-{ redgeek.net }-

My friend’s fiance wants things. She wants a new car, a new laptop, a new piece of furniture … things that are bigger, better, faster version of things she already owns. She whines plaintively about not having these things, about getting these things, about the joy of eventually having these things. I don’t believe she whines because these things out beyond her means, and that they are not beyond my friend’s means, but because she worries. She worries that her life is too stressful, that events won’t work out, and these smaller, older, slower things she already has provide minor annoyances that grate on her already frazzled outlook.

Material things will not ease an already troubled mind.

I have things. I’m currently trying to get rid of things; to pare down to the necessities (of both utility and beauty.) Although I believe I currently have too many things, there was a time when I had even more things. There was a time when I was pulling in twice what I make now, and my cost of living was half – I had four times as many things.

And I can absolutely tell you, more things don’t make you feel better, more relaxed, less stressed, etc. If anything, you have to worry more about losing said things, or repairing them, maintaining them, all of which only adds to your stress. Of course, there are the obvious exceptions – a new bed can definitely help you relax and get a better nights sleep, thereby improving your wakeful mind, but these are not the things I’m talking about. I’m talking about the things you’ve gotten along without thus far.

These new things are distractions, they don’t address the problem. The problem is the troubled mind. Stress relief comes from removing or dealing with the stresses themselves, not the feelings they produce. Sure, maybe life seems a whole lot easier when you get that new bedroom furniture – you have room for all your stuff, and it’s so easy to get to everything! – but ultimately the stress and worries of life will manifest somewhere else. You think, _ if only I could do the same for the garage,_ but it never ends. Once the distraction becomes banal, the stress returns and you go looking for a new distraction.

Getting new things is generally treating the symptom, not the source.

Now, I’m not against owning things as a principle, but one of the problem with the consumer culture we live in now is that the consumption tends to be used as a crutch to avoid personal introspection, a kind of snake-oil cure-all for your mental needs. It’s not strictly a need-versus-want question, either. You’re allowed to have things you want and don’t need, that perfectly alright. But do you want them for the right reasons? Do you want a new car because your old one can’t make it out into the woods to go camping? Sounds like you need a new car. Maybe that’s valid. Or maybe it’s just an excuse – perhaps it’d be more fun to park farther away, and backpack in to your campsite.

I’ve been thinking about this a great deal lately, since I’ve been on a minimization kick. I’ll be keeping plenty of the things I already own, such as antique furniture and whatnot, but I’ll be placing those and many other things in storage and pretty much forgetting about them. What do I want after I sell the house? I think the core boils down to:

• Clothes, enough to get through 2-3 weeks
• Set of dishware, glasses, and utensils for two people
• Small table and two chairs
• Bed and linens
• Laptop and related sundry
• Camera and related sundry
• Car, with iPod :)
• Some nice art to hang on the walls

Books? Storage. CDs, end-tables, coffee-table, chairs, miscellaneous kitchen gear, power tools? Storage. TV, stereo, miscellaneous furniture? Will be sold or given away. It may appear to be somewhat “college bachelor” style, but I believe it can be done tastefully and minimally. And when it comes down to it, most of the rest of the stuff I could retain I don’t really use. Not right now, anyway.

Of course, I realize that, just like acquiring things isn’t a cure-all, neither is relinquishing. But it does help relieve distractions, making it easier to concentrate on your self.