Minimalism & Illusion of Control

April 05, 2014

Minimalism & Illusion of Control

I was just reading and taking in the words and images of this blog posting TOUR MY MINIMALIST APARTMENT by Joshua Millburns and began to wonder, if the Consumerist Trend and Minimalist Trend were perhaps in fact, just two sides of the same coin.

The masses of STUFF being produced, churning the work grind giving people their jobs and means to buy stuff to stay alive, feed families, fueled by greed and insatiable need to stay alive while keeping our own hands clean. Now contrast that with the mighty individual who dares to live counter parallel to this. The world may be inundated with stuff, but my house shall be like a hospital. Shrine of white starkness. (I'm sassin him but I don't mean to disrespect him or his choice.)

* * *

I guess what I'm just about to write and remember for myself is that, feeling Overwhelmed by the masses of stuff we've naturally collected over the years and lifetime, is one part of being natural order of things. And while the Minimalist Trend offers some comfort to us, I feel that perhaps, it may not be the ultimate goals of our lives.

For some, the Minimalist stuff is a way to get to a better state. For others, it is a reactionary path to something we can't control. And tonight, for me, I think Minimalism is clever but also another 'Illusion of Control,' mostly because, I used to think that Wowe, if I can get my house to look like this, maybe I've attained something really cool and important. And I would have Arrived. My life would be Fixed.

Of course, this thing of 'Illusion of Control' isn't anything I thought up or anything; I was merely enjoying one of my favorite TV shows, and Patrick Jane, the lead character of "The Mentalist" just casually dropped it at the end of the show. But somehow it stuck with me. (You can watch the episode for free here: Project Free TV: The Mentalist Season 6 Episode 16)

We all want this: The Illusion of Control

Please don't get me wrong.

I'm someone who needs help with sort of stuff; I am participating in Project 333, and I am willingly doing it for my own good. I'm not against people downsizing and living more peaceful, more fully conscious lives.

But I'm commenting here, mostly for my own benefit, that while it's easy to get lost in the Frenzy of downsizing, the real meat of the Equation for me to grasp is my Deeper Level Anxieties. And I know that this type of emotion is equally shared by many in my generation, and in my peer groups.