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The Minimalists

Minimalism - Documentary about the important things

Section titled “Minimalism - Documentary about the important things”

Source Minimalism Official Netflix Documentary

  • Focus on important things to you and what makes you happy, provides value
  • Be conscious of addictions, unhealthy images, consumerism that can be promoted by advertising, society. Understand symbolism of consumption rather than actual benefit of things.
    • Need to be aware of compulsive consumption - consumption itself is not bad.
    • Be cautious of social perceptions about fashion, technology use
  • A certain amount of money is correlated to happiness to provide safety, shelter.
  • Make living space for what you need
  • Make time and space (physical and mental) for people, yourself providing freedom
  • Connect in the present, mindful:
    • Meditation -“Makes me 10% happier” -Dan Harris
  • Balance
    • Having enough
    • Love people, community

Source: A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish

  • Less distractions, avoid “filling void” with products and services
  • Live a deliberate life
    • Assess what takes up your time
    • Exercise: packing party: pack all items as if you are moving, unpack a thing when you need something
      • After a while, remove boxes with things you don’t need

Source: The Art of Letting Go : The Minimlists | TEDxFargo

  • Memories are inside us, can save sentimental items like photographs and small items
  • Donate stuff and funds. Goal: add value to other people’s lives
  • “Love people, use things”
  • Need to let go and move on
  • “How might your life be better with less?”
    • Benefit is more time, space for passions and relationships
    • Exercise: remove 1 item per day

Source: Minimal Maxims - the minimalists, podcast discussions

  • “Love people and use things, because the opposite never works.”
  • Addictions
    • Balance of love people and use things, what is appropriate use of things?
      • Conscious of addictions influence:
        • On relationships with people
        • Your own feelings like guilt, shame, perceptions - self imposed
    • Issues of:
      • Accessibility and legal restrictions
      • User’s maturity, age, life situation
      • Safety
  • Ask questions to children to understand their intentions, ask them about their values and beliefs
  • Use the conversion to discuss boundaries in the whole family, though be specific
  • Stoicism like minimizing negative emotions
  • Appropriate for everyone from those with little (Musonius Rufus) and those with a lot (Seneca)
  • Stoicism journey is long term project
  • Like junk food which is poor for health, favouring junk values like materialism, beauty makes mental health poor (for example depression)
    • Think about the end in mind, at death, you will value things like relationships, experiences
    • Work through the belief in need for junk values, discover they are created by society and perceptions