality. I have not yet actually talked to them but I heard voices while on weed. And no, no voices while sober ever yet. At least I know now what it is like for schizophrenics in a sober state. Quite scary. And the voices while on weed helped me get my shit together in my life.

[@lordwarhaft6202]

@@itsok5954 drugs? They just alter electric impulses in your brain. There is no communication, u r just high. Sorry to break the ice. Trust me I know I'm a doctor

[@VFatalis]

@@lordwarhaft6202 Some drugs allow you to become aware to things science isn't capable of seeing. Mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca and meditation can open doors. Trust me I know, I've tried some. It's not just about 'being high'.

[@bugbumble3]

I like simple, minimalist living this is what I will practise from now on!

[@dharmashekhar1047]

The right thing you have learned from this video ! 😀

[@andreasklindt7144]

"Friends that only accept you because of your status and material success aren't really friends." Once I had a group of friends like that. During school and also at the university they were like family to me. At least as long as they still studied too... But than I failed at my first attempt to get a university degree for reasons, that had nothing to do with the subject of my study (but with financial problems) and they changed their attitude. At one point it was so severe, that I felt the need to change the city for a second attempt at the university. I than had 2 to 4 jobs simultaniously besides all the studies and still they laught at me, calling me lazy, for still not having a university degree. Looking back it was such a waste of time and energy to even consider their "well ment advises" and critism. All I got from it was just hundreds and hundreds of sleepless nights, anxiety and needless shame over things, that were out of my control or because I couldn't adept quickly enough to changed conditions. I don't want to see them ever again! Even though I'm already in my midthirties - and still trying at the university... - I still want to cry sometimes when I think about the way they looked down on me.

[@alexhardy13]

Fight Club is such a masterpiece... It's more and more relevant every year...

[@surfside75]

So is Minority Report with Tom Cruise. Thought police are coming for YOU!!

[@rajesha9842]

Very true.

[@Quazima115]

I've seen Fight club 14 times by now

[@shooshooshooshooshooter]

same for the Matrix. Timeless film, relevant in literally every decade since its release

[@LiftOffLife]

Don't mention red pill philosophy is also a first rule.

[@mariaalforque6430]

Thank you so much for this video. I have reliazed that i have been so much happier when i was in the Philippines even though we don't have much money and no fancy things, we were more happier because we spent more time with family. We talked and laughed more. Here in Canada, we have to work and work and we don't see our family till late at night. Most of time, i am confused how to live in more sensible way. Many advertisers that we should have a big house, nice cars, fancy dresses so you will look "SUCCESSFUL" . I have been chasing this dream but my life became so complicated and no peace of mind. Late last year, I started to live simple, even eating food, i started just eating veggies because I have compassion with animals. Good Bless to your channel. Wishing you more subscribers. Thanks!

[@dharmashekhar1047]

Please make rapid progress in ur endeavor to simplify your life. Best of Luck. Seek inspiration from nature itself !

[@s4nder86]

You'll destroy your health only eating veggies. Humans are omnivores, we're meant to eat plants and meat.

[@OrangeUp]

I like the compassion with animals part.

[@mountain5623]

I feel very blessed this morning, after listening to this video. I realize how long I have lived a simple lifestyle, and how peaceful and content I Am in that lifestyle. I work, because I am also blessed with a job helping people and that makes my heart sing. I save a few bucks each month, so I may build the little cabin,( like this guy did.) I will need a little porch facing West, to set my little rocking chair on. I will watch the river flow, the flowers bloom and reflect on all the beauty this life has shown me. Thank you Spirit for teaching me to live simply with nature and at peace with myself. I Love you. 🔥💜🏔️🙏🔥

[@sihaves8808]

Thanks for this. I wish you the best x

[@helenaville5939]

That's beautifully written. You have set yourself on such a lovely journey. You are inspiring. Wishing you the best of everything from across the waves in Ireland.

[@sudarmaji77]

the rocking chair will own us

[@GrowthMindsetProductions]

This is one of my greatest impacts from studying stoicism: *Do* *what* *makes* *you* *happy* - *Life* *is* *too* *short* *to* *not* *enjoy* *it* =)

[@Astral106]

Felt this way for years. Since I was little and people thought I am strange for thinking this way. Been telling people why should I feel proud to wear someone else's name to make them rich? Why am I paying big buck to wear someone else's name while devaluing my own?

[@zxumwmki3604]

"I like going, to look at all the things that I'm perfectly happy without" Socrates on going to the market

[@brandonk8948]

"Being content is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of what you already have."-Unknown "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo De Vinci These two quotes are some of my favorites ever to refer to when I try to explain to others that materialism is distracting and ultimately unfulfilling. I once told a friend of mine that money doesn't motivate me, he couldn't understand this reasoning. To him, money brought success, wealth, the ability to travel. To me it was a convenience but not a necessity, as I find social equity to be a far more rarer commodity and twice as valuable.

[@patriciafisher3108]

Krobra Gragre, I just put quote # 1 into the notes in my computer. This is a reinforcement of my knowing that if I remember to count my blessings, I am a happier person.

[@gowrygoddard1244]

If you remember your blessings, that is still outside and one day you might lose them, then you will need more, learn to be happy without nothing. Just existence alone make you happy, you have nothing to lose.

[@kimberlydavis5034]

Finally someone understands. I've been trying to explain this to others for years what you shared in this video. You have more peace of mind when you simplify your own life. I agree with you 100% even though no one around me understands that.

[@marrrlena3722]

I agree with everything you said except one thing. Money CAN buy time. Since having had an income independent of hiring myself out for work I have ALL the time in the world!

[@WindyJAMiller]

Please can I have some of your independant time

[@musgrave6886]

or rather what you just bought with your money is not your earthly time (which inexorably ticks by no matter your circumstances) but freedom (from work, in your case). money is leverage with which to procure personal freedom in the social setting. problem is, such freedom can be disrupted by external forces (beyond your control) while time itself independently dissipates for all things extant.

[@secretweapon8367]

i suppose you think this is clever

[@prsgrind8794]

YES!

[@marrrlena3722]

@@architdubey5196 😂🤣😂🤣

[@selfelements8037]

"The things you own end up owning you."

[@jumbo4billion]

How do my trousers or my skillet own me? Genuine question that I'd like an answer to.

[@PP-vf1kx]

Self Elements Is The Best...Own Thyself.Come With Nothing,Leave With Nothing

[@patriciafisher3108]

@@ondrejhanzl6738 You explained that very well. ( :

[@mariahsmom9457]

"... by not needing what society has to offer in exchange for our time." I heard that and listened twice. 💗

[@Arven8]

Thank you. Good reminder of a basic principle. I've been into simplicity for 25 years or so, and I've benefited tremendously from it, in terms of peace of mind, lowered stress/frustration, more time and energy for what really matters, financial independence and early retirement. I knew from an early age that money didn't buy happiness, so it was easy for me to actualize the non-materialistic and non-consumeristic parts of the philosophy/lifestyle. The more challenging bit has been the mental aspect. I'm prone to accumulation of mental clutter and needless complexity. It distracts and stresses me. Simplifying the physical realm helps with the mental, but the mental is a world unto itself. It's very easy for me to stack up mental clutter. "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone." Wow, I like that one.

[@Ligma.69420]

Try meditation. A good routine of meditation (even just 10 to 15 minutes a day) is like a daily cleaning for your mind. Once you get the routine down you may find yourself going much longer either not realizing that much time has passed or out of genuine enjoyment of the act. Plus, it's a meta skill meaning the extra ability to focus you gain will benefit pretty much everything else you do, too.

[@dharmashekhar1047]

Please read less books , watch less TV , listen to less music . be selective very selective about what u read , what u Watch on TV & what u listen. These are all things that u fill in ur mind every day. Mental clutter is far more worser than physical clutter in our lives. Process them deep deeper deepest.meditation develops ur capacity to process these mental things more deeper. Then automatically u will progressively read less , watch lesser TV & listen lesser music. And...... U will start reading yourself , watching ur own life like u watch TV , listening to the signals which ur body emits every moment ! Greatest insights will unfold after that....

[@ck-4203]

Perfect! My philosophy exactly. Who else out there? Are you also surrounded by people who don't get it? When will more people awaken?

[@jorgeromera3861]

I strongly recommend reading about Diogenes the Cynic, for me one of the most inspiring philosophers on this subject.

[@dianeyoung8068]

I like Thoreau.

[@lechsiz1642]

@@dianeyoung8068 Thoreau is good, but a bit of a fake. His sister did his laundry and he only lived in that house 2 years. There are many who live much farther from other houses and do so for decades...they didn't write a book about it, though

[@MrBlack-pj1jk]

PAUL the Apostle said it to his pupil Timothy.. Godliness with Contentment is great gain! We brought nothing into this world and certainly, we will carry nothing out. Stay Content. Peace

[@TheDocufilm]

Thank you for taking the time to make these videos, they are enlightening and of great value. Very much appreciated.

[@aggisukmawandhani9494]

I love how he speak, so clear and ear catchy for me as a non English speaker, I learn language through this video and with my favourite subject minimalism and simple life, thank you so much for the video. Your deep voice suits for this naration. Amazing.

[@Einzelgänger]

Thank you Aggi! I guess we non-native speakers think alike :)

[@madtyper1064]

Just by reading your comment, Aggi, I can tell you are a very educated young man. You are doing a great job with a language that is foreign to you. Keep going!

[@sagar73594]

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately" - Thoreau

[@dustyclouds7093]

I recently became a minimalist and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life and there’s not many. Can’t wait to start reading your book! Keep doing the work that you’re doing, we need more of this.

[@pablogarrido5233]

This kinds of channels that make you think...instead of entertaining are the useful ones in which investing time is worth. Thank you Einzelgänger

[@lifestoryguy]

I think you make valid points. The problem is that there is clearly an innate human need for status that those of us that are creative just can't get met in our daily lives because the culture only really values the superficial status brought by material wealth rather than the value of the creation of something new like a KZbin video, poem, novel or work of art. At best we get a pat on the head for our creativity and then get told to get a real job. It's also why most artists can't make a living from their work. I would also imagine quite a few of the people you know may well scoff at the value of these videos you make despite the fact that they are very insightful and creative. I hope you continue to make them well into the future. If I'm being cynical, you could say that there's a reason why, in societies across the globe, people leave school not being financially or emotionally literate, and I suspect it's because financially and emotionally illiterate people will have to plug themselves into the matrix and then live out lives of quiet desperation that perpetuates the very consumerist civilisation that is oppressing us all. I say this as someone who benefits from investing in the stock market and has a great deal to gain from folk continuing to live lives of quiet desperation but also as someone who writes books and would much rather be valued and accepted for that than any property or material goods that I own. I think the big problem we are all facing is how creative people continue to be gaslighted by our civilisation and pushed into the collective shadow and are in large and small ways invalidated consistently over time, which might explains why so many artists and writers turn to alcohol and drugs or die young at their own hands. I mean, the average life expectancy of a poet is only 69 which isn't that much better than someone who lives in a poor neighbourhood and has had limited opportunities in life so has ended up having to do hard manual labour to survive. I mean, why are so many creative people throughout different historical periods consistently dying young or in poverty, and what does that say about us as a species?

[@007lutherking]

Also an added advantage of owning less things is you know where everything is and it's easy to find it whenever you need it. You don't lose anything, you don't have to put a lot of effort into cleaning. And the added chore to your already sophisticated lifestyle sometimes tends to make you give up on life bc you think it's too difficult when it's the product of your own life choices. Living minimalistically is winning half the battle against some mental illnesses

[@jasoncook2232]

I spent a year living in a small off grid RV. My friends and relatives thought I was crazy. I lost some friends that just didn't understand what I was doing. "More, bigger and better" is thier mantra. Good luck paying for it. I'm out!

[@ranjittyagi9354]

Oh no worries. It happens. Those who couldn't understand you, drifted away. They were not your genuine friends. Let's do our own thing, whatever it be. One who's genuinely attached to you will accept you the way you are and not judge you over silly, materialistic things. We need love and inner peace and materialistic things won't do that. Wish you the best always.

[@Winston.Smith101]

'Enough is as good as a feast' - Alan Watts

[@zodiacfml]

1:02 Liked. It is absurd that people simply accept, buy, adopt what celebrities or other rich people have, whereas most of the time, it is just marketing.

[@CraZy291]

Having dreams and saving up for things you really desire is great, but mindless consumption to fill the void is not. Don't buy stuff you don't need with money you don't possess to impress people you don't like...

[@pillarnexustheancientgladiator]

I remember reading Marie Kondo's book about tidying up and then watching her show on Netflix, seeing how much people were still holding onto when all it was doing was holding them back. It's what led me to make a little reminder to myself: Purpose precedes property. The goal of my life comes first, then only what makes the goal attainable should be what I have. That property-first mentality, that's how people wind up with so much that they can't really use. We wouldn't have to throw so much away or donate so many things if we never got them in the first place.

[@micci9865]

My boss still has his Toyota Adventure 2000 to this day as his only transportation means in spite of earning millions a month. he even still has his Iphone 7 plus as his only Phone. He always wants to simplify everything in work including his life. He operates by the word "Refactor".

[@kimberlylalley7255]

Love this! My mantra is simplify and live a life of grateful abundance.

[@mykaratejournal2120]

This reminded me of something I had read a long time ago - It takes intelligence to solve a complicated problem. It takes genius to simplify it.

[@mTsp4ce]

Nothing better than sitting on my 500 dollar ergonomic chair and watching a video full of slow-motion scenes filmed with cameras that cost 100.000s of dollars, and movie scenes that cost millions to produce, on my 2000 dollar notebook, that makes me feel good about a simple life in a hut in the woods, that I will never experience.

[@stripehearts]

This absolutely made my day! It picked my curiosity about the works of Alain de Botton! Million thumbs up for this video! Really, THANK YOU!

[@jimmyacosta6061]

*almost no material is needed to sustain a happy life for he who understood existence. * never settle for less. all have two eyes but never see the same. life is about the meaning you given. just live and let live. be kind. thats the real simplicity of life.

[@alexandraalmanzar570]

Thank you for this. And you know, without knowing it you and your channel are helping me become a better person. I have quit smoking because of you. Thank you.

[@Ramblercast]

I remember reading somewhere that the late Steve Jobs had no furniture in his house when they asked him why he said "I don't need it"

[@ahrimanic7]

Value Man he’s dead? When did he die?

[@dharmashekhar1047]

I don't need iPad either !

[@sttthr]

@@ahrimanic7 Steve Jobs died in 2011. Have you just woken up from a 10-year coma?

[@tanyarawat9700]

@@sttthr Mandela effect probably

[@patriciafisher3108]

@@sttthr That remark was unkind.

[@slumshoes]

I, too, am integrating the minimalist lifestyle into my stoic philosophy.

[@ataraxia5808]

Lol I knew "Fight Club" would make it's way into this. Watching this video while cleaning up certainly makes me want to just get rid of a lot.

[@joannaedwards6325]

Also, seeing how long I can keep from spending any EXTRA income. It becomes a very gratifying game. Thank you for your sharing such wisdom with us. 😊💜

[@irishm6197]

I think this is a message to share. I’ve experienced what consumerism does to one’s mental well-being. I saw it change my friends and family’s for better and worse. The key is definitely in moderation. It wouldn’t mean that you have to detach from things completely, but essentially just use/interact with what gives your life value. Thanks for this video essay! Well done! 👏

[@Ghu543]

What a beautiful short video which is full of wisdom!!

[@rebeccayoung9434]

When I was younger and raising children, it was fun to give them stuff and indulge in fun with them. At a certain point I hit a wall when I was using a lot of time to maintain the environment in a reasonable fashion. Moving was liberating but then settling in and getting comfortable was always challenging. Often I would ponder how great it would be if the moving truck just disappeared. I would fantasize about living in a white room with nothing around, then realized I was going crazy. I have since edited painfully and have forgotten many of the attached items but occasionally I long for something I don't have now. Or I see something I gave away to a relative and want it back. Perhaps this is why kings kept treasure houses. But then you worry about robbers. It is better if you can resist the indulgence in the beginning. I went though a phase of minimalism before my family arrived but now strict organization and self control have won out knowing myself all too well. Good luck with your mind stuff, because after dealing with the external there is the internal minefield...

[@mariasoniamoreno3433]

Well said. Our relationship with our stuff isn't only pragmatic but emotional. Objects remind us of good times and people we love. They represent happiness, comfort, stability, security. Then we realize that the rumba sweeper we paid a lot for and thought would keep our floors spotless needs constant maintenance or breaks down.

[@rawheadrex]

One candle and good book is bliss

[@robertp.wainman4094]

As someone who worked in advertising - I never failed to be surprised quite how easy it was to persuade people to 'want' something they didn't 'need.' Those who thought themselves 'savvy' were even easier!

[@indigo6485]

I just realise watch these type of video essays is kind of like self therapy helps you self reflect a lot and I enjoy watching these kinds of videos so it's a complete win win as it helps better myself in the process or at least help me become more self aware

[@sapanacharya1365]

this is the only video i have ever seen with no dislikes.....Hail !! Einzelgänger

[@sandrajovic9304]

A perfect video especially for a new year and a new decade♥

[@priscillajimenez27]

I wasn't someone to follow trends or buy the next big thing. Despite being raised in the city, I've always loved nature and found it fascinating to learn skills that are considered old fashioned now. Despite being 30, I don't consider myself a millennial other than by the age group; I don't relate to people my age group and in many aspects I dont relate to my family either. I enjoy being me.

[@petrichorsubliminals]

We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.

[@petrichorsubliminals]

@J G Well it might be a very known quote, but it suits this video perfectly.

[@silkegehtyoutubegarnichtsa892]

This does need an update, ."..bla, to impress people we don't like, who we cannot impress with our things at all."

[@madeinearth644]

when i hear about people buying, phones immediately comes to mind. think about it most individuals buy the latest gadget out there an iphone for ex. and then take a mirror selfie to showcase what they have. but technology evolves way too fast those brand new phones could only satisfy them for 2-3 yrs. but to be honest i think its a false sense of satisfaction just to be able to get your hands on it and be proud of a higher status for a short moment.

[@ulissessaraivanogueira3255]

I found this Channel recently, but is already one of my bests. I am Brazilian and I can't understand everything and even like that, It's great. Grateful

[@AliceGirl1234]

"We can exchange time for money, but we cannot exchange money for time". THIS! This resonates with me so much! 💛 This quote right here is the reason why I dislike the idea of "Spending your youth constantly working hard, so that you have plenty of money for your pension". What's the point? You spend the most physically able years of your working long hours (sometimes in a job or town you dislike), so that you can live comfortably for the last 10 - 20 cushy years of your life? It's crazy! Even crazier to think that we not even live long enough to receive our pentions (sad, but true). I agree it's important to pay a small amount into our pensions, so that we can take care of ourselves in old age. But it certainly shouldn't stop us from enjoining life in our "working years". Life is now; Live it! 😊

[@biankapal1431]

I think as it relates to consumerism, this perspective is on point. However I can think of one important caveat to this, which is that there is a housing crisis going on in many parts of the world. In the video you mention that food and shelter are fairly easy needs to satisfy and when you interpret that as satisfying it momentarily, that is true. However the relative stability (of couse nothing is truly stable in the absolute sense) of shelter that comes from owning your own home is out of reach for many young people and so is the possibility of retirement. The latter situation gives us even less of our time we can enjoy as most of us will likely have to work until we drop dead. Of course this doesn't invalidate attempts to make beneficial adjustments internally, but I think it is important not to ignore this external reality when looking at why people work jobs they don't like. It's not always to engage in excessive consumerism, but because in many places house prices exploded while wages stayed stagnant, and you just don't have a choice.

[@amulyamalhi]

Yes Bianka. We are all sailing under the same boat!

[@roadstofreedom2899]

When you own nothing you have nothing to lose. Then you can find wisdom and happiness.

[@ZaheedaNaheedya]

Time is our most valuable asset.

[@satnamo]

What good is beautiful. Simple is beautiful. Simple but not too simple. Love, patience and simplicity are the greatest treasures of man kind.

[@christopherellis2663]

" Is your money worth my time?" 🎶 🧙‍♂️

[@kennethhoopaugh8375]

That is beautiful.

[@IsauraAbreu]

I started adapting a minimalist lifestyle very recently, learning minimalist lifestyle right here on you channel and a ton of other has really inspired me, and for the few months that I have started I have really see a change not only on my perspective to life and all the things around me but also a chance to get to know myself better. I come from a Latino background (from Dominican Republic) and for us having more means we are worthy or that we have more than other. Growing up with this mentality was very unhealthy and it drained my souls to the fullest. I am glad that I was able to get out of that mentality and that way of thinking and living. Now I feel happier I live in New York City but I bought land in the Dominican Republic a town area, where I can breath fresh air, rivers around the are, beach and I can live a peaceful life with less! As soon as I finish my house and save some money I am moving. (In DR you don’t need much to live good compare to the US) Thanks to all the KZbinr and people that really put their hearts into helping other achieve that free mind.

[@monalisa6599]

Yes ! Being minimalist makes you happy. All these accessories of modern life encumber us, give us work and take us time since we must maintain them and finally these objects possess us: let’s get rid of the superfluous. That’s what I did, it took me four years because it was my personal pace and I’m much happier like that. I have more time for the essentials : taking time to be with the people I love, cooking, doing manual activities, taking time to live simply, plus I’ve saved a lot of money and can work less. Oui ! Etre minimaliste rend heureux. Tous ces accessoires de vie moderne nous encombrent, nous donnent du travail et nous prennent du temps puisqu'il faut les entretenir et finalement ces objets nous possèdent : débarrassons nous du superflu. C'est ce que j'ai fait, cela m'a pris quatre années parce que c'était mon rythme personnel et je suis bien plus heureuse comme cela. J'ai plus de temps pour les choses essentielles : prendre du temps pour être avec ceux que j'aime, pour faire de la cuisine, pour faire des activités manuelles, pour prendre le temps de vivre tout simplement et en plus j'ai fait de considérables économies et je peux travailler moins.

[@andreeailiescu2220]

your channel is helping me survive some dark times. this is amazing, please keep up producing. thanks!

[@meenalaregina7770]

Hi! I love your channel. I studied Thoreau in school and learned that he opposed the Mexican American War. His opposition led him to resist because he believed that the government acted no differently than the British Crown. Please continue your work. Your work is lovely!

[@Einzelgänger]

Hi Meena, thanks for the compliment!

[@zsoltpapp3363]

Its good to refer Seneca, he was super-rich, part of the 0,0001% in Rome. Its different to have all the money in the world and thinking about how we dont need money or to actually be broke..:) Carefully with world famous hypocrites.

[@marlenefischer5946]

Hopefully my dream of a tiny house & being in the woods will come true...life is simple if you allow it...

[@shawnd.8498]

If you constantly think about this, it will come true.

[@gowrygoddard1244]

Why don't you have small house by the side of river, than in the woods, because in the woods scary animals can live.

[@alexandrasalvador9672]

Super agree to the message of this video, it is a great headache to have unnecessary stuffs and being penniless

[@trentynbotello1028]

Grateful for this simple avocado I ate during this wonderful video.

[@DonTheMoron716]

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." - HDT

[@ascii1]

I'm at a point in my life where im feeling what you referred to as status anxiety. I just turned 18 and I've been struggling with the feeling that I need to do something, I need to make money, I need to get a job, I need to get educated. I've always looked at what I could have done, I thought that If I just traded more of my time and I would get the reward. I was always trying to trade my time for money or other status symbols, if I can get X by doing Y, then I need to spend more time on Y.

[@timothy209]

Check out Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Sincerely a 21 year old personal growth junkie.

[@nickturner4150]

I started to learn Tai Chi at the age of 23. I'm now 53. Best thing I ever did. I never get ill, hardly eat. Feel very relaxed and other people buzz off me. By the way, doesn't cost a penny.

[@ascii1]

​@@timothy209 looking a little into it, the two at the top sound like what I'm experiencing, esteem and self-actualization. Of course the problem about how to satisfy those needs is where all the struggle is (But i guess thats what life is, isnt it?). Its nice to know more about the current problems, knowing more about the dragon that needs to be slayed, in a sense. Thanks.

[@Laperdash]

"Own nothing and be happy" is what we recently heard quite often and I completely agree with that. A certain group of people are so obssesed with spending money they don't have because they believe they MUST have a subscription to this, or the latest phone of that brand, or a brandnew leaf blower to clean their 100 square meters garden once a year, or get a child or 3. Yet they blame the elite for being poor. Stuff consumes not only your wallet, but also your mind, peace, body and soul.

[@jeffmoodie6144]

We moved to a new country and sold everything that did not fit in four travel bags to do so. 32 years of homeownership and accumulation. Not having to think and deal with all that “stuff” has been so freeing. Sure, I miss some of that stuff and a few things would have been good to have kept but the benefits are greater than the loss.

[@derprog3961]

You are inspiring. Wish you the best!

[@Gooeybrowniebaby]

I think I’ve now got over the material consumerism, but I still love sensory comfort. That’s to say, I don’t like roughing it out. My house is simply furnished but comfortable. I like comfortable accommodation, nice hotels when travelling, reasonably comfortable means of transport, using taxi instead of public transport when required. I love spas and facials because they’re relaxing. I like dining out at places where it’s comfortable to sit, and the food is enjoyable to eat. I never post things on instagram, and ask friends not to include me in their photos. Even when I go on retreats, the accommodation and food have to be decent for me to reap to full spiritual benefits of the retreat.

[@gingerlove7739]

As a minimalist, I love this video so much :)

[@georgewilliams8492]

Carina Bernardino hey you look nice you gotta snap or Facebook

[@gingerlove7739]

@@georgewilliams8492 u do know this is a public comment hehehe

[@selfelements8037]

In simplicity one finds freedom.

[@somc2803]

The less man needs the more complete he becomes, he gains perfection as he gain freedom from all wants. The more wants he has, the less complete he is. WE CHANGE THE WORLD AS WE CHANGE OURSELVE

[@matthewplehn4271]

Finally i found someone who gets that Movie! (Fightclub).....in particular you understand one of the core fundamentals OF that movie. Thank you.