To each his own for me. Having less didn't allow me to enjoy or experience special things that having more somehow prevented from experiencing as the author would describe. In fact, having more was way better than having less for me.
Last 5 years, I moved around to various cities Canada and US every 4 to 8 months or so going to school and working on internships. By necessity, I had to pack light, really light. No car obviously. I was a poor student. I had only one furniture, a bed, and I got that only after I started to have lady friends over. Before that, I slept in sleeping bag for months. I had very few cloths and only thing I had extra were my underwear and socks. And I guess only thing of value I carried around was my Macbook. I didn't even have a smart phone until this last month. I used cheap Huawei prepaid phone drug dealers use as their second phone. I probably had a little more stuff than an average homeless person in that I had a roof over where I slept.
It was definately an "experience" alright. I had ended the life of plentifuly that I took granted in high school, and went onto a subsistence living by the North American standard of extreme minimalism for 5 years. Sure, I learned to inspect what my true needs were and had a good discipline to spend on things I needed, not wanted. However, was that learning worth 5 years of discomfort and annoyance?
Since January this year, I finally decided to settle. I was done with school and I found a good roommate to share furnitures and kitchenwares with. I had a lot of fun decorating my room, living room and kitchen. It's been awesome since then. I felt so much more comfortable with things around.
To put it bluntly, there wasn't anything romantic about living with less stuff. I haven't experienced or felt different things that you would not feel through living with plenty of things.
You condemn living with less while, in the same comment, describe exactly the kind of opportunity that it affords. Nobody with a full house, a 60" TV, and two cars in the garage could ever "[move] around to various cities Canada and US every 4 to 8 months or so going to school and working on internships." Maybe five years was too long for you, or maybe this wasn't your cup of tea, but it's an opportunity. It's a life-defining experience that you can only accomplish with a light-weight, minimal lifestyle. The case for minimalism, at least for me, is made almost exclusively in the opportunities it affords you. It's about trading certain comforts for life experiences.
That said, I am absolutely willing to admit that it is probably not for everybody and it is hardly going to be worth doing your entire life. But how many people don't even think to consider it? What opportunities are they losing out on?
It doesn't blow. The stimulation and knowledge you get (about yourself and about others) you get from new places and cultures (and not just dropping by for a visit, but actually living and working there) is fantastic. Of course, it gets old and you'll want to settle down, but at least you have those experiences under your belt.
Looks like parent's desired opportunities crystallised when he finally was able to settle down and escape forced minimalism and job jumping.
He didn't like it (for good reasons he explained) and it's like you are telling him "cancer opened your eyes to the importance of human relationships so it was an opportunity, see ?".
I was in the same situation as you, and when it's not voluntary, it's not very much fun. My dream now is to settle down in a home and live there for 5+ years.
to be fair... your 'improved' situation seems like what most people are advocating when they say you should have less stuff. you share living arrangements and don't own any expensive stuff.
your previous position seems pretty extreme... no furniture at all, barely any clothes, only extra socks... just a laptop.
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To each his own for me. Having less didn't allow me to enjoy or experience special things that having more somehow prevented from experiencing as the author would describe. In fact, having more was way better than having less for me.
Last 5 years, I moved around to various cities Canada and US every 4 to 8 months or so going to school and working on internships. By necessity, I had to pack light, really light. No car obviously. I was a poor student. I had only one furniture, a bed, and I got that only after I started to have lady friends over. Before that, I slept in sleeping bag for months. I had very few cloths and only thing I had extra were my underwear and socks. And I guess only thing of value I carried around was my Macbook. I didn't even have a smart phone until this last month. I used cheap Huawei prepaid phone drug dealers use as their second phone. I probably had a little more stuff than an average homeless person in that I had a roof over where I slept.
It was definately an "experience" alright. I had ended the life of plentifuly that I took granted in high school, and went onto a subsistence living by the North American standard of extreme minimalism for 5 years. Sure, I learned to inspect what my true needs were and had a good discipline to spend on things I needed, not wanted. However, was that learning worth 5 years of discomfort and annoyance?
Since January this year, I finally decided to settle. I was done with school and I found a good roommate to share furnitures and kitchenwares with. I had a lot of fun decorating my room, living room and kitchen. It's been awesome since then. I felt so much more comfortable with things around.
To put it bluntly, there wasn't anything romantic about living with less stuff. I haven't experienced or felt different things that you would not feel through living with plenty of things.