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3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

theguardian.com

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Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#11

Post by logicalDuck »

nsxwolf wrote: post #6
newjersey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not minimalism if it is not a choice. It is like saying couples with no access to birth control automatically love children. No, this children are likely just accidents that people endure.

I've never met a person that regretted a single one of their children no matter how many they had or how poor they were. If I ever do meet such a person I will gleefully judge them as a bad person.

It's a surprisingly high percentage... Here's an article about it, apparently the choice to have a child or not apparently plays pretty heavily into how you feel about it. I think it's cruel to judge people for regretting having a child, they already deal with the guilt of that as well as raising the child. There are all sorts of feels and viewpoints towards the world so I think as long as the parent still does their best it's best to respect their feelings rather than judge them as a bad person for having them.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/09/not-wantin...

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#13

Post by struct »

As much as I like the idea of living with only a few possessions, it strikes me as a constant struggle: where do you put the 50 pack of envelopes you had to buy to send one letter? Are scissors for opening packaging included in his possessions? Nail trimmers? Toiletries? A formal pair of shoes? Do you have to hire all this stuff when you need it, or just keep in a drawer out of sight? And this is what I didn't get about the KonMari method either: a formal suit doesn't "bring me joy" any more than a sink plunger, but both are necessary. How are minimalists able to get away without this cloud of objects following them?

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#15

Post by swang »

struct wrote: post #13

As much as I like the idea of living with only a few possessions, it strikes me as a constant struggle: where do you put the 50 pack of envelopes you had to buy to send one letter? Are scissors for opening packaging included in his possessions? Nail trimmers? Toiletries? A formal pair of shoes? Do you have to hire all this stuff when you need it, or just keep in a drawer out of sight? And this is what I didn't get ab…

they probably borrow from neighbors...?

i definitely run into this problem. i need that _one_ envelope. do i really want to buy 50 to shove the rest into a drawer?

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#16

Post by jacquesm »

logicalDuck wrote: post #11
nsxwolf wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never met a person that regretted a single one of their children no matter how many they had or how poor they were. If I ever do meet such a person I will gleefully judge them as a bad person.

It's a surprisingly high percentage... Here's an article about it, apparently the choice to have a child or not apparently plays pretty heavily into how you feel about it. I think it's cruel to judge people for regretting having a child, they already deal with the guilt of that as well as raising the child. There are all sorts of feels and viewpoints towards the world so I think as long as the parent still does their…

The only percentage that I can find in that article that lists 'unwanted' is 10, and the study is anything but scientific.

For most people birth control is about when they will have their children, not whether or not they want children. Having kids is - in mosts parts of the world - still the norm and not having kids the exception. Maybe that will change over time, it is now socially acceptable not to want children whereas say 200 years ago that meant that you were either destined to become part of some religious organization as a monk, nun or in the clergy.

Re: 3 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, meet Japans hardcore minimalists

#18

Post by mavhc »

swang wrote: post #15
struct wrote: post #13

As much as I like the idea of living with only a few possessions, it strikes me as a constant struggle: where do you put the 50 pack of envelopes you had to buy to send one letter? Are scissors for opening packaging included in his possessions? Nail trimmers? Toiletries? A formal pair of shoes? Do you have to hire all this stuff when you need it, or just keep in a drawer out of sight? And this is what I didn't get ab…

they probably borrow from neighbors...? i definitely run into this problem. i need that _one_ envelope. do i really want to buy 50 to shove the rest into a drawer?

Sounds like you need some kind of community shop, that sells/loans things you want in the way you want it.

You don't need the clothes that society tells you you have to wear at different events, just need 50% of people not to care.

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