Humans often overburden themselves with all kinds of material possessions, buying much more than we need to stay alive and thriving. Consumerism comes with a price as well, as it requires resources to keep up with the other consumers.
Therefore, many people are willing to work themselves into an early grave, and simply accumulate, what we could call, ‘extensions of themselves’; extensions of their egos. “I have more, so I am more,” they tend to think, so by increasing their possessions they increase their sense of self.
But there’s a counter-movement to the consumerist society we’re living in, known as minimalism. Minimalists are people who turn their backs to overconsumption and decide to live with no more than necessary.
Aside from it being a lifestyle trend today, minimalism is a concept that people have been practicing for centuries. There’s a sense of freedom in simplicity, and not owning much, which many sages and philosophers have experienced throughout the ages. They saw that possessions don’t define who we are and that the ongoing pursuit of external things prevents us from experiencing life to the fullest.
This video examines the philosophical side of minimalism and explores why more is less and why less is more, and why letting go is true wealth (minimalist philosophy for simple living).