What is voluntary simplicity?
A lifestyle choice known as voluntary simplicity reduces the wasteful acquisition of material possessions and the chase of prosperity for its own sake. It’s also known as “downshifting,” “the simple life,” or “simple living.” People choose voluntary simplicity to lessen the damaging effects of needless consumption on the environment and live more straightforward, fulfilling lives for themselves and their families.
Understanding Voluntary Simplicity
Proponents of voluntary simplicity contend that the consumption culture of today all too often leads individuals to assume that ostentatious possessions, high-end vehicles, and ever-larger houses are how one may purchase happiness or elevate one’s social standing. Alternatively, others become part of the voluntary simplicity movement and escape the metaphorical rat race.
Proponents claim that individuals may work fewer hours and have more time for themselves and their families since living a simpler lifestyle is less expensive. Living with less of what money can buy is just one aspect of voluntary simplicity; another is desiring less in the first place. Individuals who engage in it claim to feel free rather than deprived.
Voluntary Simplicity Types
Voluntary simplicity has been in and out of style for decades, using many different names and forms. The writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau was one of the first supporters. In his well-known book “Walden, or Life in the Woods,” published in 1854, he describes the modest cottage he erected on the edge of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived a simple life for little over two years. Thoreau’s straightforward counsel to readers is to “simplify, simplify.”
A century after Thoreau, the counterculture of the hippies, with its rejection of worldly commodities and acceptance of communal life and a return to the countryside, introduced voluntary simplicity to the 1960s and early 1970s. In his song “Imagine,” former Beatle John Lennon urged listeners to “imagine no possessions” by 1971.
At the end of the 20th century, writers like Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez spearheaded the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement, which made voluntary simplicity a core tenet. It implied that individuals may quit their employment far before the usual retirement age and use those years to pursue their true passions if they significantly reduce their spending and save the money in place.
More recently, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” a best-selling book by Marie Kondo from 2014, was added to the canon of voluntary simplicity. It advised readers to eliminate things that only made them feel heavier—mentally and physically. “Keep only items that speak to your heart and discard items that no longer bring you joy,” is Kondo’s advice. After thanking them for their assistance, release them. You are free to choose the voluntary simplicity elements that you believe would improve your life rather than having to adopt them all. Ultimately, voluntary simplicity is just that—voluntary.
Particular Points to Remember
Even if they don’t wish to make voluntary simplicity the center of their lives, they may practice it and gain advantages. That may include moving from a big home to a smaller one, as many people do to simplify their lives and save money on housing once they reach retirement age. If you prefer cooking, it can mean spending more time in the kitchen and less time dining out. It might also involve planting vegetables in your garden rather than relying only on store-bought produce.
Voluntary simplicity may include reducing your job hours if you can do so to spend more time with your family or engage in hobbies. Alternatively, it might include increasing your funds to quit your job immediately. Living a simpler lifestyle alone is a personal decision that may be incorporated in many ways. Three simple strategies include cutting down on spending, clearing up clutter, and practicing mindful consumption.
Conclusion
- Voluntary simplicity aims to live a simpler, less stressful life by downplaying the importance of accumulating wealth and material possessions.
- Choosing voluntary simplicity may also help the environment by reducing wasteful spending.
- Voluntary simplicity proponents assert that the goal is emancipation rather than deprivation.
