"Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things" Discussion :::: Now On Netflix

Looks interesting. Will watch.

I also downsized in the sneaker department a while ago too. Have like 10 pairs total now. Feels good. I rock desert boots like 5x per week.

I've never been into upgrading my technology like a lot of people do annually. I still have a Galaxy S4 and Mac Air that I've had for 5+ years and don't plan on upgrading anytime soon. I drive a 2003 Pathfinder with 188K miles. Basically focused on buying some property or a condo in the near future and can't afford to impulsively buy stuff like when I was younger.
 
GetBack said:
 
Looks interesting. Will watch.

I also downsized in the sneaker department a while ago too. Have like 10 pairs total now. Feels good. I rock desert boots like 5x per week.

I've never been into upgrading my technology like a lot of people do annually. I still have a Galaxy S4 and Mac Air that I've had for 5+ years and don't plan on upgrading anytime soon. I drive a 2003 Pathfinder with 188K miles. Basically focused on buying some property or a condo in the near future and can't afford to impulsively buy stuff like when I was younger.
Click to expand...
 I drive a 04 Camry with 140k on it, no plans on upgrading anytime soon
 
The documentary was cool, some people definitely took it to the extreme but i get the point for the most part.

I moved to Chicago in April and my good friend's told me to live with them for a year and save up. I have my own bedroom but had to leave the majority of my clothing and sneakers at my parents house since I don't have my own place. It was hard not having my stuff for the first month or so but now I am pretty much used to it and have little desire for a lot of it. I even started giving some some stuff to my cousins.

Minimalism is a lifestyle that I am practicing to some extent, will focus on it more.
 
I've always lived a pretty minimal life outside of shoes and clothes

but I've scaled back on those too

haven't watched the doc but don't really need to

I know it's just a more severe version of what I'm currently doing
 
My dad was a hoarder, so I knew first-hand which direction buying tons of BS could go.

After I sold most of my shoe collection, I started to embrace minimalism. 

Now electronics/digital purchases....I'm not as minimalististic about that as physical purchases.

Those purchases are slightly outta sight, outta mind.

I'll check out the doc on netflix.

Related: Proabaly the best free money budgeting app/website

 
Also of course Fight Club helped as well.

 
Last edited:
The deal with hosrding is we place an Imaginary value in useless things. One tactic I use to avoid it is asking myself: would I sell this for $1? If the answer is yes, then you don't need it. For clothing, so yourself if you'll sell it for $5. Shoes, $10. You'll be amazed at how much stuff you've fooled yourself into 'needing'.
 
I've reached the point in life where I make more money than I ever planned on making and have pretty much bought all the "stuff" I dreamed of having in my early 20s.

Truthfully none of this "stuff" matters. I always looked at being able to build a house in a nice neighborhood and drive a certain car like progressing in a video game, once I reached those levels I would feel some form of actualization but nah.

I'm happy in life now but I'm happy from the accomplishment of being able to have nicer things as opposed to the things themselves.

It's weird I got a promotion a few months ago and my first thought was "Damm if I sold my car I could pay off my house in 9 years". Two years ago I would have thought that was lame as hell

I've been saying for a while now Americans worship consumption more than anything else in this country.

Folks don't even want money to build wealth they just want to buy "stuff"
 
Last edited:
SneakerPro said:
6 rings MJ said:
I want money to build wealth.. :nthat:
Click to expand...

Honestly we all should.

Wealth building should be taught in schools along side every other subject.
Click to expand...

350x700px-LL-577ef51a_mikeheadnod.gif
 
SneakerPro said:
Truthfully none of this "stuff" matters. I always looked at being able to build a house in a nice neighborhood and drive a certain car like progressing in a video game, once I reached those levels I would feel some form of actualization but nah...I've been saying for a while now Americans worship consumption more than anything else in this country...Folks don't even want money to build wealth they just want to buy "stuff"
Click to expand...

to get really existentialist/nihilist, how much does anything 'matter' really? i think the sooner people come to the conclusion that ultimately it is up to oneself to decide what are the things that matter, most people do eventually come to this conclusion eventually though...however being that we are social creatures there will always be incentive to look to others for ways to be in the world & being apart of culture/society requires, to an extent, some acceptance of the mores & norms of that culture/society...

i kinda feel the minimalism that is being talked about in the netflix doc is sort of a remix on the consumerism of the modern world, as such it comes off a bit like a lifestyle choice rather than a real viable alternative for the masses...it is easy for people that are relatively doing alright (at least by appearances) to talk about the trappings of consumerism, which isn't to say there aren't broader benefits to be had for those who aren't as economically established (or just in general) but this flick just came off as pretty narrowly targeted towards a specific audience
 
Last edited:
is anyone in life ever really 100% happy?

if we cut out material things in exchange for traveling...you've just replaced what you filled the void with...you're gonna be chasing that next trip just like you chase the next car or promotion to get car

the extreme version of this lifestyle would be being a recluse satisfied with staring at the wall or walking about the forest

i understand simplicity making things more peaceful but everyone in life has to want something...

as ****** up as it is to say...once you're truly 100% happy, what's the point of life...not in a suicidal way...but in a "so what now" way

it's like getting that game you've wanted all year for Christmas...and then the bittersweet feeling when you beat the game...

maybe the point of life is the hunt and not the prize
 
Last edited:
FLESH PRINCE said:
is anyone in life ever really 100% happy?

if we cut out material things in exchange for traveling...you've just replaced what you filled the void with...you're gonna be chasing that next trip just like you chase the next car or promotion to get car

the extreme version of this lifestyle would be being a recluse satisfied with staring at the wall or walking about the forest

i understand simplicity making things more peaceful but everyone in life has to want something...

as ****** up as it is to say...once you're truly 100% happy, what's the point of life...not in a suicidal way...but in a "so what now" way

it's like getting that game you've wanted all year for Christmas...and then the bittersweet feeling when you beat the game...

maybe the point of life is the hunt and not the prize
Click to expand...

happiness is sort of relative thing, i do think there are some people do substitute the acquisition of material things for other things like travel or 'experiences' and just end up chasing those things instead...

ultimately it is the expectation that any of these things will bring happiness or meaning to one's life, rather than expecting the game you wanted all year to live up to something it is about deriving happiness from just playing the game...but there definitely is an aspect of chasing the next thing for better (or sometimes just different), which might be the thing that makes us (humans), us...
 
FLESH PRINCE said:
 
is anyone in life ever really 100% happy?
Click to expand...
Had a deep convo with my friend about this.

One of our biggest downfalls is comparing ourselves to others. There will ALWAYS be people worse off AND better off so if you gauge your own happiness based on that, you'll never be happy. Social media hasn't helped this concept.

I feel like the happiest people are always the ones that are fulfilled by "life" in general. Just the idea of being alive and living. It's hard to do because we all get caught up, with personal issues, careers, tragedy, and so on.

I have a handful of friends who are heavy into nature and outdoors (hiking, camping, snowboarding). They all seem the most genuinely happy out of anyone I know.

I myself am sort of trying to dig deep to find a sense of purpose and passion because I have been extremely unhappy as of late. I think we as Americans and young adults are plagued by this, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, because I have plenty to be happy about.
 
Will watch.

Not entirely off of materialism (had a hard stint when I started working full time), but I only go for few higher quality things that have meaning (like symbols of achievement, not simply buying because I can). Not necessarily expensive either.

From personal observation, heavy materialism has a lot to do with upbringing and socioeconomic class during ones upbringing.

Can't not think about my favorite Don Draper line, "Happiness is the moment before you need more happiness," and how non fictional marketing campaigns have such a pull in defining happiness for a lot of folks. Can't blame em either, ads are unavoidable and in a lot of ways distract folks from what "really living" is versus living to pay for things that inevitably fail to deliver.

To me, the epitome of materialism is "fanboyism" where people willingly and actively advocate and defend billion dollar corporations simply to justify the things they bought. I guess it's a form of insecurity but tough to relate to folks that are compelled to resort to this kind of thing





 
thats why sometimes i think id rather save to travel than save to own things, collect experiences not things
 
Love this. Saw this the other day and thought it was excellent.

Don't care about material things at all. Substance over style. If I had my bank account filled an 10 digit number.
I would still live frugal. Gold chains, jewels fancy cars and things like that don't excite me.
I shop at thrift stores, drive an older car that is reliable. I despise the materiaslitic culture we live in..
Don't care what the next man has. I'm not in competition with anyone else. E
 
Last edited:
tokes99 said:
happiness is sort of relative thing, i do think there are some people do substitute the acquisition of material things for other things like travel or 'experiences' and just end up chasing those things instead...

ultimately it is the expectation that any of these things will bring happiness or meaning to one's life, rather than expecting the game you wanted all year to live up to something it is about deriving happiness from just playing the game...but there definitely is an aspect of chasing the next thing for better (or sometimes just different), which might be the thing that makes us (humans), us...
Click to expand...


I can tell you from my own personal experience that this is true. I don't care about kicks anymore, and $200 on some new releases I can book a weekend flight across the US for example. I've been able to visit over 35 countries, and my goal is to visit at least 50. I really do plan to buy an RV sometime in the future, take a year or so off and just travel around the whole US.
 
SneakerPro said:
I've reached the point in life where I make more money than I ever planned on making and have pretty much bought all the "stuff" I dreamed of having in my early 20s.

Truthfully none of this "stuff" matters. I always looked at being able to build a house in a nice neighborhood and drive a certain car like progressing in a video game, once I reached those levels I would feel some form of actualization but nah.

I'm happy in life now but I'm happy from the accomplishment of being able to have nicer things as opposed to the things themselves.

It's weird I got a promotion a few months ago and my first thought was "Damm if I sold my car I could pay off my house in 9 years". Two years ago I would have thought that was lame as hell

I've been saying for a while now Americans worship consumption more than anything else in this country.

Folks don't even want money to build wealth they just want to buy "stuff"
Click to expand...
Sounds just like me. When I was younger, I thought I would love this moment. The ability to get a new car, phone, laptop, shoes, whenever seemed to be the pinnacle of life. Now it's just good to have the capability to drop a grand on something and not even think twice about it. I'll look at a $100 jacket for 6 months before I buy it but I'll drop $1000 on a trip with no hesitation. 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom