Minimalism in a Consumer Environment

October 19, 2020

Think about the things that you own. Picture the clothes in your closet and the possessions cluttering your house. Odds are that you’re picturing a closet full of clothes that you never wear, and a house full of things that you never use.

According to Loveday Wright, “If everybody lived in the same way as the average American, we would need almost five planet Earths”. That number is shocking. The American lifestyle is full of stuff. People want to buy stuff and simply own more stuff than their peers. This can be for any reason, from trying to boost social status to taking pride in having the latest and greatest thing that somebody else does not.

I would like to propose the idea that having less is more. An idea that, in the words of Wright, “equates living more minimally with living more meaningfully”. We can live happier and healthier lives without having the added burden of so much stuff.

In addition to the individual aspect of this minimalism, it goes beyond whatever personal reasons that someone chooses to make this change. In an article by Megan Ray Nichols, she says, “According to one study, the products we consume are responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions”. The decision that we make on a personal level can in turn have a global impact.

Nichols goes on, saying that “Buying less of higher quality goods can help protect the environment by reducing demand for ‘fast’ consumer products and lowering the amount of trash in landfills”. If we as Americans and as individuals make the decision to limit the products we consume, we can begin taking steps to preserve the planet that we all call home, and feel a little better while doing it.

Try consolidating the possessions you own by taking small steps. Clean out that closet of clothes that you never wear, or go through that old junk drawer and sort out the things you never use and no longer need. The saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” has never been more accurate. There are more ways now than ever to make some money back on items you can live without. You can list your old clothes online and try to make some money, or you could even take some things to goodwill and bless some other people in your area who might be in need.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 says, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” This is a solid reminder that the things of this world matter not. At the end of the day, who we are on the inside speaks louder and clearer than the things we seem to have and project on the outside.

Sources:

https://www.veteransoffgrid.org/blog/whats-the-connection-between-minimalism-and-sustainability

https://www.dw.com/en/can-a-minimalist-mindset-help-save-the-planet/a-51733322 

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