Continuity and Change Over Time
During an AP U.S. History lecture, I realized that I am not the only one who thought excessive buying would be the answer to my quest for lasting joy. I found a great deal of similarities between the population of the 1950’s.
The American Dream was coined in 1931 by a man named James Adams and was the idea “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” The original meaning of this dream was for anyone to be able to achieve success in America- their own unadulterated interpretation of success.
After World War II in the 1950’s, Americans have related this success and happiness to their salaries and the number of objects they can purchase. The American Dream at the time of the baby boomers frayed away from finding joy in what one had and grew into a universal goal for the population to achieve. The ideal American was to own a house in the suburbs, two cars, and the most recent toys and gadgets. At this time, the dream was the same for everyone- where all members of society conformed to a materialistic view of success. These people were considered the “Silent Generation” due to their lack of originality and how far they had strayed away from the 1931 American Dream.
Almost seventy years later, little has changed. The American dream in the twenty first century is still to have a stable job with a six-digit salary and large homes in the best school districts. This dream is the same for everyone and it has further intensified because of social media with its ability to spread ideals in a quick manner. We have items in storage yet continue to make new purchases out of the feeling of emptiness dwelling in our bodies. Commercials convince us that we need a new product even though we have five similar ones sitting on our bathroom counters. Just like the baby boomers, we believe true contentment will unrealistically sprout from our belongings. Although the current societal viewpoint is that happiness is derived from consumption, simplifying one’s belongings provides clarity and unexpected satisfaction in life.
Need For Change
Recently, society’s rebels have recognized human nature’s excessive consumption habits as wasteful, ignorant, and unnecessary. They have developed methods and concepts like minimalism to help solve this depression-causing problem. However, it is difficult for all members of society to participate in this movement that calls for the surrendering of our belongings.
As a high school student, I am someone who is interested in this practice. In fact, minimalism is not the only strategy of simplifying that I have researched. This desire to clear my space originated from my desire to clear my mind. Throughout my life, I have been considered a fairly organized individual. From my school notes to my closet, I like to keep my things clean. I had been able to keep up with this for my entire life. However, once I stepped through the high school doors, my methods of organization fell through. I only had time to tidy my room once a week and I often found myself in a pool of clothes and papers. The useless objects I had accumulated in the past decade began to overpower my head. Lack of time led to a messy room, resulting in my disoriented mind. As I sat staring into my computer screen at one o’clock in the morning, I could not help but remember the times I was able to curl up in my neatly made bed at nine o’clock P.M. in middle school.
As I desperately fought against my eyelids forcing themselves closed, I couldn’t help but wonder how I could change this.
Minimalism
Materialism and consumerism have taken over human values and we have since automatically assumed that the more we own, the more satisfied we would feel.
Minimalism is a contrasting lifestyle created by Joshua Millburn and his friend, Ryan Nicodemus. The goal of this way of living is to focus on what brings joy to one’s life and let go of what is weighing down contentment. The two have made podcasts, a website, a documentary, and other ways of sharing their ideas.
Since its introduction, over twenty million people have adopted this lifestyle; but many also question its methods and struggle to internalize how less can be more.
The Minimalists claim that consumerism and too may things is what leads to unhappiness. Purchasing new items only crowds a living space and makes object owners continuously dissatisfied. This often leads to the need for more because the thrill of purchasing that new item wears off quickly. Buying fuels an addiction that most people are not aware of.
Flaws
The ironic complication that must be recognized with this new lifestyle is that it is more accessible for those with money and the means to support themselves. Although it may seem contradictory, those that do not have enough money must have more items in their house as an extra cushion in case their favorite shirt can no longer be used. Their items are often purchased on sale and they cannot afford to throw away perfectly useful objects that do not necessarily give them joy; they simply cannot waste money in that sort of way. These people do not have the convenience of simply buying what needs to be replaced, so keeping what they have is the most logical option.
The concept of minimalism was designed by corporate workers who previously had stable jobs. Their income from these jobs allowed them to buy anything they needed, and gave them the privilege to throw away things that they regretted purchasing. This is not the case for many Americans.
Personal Setbacks
Because I am a teenager with caring parents, it is difficult for me to simply grab a garbage bag and start filling it with my belongings that no longer mean anything to me because my possessions mean a great deal to them. Even if a dress has been hanging in the back of my closet for years, my mom can think of a reason to keep it. She believes that this style of dress will still be on trend in a couple decades when my children are my age, making it very important to save it just in case.
It would be a waste to throw it away. This is the way most people think.
The reality is that it is much more efficient to just get rid of it than to let it take up unnecessary space in a house that she has to pay mortgage for. In twenty years, my children will probably not want to wear clothes from when they were not alive. Since I have no use for that piece of clothing, it makes sense to donate, sell, or throw it away.
This is where I am now. In a rut- with the knowledge of how I could lift a weight off my shoulders but with the inability to put my thoughts into actions.
