The philosophy of modern minimalism: A new name for an old way of thinking
Summary: Contrary to popular misunderstanding, modern minimalism doesn’t mean getting rid of all your belongings and living like an ascetic. Rather, it means asking a simple question about what we own and how we spend our time, energy, or resources. Namely, do the material things or activities in which we’re invested truly add value or bring meaning to our lives?
Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom. – Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
I’m a fan of the philosophy of minimalism (also known as simple living). In its modern form, minimalism typically means simplifying one’s lifestyle. For instance, it may mean focusing one’s time, energy, and resources only on what truly brings meaning to life.
My first exposure to modern minimalism was the film Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things. This beautifully put-together documentary follows two friends, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Together, they travel around the U.S. to promote the minimalist message of their memoir, Everything That Remains.
Who are these guys, what exactly is the message of their memoir, and why bother heeding that message?
The minimalists
As they write about in their book, Joshua and Ryan are a couple of Midwestern guys who grew up quite poor. So, they devoted their early adult years to chasing the American Dream: climbing the Corporate Ladder, becoming well-paid executives, and buying expensive stuff (lots of stuff) to reward themselves for their onerous toil at the office.
Sometimes, they spent so much money that, despite their large paychecks, they went seriously into debt (thousands of dollars into debt). But hey, as long as the money was rolling in, life appeared hunky dory on the surface, so they continued to live out this American Dream with panache.
Nevertheless, tragic events can force people to reevaluate their lifestyles, which is exactly what happened to Joshua. In a single month, his mother died and his marriage fell apart. He found himself alone, surrounded by mountains of material things that failed to make him feel any better. Realizing he needed to change his life, he ended up stumbling across a modern philosophy known as minimalism.
What is minimalism?
First off, let’s be clear about what modern minimalism is NOT. Minimalism doesn’t mean getting rid of all your belongings and living like an ascetic. Rather, it means asking a simple question about what we own and how we spend our time, energy, or resources. Namely, do the material things or activities in which we’re invested truly add value or bring meaning to our lives?
Asking that question made Joshua cognizant of a contradiction in the American Dream. In the relentless pursuit of happiness, we’ve made ourselves unhappy: buying stuff we don’t need, with money we don’t have, by working long hours at jobs we don’t necessarily enjoy, all to impress countless people we may not know.
As a result of this compulsive consumption, we feel empty inside. And yet, to fill that existential vacuum, we may resort to buying even more things, piling on extra debt, and working longer hours to pay for that ever-growing debt. All the while, we can easily lose track of our relationships, friendships, and passions that make life worth living. In the end, we don’t really own or control our things; our things own and control us.
So runs the message of Everything That Remains. In fact, it’s not unlike what Henry David Thoreau writes about in Walden:
Men have become the tools of their tools.
Why bother with modern minimalism?
To turn his life around, Joshua (perhaps taking a cue from Thoreau) got rid of his excessive belongings, paid off his debt, and changed his career path. This allowed him to devote more time to his loved ones, cultivate his treasured friendships, and pursue his abiding passion for writing. His buddy Ryan, eventually noticing how much happier Joshua became, soon followed suit.
Their book, Everything That Remains, is the account of their minimalist adventure. It is, in my opinion, a delightfully well-written narrative—composed by Joshua, with quirky commentary added by Ryan. Regarding its overall message, here are a couple of thoughts I had about the book:
- Granted, it may not be for everyone. After all, it’s a harsh critique of the American Dream, at least as many people conventionally understand it: work hard, climb the corporate ladder, and then buy your dream car, large house, and all the materials things you want. For the most part, Joshua and Ryan present minimalism as a meaningful alternative to mindless materialism. Their end goal is to live more deliberately and purposefully.
- Contrary to popular opinion, minimalism isn’t some new fad. If anything, it’s just a new name for an old way of thinking. Simply put, modern minimalism is about focusing on what matters in life. Similar messages come from the Buddha, Stoic philosophers like Seneca, and American writers such as Thoreau. What’s new is how Joshua and Ryan present this message in an updated and accessible way.
Given these thoughts, I suppose the practical takeaway of modern minimalism may come down to something like this:
Minimizing what we own can endow us with more time, energy, and resources that allow us to focus on what truly adds value or brings meaning to our lives, such as our relationships, friendships, and passions.
Modern minimalism and digital minimalism
As a side note, I do think the term ‘minimalism’ may need clarification from time to time. Indeed, something is being minimized: compulsive consumption and mindless materialism. However, something else is being maximized: mindful and meaningful living. In sum, minimalism aims to minimize material distractions in order to maximize meaning.
Of course, those material distractions nowadays include digital distractions. So, if the message of modern minimalism resonates with you, you also may appreciate a more recent take on this philosophy: digital minimalism—the application of minimalism to how we use digital technologies.