why is minimalism so popular van life

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3 Comments

  1. I think living with less is here to stay and that is a positive direction. For me, minimalism is too extreme. America is become a culture of extremes and I find this to be a good example of an extreme reaction to the notion of living with less. It is the opposite extreme from the materialistic lifestyle in the 80s. Living with thoughtful balance is what makes most sense in my life.

  2. Lisa Blythe says:

    Hi I really appreciate your blog posts and past recipes and continually strive to live a minimalist lifestyle. I’ve been studying Seneca and other stoics who really inspire consciousness in consumption and specifically the deliberate contemplation of the lifecycle of an investment, whether it is time, energy, food, clothing, housing, or emotions. That’s why I was surprised to see this image choice in your blog post and wondered if this was indeed your decision to include it in the paragraph referencing the origins of minimalism in the Stoic and Buddhist philosophies, or if it was added by your web host.
    I don’t know if I can attach the image but it features a Buddhist Monk contemplating beautiful mountain scenery with a plastic water bottle by his side. It is a little disconcerting to see, followed in the text by #2 – the environmental costs of excessive consumerism. Or maybe you were being ironic.
    I appreciate the entire post and think that when minimalism is a choice, it feels incredibly liberating for those who are able to eschew the stuff and invest in a few high quality necessities. Depending on their family, career choice, and social stature, it can be challenging explaining themselves to others who are caught up in the conspicuous consumer cog.

    It is entirely different for the millions who are living minimally because that’s all they have and when/if they have the option to splurge on something, it helps them feel “successful” and “normal”, at least in the US, whose economy is based on people buying “stuff.”

    Thanks again for your post and I hope to hear back regarding the image and the rationale for its use.
    Cheers,
    Lisa

    1. Hi Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the post.

      The image selected was an oversight on our end, and it has been removed. I appreciate your feedback!

      And agreed. Minimalism is a totally different experience when comparing it with those that choose to live minimally with those who don’t have a choice.