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許多人認為簡單主義者就像和尚一樣,過著苦行的生活,剝奪自己『世俗的』東西。還有人對簡單主義者有一種善意的好奇(你們究竟為什麼想要一個空蕩蕩的缺乏溫暖舒適的家?)。
但大家通常不會想到的是簡單主義者在這樣的生活中所得到的真正快樂。而這正是我們當中的許多人接受簡單主義生活方式的首要原因:讓自己快樂起來。
為此,我決定從哲學角度談談簡單主義的十大好處。
1.擁有的東西越少,你的壓力就越少。你擁有的財產越少,就越不必擔心它們的維護、修理、保險、保管和支出。
2.擁有的東西越少,你的自由就越大。財產就像錨,把我們固定在房子周圍(房子是為了擱東西),束縛在工作中(工作是為了掙錢買東西)。如果你沒有滿滿一屋子的財物,你就能更容易遷移,並從隨著遷移而出現的各種機會中獲利。
3.擁有的東西越少,你擁有的時間就越多。從計劃、研究到最終購買一樣東西(從開車到各商店考察到在網上搜索消費者的評價)都需要花時間。清潔、維護和整理你的財物也需要時間。你買的東西越少,你用於追求其他的快樂事情的時間就越多。
4.擁有的東西越少,你的錢就越多。你買得越少,你存的錢就越多,銀行賬戶上多點錢,誰會不高興呢?
5.擁有的東西越少,你與鄰居攀比的壓力就越小。當人們知道你是個簡單主義者時,就不會期待你有最新、最好的玩具和顯示社會地位的物品。事實上,他們不指望你擁有任何東西。(我真希望看到鄰居變成簡單主義者,相互攀比誰更少消費。)
6.擁有的東西越少,你需要清理的東西就越少。我可不喜歡把周末花在給家裡的種種裝飾打掃衛生,把不再中意的東西統統放到抽屜、垃圾桶和壁櫥裡(我敢肯定並不是我一個人有這種想法!)。此外,成為一個簡單主義者意味著,當朋友突然來訪時,你會有一個足夠乾淨體面的家。
7.擁有的東西越少,你的機會就越多,創造性越高。我喜歡接受在不購買『多餘』東西的情況下設法滿足自己的需要或完成一項任務的挑戰。
8.擁有的東西越少,我們的地球就越環保。你買的東西越少,對環境就越有利。瘋狂消費是對地球自然資源的最大浪費。
9.擁有的東西越少,別人擁有的就越多。地球的資源是有限的。當我們過度消費,超過我們應有的份額——留給別人和後代的資源就更少。簡單主義者的生活方式有助於恢復平衡。
10.擁有的東西越少,你的快樂就越多。你需要為之操心的財物越少,你就會有更多的時間和朋友、家人相聚;有更多的時間欣賞花草、晚霞及生命中一切美好的東西。這正是人生快樂的源泉——比任何消費品帶來的快樂都多。
A lot of people think being a minimalist is akin to being a monk—living a sort of ascetic lifestyle in which you deprive yourself of 『wordly』 things simply for the sake of it. Others regard minimalists with polite curiosity (why ever would you WANT to have an empty house?)
What gets lost in most considerations of minimalism is the true joy that can be found in the lifestyle. I think that」s the number one reason most of us adopt it: to make ourselves happy.
To this end, I」ve decided to wax philosophical today on the top ten benefits of being a minimalist.
1. Less stuff=less stress. The fewer possessions you have, the less you need to worry about maintaining, repairing, insuring, protecting, and paying for them.
2. Less stuff=more freedom. Possessions are like anchors, tethering us to our houses (to store them), and our jobs (to pay for them). When you don」t have a houseful of stuff, you」re much more mobile and able to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
3. Less stuff=more time. It takes time to plan for, research, and acquire a purchase (from driving around to stores, to surfing the web for consumer reviews). And it takes time to clean, maintain, and keep stuff in order once you own it. The less stuff you buy, the more time you have for other (more pleasurable) pursuits.
4. Less stuff=more money. The less you buy, the more you save. And who wouldn」t be happier with a little more money in their bank account?
5. Less stuff=less pressure to keep up with the Joneses. When people know you」re a minimalist, they don」t expect you to have the latest and greatest toys and status symbols. In fact, they don」t expect you to have anything at all. (Actually, I」d love to see the Joneses become minimalist, and the competitive non-consumption that results.)
6. Less stuff=less to clean. I prefer not to spend my weekends dusting around tchotchkes, and corralling wayward items into drawers, bins, and closets (and I suspect I」m not the only one!) What」s more: when you」re a minimalist, your house is more likely to look halfway decent when someone drops by unexpectedly.
7. Less stuff=more opportunity to be creative and resourceful. I love the challenge of meeting a need, or completing a task, without purchasing something 『extra.』
8. Less stuff=a greener planet. The fewer things you buy, the better for the environment. Rampant consumption is a terrible waste of the Earth」s natural resources.
9. Less stuff for me=more for others. The resources of our planet are finite. When we over-consume, we take more than our fair share—leaving less for others, and future generations. A minimalist lifestyle helps restore the balance.
10. Less stuff=more joy. The fewer possessions you have to fuss over, the more time you have for friends, family, flowers, sunsets, and the beautiful things in life. And that——more than any consumer item——is the source of true happiness.
(唐述摘自2010年7月《海外文摘》)
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