Simple living

Simple Living (English Simple Living), also volunteers simplicity (English Voluntary Simplicity ), called minimalism or Downshifting refers to a lifestyle that sees itself as an alternative to the consumerist society of excess. His supporters attempt to counter duties of everyday life through reduced consumption and thereby lead a self-determined, more fulfilling life. Occasionally the lifestyle with the acronym " LOVOS " abbreviated (English " Lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity " ) -. Based on LOHAS ( "Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability " ), which stands for a lifestyle conscious and purposeful consummation The Simple Life does not represent a unified scheme of life, but also leads to very different, very individual characteristics. The range is from "Total dropouts " to the only critical of consumerism " average consumer ". Characteristic is always an increased awareness and better monitoring of one's own (consumption) behavior.

Features

Critique of materialism

The simple life is taken to scrutinize their own behavior regarding use, possession and relationships on usefulness and necessity. An excess of possession because of status and prestige pursuit is considered cumbersome and burdensome. "Shopping" as entertainment or recreational activity is consistently avoided. Instead you are buying schedule. The Leisure enjoys a high esteem. There is a clear distinction between pure desire and genuine need. In this respect, the simple life differs clearly from the hunt for bargains in the sense of " greed- is-cool " mentality.

On the contrary, the fundamental goal of having fewer things in order not to unnecessarily obscure with their purchase, payment and care. From the perspective of the simple life it is unreasonable to exchange life time for money to bring things into his possession, you do not need.

Criticism of fast pace and overstimulation

The followers of the simple life criticize an overweight of money and property as well as the fast pace of today's time that are frequently associated with an overstimulation. This includes the overuse of the people through work ( work hardening ) and by personal appointments. The mass media is accused of taking people's time for your own thoughts, critical questions ( question of meaning ) and the sense of enjoyment. A basic maxim of the simple life accordingly calls not to be manipulated by the pre lived in media or advertising materialistic behavior patterns, but instead to develop their own personality. This includes a clear structuring of everyday life with protected rest periods.

Another point is the slowing down of one's life and the profit of valuable lifetime. The use of short-lived, again and again to buy forming disposable products is considered to be unreasonable time, money and waste of resources.

The subjectively experienced quality of life is paramount - beyond a superficial, limited to materialistic consumption categories hedonism. This material deliberately understated lifestyle has ascetic features, but differs due to its quite secular nature of the most unworldly asceticism.

Practice

Many people who have started a Simple Living, report a strong need to organize her life again in order to gain a greater inner fulfillment. The motivation for doing so can result from internal discontent - for example, caused by the feeling constantly overloaded or not to be " in itself" - or arise from external circumstances, often the beginning of a new phase of life, for instance through the establishment of a family or crises incisions - often accompanied by painful losses - draw a revaluation of tangible and intangible values ​​after themselves. In many cases, the " clearing out " of one's own living environment and its simpler organization is a fundamental first step. Another important point may be a greater focus on a simple, natural, self-referral and the people in the immediate area of life, back clearly to the fore at the natural benefits in terms of self-sufficiency with respect to third-party services. This concerns mainly the areas of nutrition (horticulture, cooking myself, with a penchant for vegetarianism / veganism ) and crafts ( carpenters, plumbers, masonry and crafts), rare clothing and energy supply. For the purposes of resource conservation, waste prevention, energy conservation, the reduction of one's ecological footprint, recycling and the recycling economy as well as cultural second-hand products and old buildings are valued. Furthermore, the domestic savings, eg water, electricity, energy and waste management, used consciously. Not infrequently goes with the change of value systems is a spiritual reorientation accompanied, often in proximity to Far Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism or Daoism.

The influence of advertising is considered very critical as it generating by constantly generating new needs a persistent latent discontent. In the simple life trying this artificially maintained, frustrating cycle to escape aware by utilizing, for example, TV and radios or magazines to a reduced extent or completely waived. In turn, more personal contacts to be entertained. The internet is often used as a national platform for information gathering and exchange with like-minded people.

As physical activities within the meaning of the simple life, enjoy hiking or walking barefoot growing in popularity. The nudism is seen as a form of expression for simplicity.

The consistently implemented restriction of personal consumption, despite reduced earnings levels, combined with increased savings rate and deliberate calculation of the budget available to a relative financial independence. This serves to increasingly pursue his personal inclinations and spend only a little life for the considerable external constraints underlying employment. Family, neighborhood support and volunteer activities occur in the simple life is often more to the fore, as welfare, social commitment and solidarity represent estimated ideals to which a large part of the vacant time is paid.

History

Some religions see the simplicity as a desirable goal or as the only way to fulfillment. In the Christian, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist mendicant orders forfeiting the accumulation of material goods plays an important role - albeit for different reasons. Secular approaches to the simple life can be traced back to ancient times to the Stoics and Cynics ( Diogenes of Sinope ) or, for example, the Greek philosopher Plato.

Ever since Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1845 favored the simple life and idealized, they are in the United States as an integral part of the subculture. In the U.S., a conscious lifestyle easier enjoys in comparison to the developed countries high social recognition. Another influential representatives in the U.S. was Scott Nearing.

In Germany in particular Friedrich Nietzsche was in his strict rejection of meaningless materialism a rigorous observer of a materially simple life for the purpose of increasing the spiritual powers of man. As a metaphor for this Nietzsche created the type of " Zarathustra " as the creative overcomers that form of nihilism, trying to compensate for a lack of non - materialistic life goals with the pursuit of material goods.

Non-material precursor religiously oriented groups such as the Quakers or the Amish are known as an advocate of the simple life in the U.S. often. In Germany precursor in the hiking bird movement that wanted to escape the authoritarian pressures of society, in the life reform movement as well as the hippies in the 1960s and of the emerging alternative movement. Literary expression found this lifestyle among others in the novel The Simple Life of Ernst Wiechert ( 1939).

The newer using the common in the United States the term " voluntary simplicity" for Simple Living is based on a text of U.S. social scientist Duane Elgin from 1981, in which he keeps the focus on a simple, frugal and balanced pace of life away from the consumerist "American way of life " taught. Elgin took on significant input from Richard Gregg, which he had already formulated in 1936 in a seminal article on the " Voluntary Simplicity ".