Minimalistic lifestyle in a modern world - An-Nahar

BEIRUT: Inspired by “less is more” as a life motto, the minimalistic lifestyle is all about living with less in a commercialized modern world filled with distractions and mental clutter.

The core principles of the minimalistic lifestyle are similar among cultures, however, some specifics change. For many minimalists, the philosophy revolves around eliminating excessive clutter and material objects and living a life centered on experiences rather than possessions.

By embracing minimalism, we are prioritizing quality over quantity in our lives. It is the practice of mindfulness concerning consumption, possessions, time, work, relationships, energy, and the environment, by identifying what is essential and eliminating the rest.

The modern minimalistic lifestyle movement is a reactive response to the trendy consumerist culture, which has a remarkable influence shifting our attention and energies on possessions, making us consume a large range of goods and then want and buy more. In this sense, consumerism means “impulsive, and unfocused," mainly unintentional.

In a recent study conducted by Northwestern University, people who highly value possessions, wealth, and status tend to become depressed or antisocial. Moreover, a 2005 study exploring minimalism and happiness found that voluntary simplifiers reported higher life satisfaction, more positive experiences and fewer experiences of unhappiness.

Though it gained popularity in recent years, mostly in the developed world, minimalistic lifestyle is not a new way of life. Religions and spirituality have discussed the benefits of living simply within the necessities of life, away from many possessions, thousands of years ago. Also, artists have embraced minimalism ages ago.

Consumerism plays a huge role in climate change; it is responsible for up to 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2016 study. Thus, the minimalistic lifestyle movement promotes mindful consumption by encouraging consumers to buy less, buy better and waste less, contributing to society’s sustainability’s goals.

Minimalism in Lebanon

Is there any sign of a minimalistic lifestyle in Lebanon? A 2016 study that compared Lebanese and American on mindful consumption behavior found significant differences between the two cultures. Mindful consumers are individuals who, in all stages of consumption, are aware of themselves and the society at large and behave in ways that contribute to the well-being of all these entities. Mindfulness is crucial in living a minimalistic lifestyle -it involves individual factors relating to personal health, happiness, and financial stability, and external ones related to the environment and society at large.

According to the study, Americans are way more mindful than Lebanese concerning external factors such as the environment and the sustainability of the society, which is explained by the non-implementation of environmental laws in Lebanon as well as the non-proliferation of good environmental behavior.

Minimalism is trending in the US. The movement has inspired people to move into very small houses, downsize their wardrobes and donate their possessions. On the other hand, Lebanon is far from embracing minimalism, which is obvious in the lack of public transportation, resulting in the huge amounts of cars disproportional to the country's size, impacting the environment negatively. Besides, the enormous amount of large billboards, competing over visual exposure in a small country, is promoting a culture of consumerism.

Minimalism in Lebanon

Yet, Lebanese are becoming more mindful concerning personal issues especially with the rise of healthy eating, organic food and fitness centers in Lebanon. They are also starting to value more experimentalism and traveling.

Many minimalistic lifestyle narratives have been released in recent years, including self-help books, documentaries, lifestyle magazines, and blogs, aiming to inspire people to adopt a minimalistic approach to life.

According to a 2018 study, the common characteristic about these narratives is that they reject established ideals of maximizing consumption by promoting simplicity. They also encourage self- entrepreneurship, and self- employment, which has been criticized, as this life choice is not an option for everyone and strongly depends on personal factors such as the individual's profession and socioeconomic situation.

Eventually, our highly productive society asks us to prioritize consumption and to rely on it while seeking for life’s satisfaction. The minimalistic lifestyle is not the ultimate solution to the negative effects caused by consumerism, however, it could be a tool combined with other efforts towards living happier and more sustainably.

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Nada Richa is a graduate of NDU University with a Master's Degree in Media Studies, where she presented a thesis entitled “The Impact of Online Activism against Domestic Violence in Lebanon on Women’s Empowerment and Social Change.” Richa is also a researcher in the Lebanese Center of Strategic Studies CLES.