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Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

andrewhy.de

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Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#111

Post by Avshalom »

TomAnthony wrote: post #40

There are a bunch of comments that this guy actually owns more than 15 things, and that others cope with less, and he isn't in the 3rd world etc. All true; his system isn't as extreme as the headline would have you believe. However, I see the takeaway is that he gets by with a lot less stuff than the average person in his demographic, and I think that is something to be applauded. I know I wouldn't relish doing it li…

That he doesn't actually seem to get by with less is people's problem. He's essentially just renting everything, very inefficiently at that.

It's ridiculous to applaud the idea -of buying coffee at a restaurant every day instead of owning a coffee maker- as "doing with less"

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#112

Post by andrewhyde »

drumdance wrote: post #104
jdietrich wrote: post #80

This isn't minimalism in any sense of the word, it's just a consumerist vanity. OP's 'minimalism' is sustained by a reliance upon huge amounts of infrastructure, most of it environmentally unsustainable. He doesn't carry stuff with him, but uses money to access what he needs. It's like claiming to be a minimalist because you own a second house where you keep all your stuff. OP outsources the burden of sustaining his…

(Disclosure: I know Andrew) "Real minimalists?" What, is there like a club or something? Unlike you, Andrew isn't engaging in a game of "shoulds" and "oughts." He's just experimenting with his lifestyle and learning from the process.

(Disclosure: I am Andrew)

This is a project to help with some personal growth, not really a "I'm better" or "everyone should be like me."

It is just something I did. It taught me amazing things.

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#113

Post by andrewhyde »

JamesNK wrote: post #15
nodata wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Laptop charger, phone charger, money to own washing powder to wash clothes. "Toiletry kit" is a cheat, so add: razor, shaving foam, blades, toothpaste, toothbrush, towel, shampoo, shower gel, etc. etc. etc.

It may not be physical but he has a blog, that's a thing. Email address, tumbler account, Flicker account, etc, etc.

I may not own many things but I am sure a digital hoarder. http://andrewhy.de/im-a-physical-minimalist-but-a-digital-ho...

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#114

Post by anamax »

TomAnthony wrote: post #40

There are a bunch of comments that this guy actually owns more than 15 things, and that others cope with less, and he isn't in the 3rd world etc. All true; his system isn't as extreme as the headline would have you believe. However, I see the takeaway is that he gets by with a lot less stuff than the average person in his demographic, and I think that is something to be applauded. I know I wouldn't relish doing it li…

> However, I see the takeaway is that he gets by with a lot less stuff than the average person in his demographic

Except that he doesn't. He merely doesn't own the stuff that he uses/consumes.

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#116

Post by jerf »

jdietrich wrote: post #80

This isn't minimalism in any sense of the word, it's just a consumerist vanity. OP's 'minimalism' is sustained by a reliance upon huge amounts of infrastructure, most of it environmentally unsustainable. He doesn't carry stuff with him, but uses money to access what he needs. It's like claiming to be a minimalist because you own a second house where you keep all your stuff. OP outsources the burden of sustaining his…

Wait a minute... haven't I been told that the solution to numerous environmental problems is to move more people into cities for the infrastructure sharing? Not necessarily told by you specifically, but certainly by others. Now moving into the city and using its infrastructure is unsustainable and selfish? (Excluding your flying point.)

Help me out here, how am I supposed to be saving the planet today again?

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#117

Post by andrewhyde »

giddas wrote: post #43

Amazing how offended some people seem to be by him omitting a few thing - who really cares

I am constantly amazed with a) peoples obsessions with underwear and b) how really bent up people get over a number being 16 instead of 15.

I said somewhere in the comments that I was disqualified for the minimalist Olympics...

Hello from Colorado!

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#118

Post by rickmb »

drumdance wrote: post #104
jdietrich wrote: post #80

This isn't minimalism in any sense of the word, it's just a consumerist vanity. OP's 'minimalism' is sustained by a reliance upon huge amounts of infrastructure, most of it environmentally unsustainable. He doesn't carry stuff with him, but uses money to access what he needs. It's like claiming to be a minimalist because you own a second house where you keep all your stuff. OP outsources the burden of sustaining his…

(Disclosure: I know Andrew) "Real minimalists?" What, is there like a club or something? Unlike you, Andrew isn't engaging in a game of "shoulds" and "oughts." He's just experimenting with his lifestyle and learning from the process.

He juxtaposes his "minimalism" with being an "overconsumer". His words, not mine.

That makes him a bit of a douchebag who deserves to be called out on his bullshit minimalism claim, not just someone who's just "experimenting and learning". He consumes way more resources than most people on this planet, including most Westerners. By what insane standard is that minimalist?

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#119

Post by sequoia »

In this picture as well as many other such collections, one thing that stands out to me is the fact that no one has any food. The idea put forth here is to keep in ones life only "absolutely necessary" things, ostensibly as a reaction to consumerism, but when creating lists of absolute necessities, somehow food and shelter do not make the cut. How is this possible?

My view is that this "reaction to consumerism" is actually a celebration of consumerism; consumerism boiled down to a pure extract. "Don't do anything for yourself, don't make anything for yourself, don't clean up for yourself: Buy and Throw Away Everything."

Some critics have described this lifestyle as parasitic, but I might also suggest "infantile." Someone who lives this way becomes less and less able to care for themself until... well, until they don't know how to make a cup of coffee! That's not extreme minimalism, it's extreme dependence.

Re: Extreme Minimalism: this guy owns just 15 things

#120

Post by andrewhyde »

jdietrich wrote: post #80

This isn't minimalism in any sense of the word, it's just a consumerist vanity. OP's 'minimalism' is sustained by a reliance upon huge amounts of infrastructure, most of it environmentally unsustainable. He doesn't carry stuff with him, but uses money to access what he needs. It's like claiming to be a minimalist because you own a second house where you keep all your stuff. OP outsources the burden of sustaining his…

OP here.

I don't see your point but feel all your anger. Not sure if I'm just catching it from another project, but it is odd to me that you default from a guy owning a few shirts to causing major economic injustices.

I don't own much physically. I spend my days volunteering and traveling living a pretty simple life. I write posts and sometimes people like and share them. This post was written in May of last year and reached HN today. I'm not trying to promote this much, I'm just doing something for me and sharing it on a bloggity.

The assumption that I'm just snapping my fingers to have an immigrant army at my beck and call is laughable. I couchsurf most nights. I've slept under overpasses. Not just swiping my credit card.

I flew more miles in 2010 than humanity did ~300 years ago. Times are a changing. I could fly around the world for the equivalent to a mortgage payment. What is excessive there? Do you default to negativity for anything related to what is possible?

I'm living a different life that almost everyone I know. Nothing jaw dropping or amazing here, just different, and treat it as such.

Hello from Colorado (this week).

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