My ex-wife was an unintentional minimalist. She loved to throw things away. Bought little. Had few interests. Had few friends. Was obsessively neat. And is as cold as a barren white wall and concrete floor apartment. She truly believed that if you don’t use something in six months, throw it out. That’s why she threw me out.

Most minimalism influencers live like that because their job is to be a minimalism influencer

I'm a minimalist. But I still have a completely massive retro game collection. Fight me. The thing people forget about minimalism is that it's not really about having as few things as possible. Or at least it shouldn't be. It's about owning things with intention and meaning instead of just impulse buying more and more.

I'm Italian, my wife and I made friends with an American couple who lives in our neighborhood in Rome, one evening they had dinner with us and kept complimenting us on our "minimalist style" after a while I asked what they meant and explained to me, I laughed, and I explained that our style is just about not spending money unnecessarily, if the sofa, even if it is 20 years old and works for what it is supposed to do, I don't change it, if my car is 12 years old but it works I don't understand why change it and spend money that I can use for holidays, trips, dinners, culture, in short, ours is not minimalism but rather anti-consumerism

Also, minimalism is NOT about get rid of the stuff that you use.... it's about getting rid of stuff that you never needed in the first place or don't need it anymore!!

I don't think minimalism died, I just think it shifted form. From the clean and simple aesthetic towards the consious consumer purchases. There are many people who have changed their mindset thanks to minimalism and have learned some pretty handy skills along the way of minimalism to determine whether or not to buy something, and if so, in good quality. As I see, minimalism is still alive and blooming, every time someone makes a conscious decision not to buy something unnecessary or to buy something maybe more expensive, but in great quality, so it can serve them for an extended period of time. At least, that part makes me feel like a minimalist ever since. But I also never defined it based on the number of my posessions.

Mari Kondo was a huge thing, but what differentiated her from minimalism was the conscious decision to *keep* the things that were useful and had sentimental value, and to toss the rest so that we can more appreciate the things we owned. It was more like a personalized minimalism.

it's funny how minimalism was supposed to help you save money, yet it just turned into people buying things that "looked minimalistic"

Minimalism really just taught people to think, "Do I really need this?" We were always going to go back to buying more things, but that extra second to think about whether something was too excessive or would last long has probably helped out more people than we know.

I would argue that there _was_ a consumerist aspect to minimalism... In some corners, it was implied that you should get rid of everything you have, but repurchase the proper 'minmalist' furniture, decor, tools, etc. to fit the aesthetic.

I see Minimalism as a way of living and not as a “ Trend .” It’s has helped me to simplify my life and get rid of things that I hadn’t used in years….. So , I am happy now living a simpler life.

I was never a minimalist (I'm an artist....I like art and full walls and my hoard of art supplies). And I was never into the minimalistic aesthetic usually shown (white wall literally hurts me as I'm very migraine sensitive). But I always resonated with the idea of conscientious consumption and thinking "do I really need this?" I really hope that stays no matter how dead the full movement is.

Minimalism used to be so great, but the true meaning of minimalism got lost so quickly. While less can be excellent, holding yourself back from having things or enjoying an experience is why it was so hard to keep it in my life.

I think the part of minimalism that made people more intentional with what they were buying was good but when I tried it I felt like I lost my ability to be creative with decor and fashion and I really missed that. Also, some of the minimalism influencers who would brag about having no furniture always seemed ridiculous

Here's the deal: If you are a true minimalist, you wouldn't even call yourself one or associate with it. It's not a club, it's a lifestyle that compliments the personality that you're born with. Also, some people take it to the extreme, which is not sustainable long-term.

I live in a studio apartment. In 11 months I have purged my 'stuff' twice because I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Now I only have the bare necessities, I feel like I can breathe again. So minimalism is definitely my lifestyle and I love it❤

My aunt once saied: "With every physical thing you own, you give up a bit of your personal freedom". She is in her mid 70s and probably never heard of a movement called minimalism. There is a lot of truth in that quote. The challenging thing is to find that sweetspot between personal belongings and personal freedom and this point is different for everyone.

As someone who still is striving towards becoming more "minimalist", I've always focused more on the cutting out of excess rather than having the absolute bare minimum--and thats likely why I still enjoy following minimalist content. I have my hundreds of books, tons of baking supplies and gaming accessories, etc, but I have room for them because I no longer keep unused extras or gifts I felt too guilty to part with. I learned budgeting and tidiness through the movement, which have fundamentally changed my life... But as with most things in life, extremism is not sustainable or enjoyable long term.

I learned it’s ways, applied them, found the level of minimalism that suits me, and continued on with life. It was like learning a skill and no longer needing to study it so much after mastering it. I may watch a video here and there, but I feel like I’ve learned enough now that I don’t need to anymore. It was a skill and mindset I wanted to learn, not an obsession.

I never took minimalism as having one pair of jeans and three shirts. It was about consumerism, and buying just to buy. It’s about using what you have. I could never be like most of the UKposts or IG minimalist. I have a job where having a pair of paints and two shirts was not effective. However, I didn’t need the 30 shirts I use to have. It may not be trendy, but it’s effectiveness is still profound and useful.

I inherited a lot of stuff from relatives. I also grew up with a mother who has a slight horder tendency, who hates throwing things away and always forbid me from getting rid of stuff (old books, clothes, make-up, etc.). Minimalism and Marie Kondo helped me to feel less guilty about cleaning up and letting go of things that weren't connected to good memories. I still own a ton of items, but they make me happy instead of making me feel trapped.

I still think Marie Kondo is the cultural ideal for minimalism as a concept. She advocated not for getting rid of things, but for choosing what to keep, whether it sparked joy of was practically useful to you. Do all those anime action figures spark joy? Great! Let's figure out where we can store them so you can see and enjoy them as much as possible. I know personally that I have curbed a lot of my spending habits after I bought the Manga version of her book (one if which was, ironically, buying at least 1 new manga a week)

Honestly, as someone in my 20s and is working towards building my future, I've been interested in minimalism but definitely my own version of it. I'm not trying to rid of all my belongings nor am I trying to live a restrictive life but I'm trying to pull away from this consumeristic mindset that I need every little bs that is the latest trend. I used to collect makeup, and I got to a point where that makeup got old and I barely put a dent in some of it. You look back at all this bs that is going to probably end up in a landfill. I could've had more money for bigger and better things like a future home or an awesome vacation. I was even buying clothes that I looked back at and didn't even like. I basically stopped being an impulsive shopper and I stopped having fomo over things that become junk.

The lessons I learned while being more conscious of purchases and the things I owned but hadn’t used in years, will serve me for life. I never got to be a true minimalist, but maximalism isn’t for me either. Dead or not, I’ll still aspire to live more minimalistic.

I think there's another reason it died: There's not much to say once you're done decluttering. It's exciting to get rid of excess and watch others do the same. It's interesting to hear how their lives have changed. But after a while, that intentionality becomes a part of the background. Minimalism was just a tool people used to streamline their lives, and once you don't need a tool anymore, you put it away. That's what happened to me, and that's what I see in so many content creators who faded away. You just move on to the rest of life with a little less weight, as you should.

The minimalism movement helped me get rid of so much STUFF that was stressing me out and the capsule wardrobe reduced my mental load by a surprising amount. I never wanted to live the Instagram minimalism life, but reducing how much junk I bought every month and how much stuff I had to "organize" in my home was super helpful. Now I regularly pass on superfluous items to others in my local Buy Nothing group.

The only negative thing I feel about Minimalism is that I started 15 years too late! I could have saved up a fortune and been in a better position career wise with less stuff to stress about. Although it is hard trying to convince myself that I don't need an upgrade, decluttering and having more money in the bank feel very therapeutic to me!

i remember being slightly put off and scared by all the minimalist vloggers because of how far into the extremes they went. i watched videos of people preaching minimalism while sitting in a barren apartment with close to no furniture and soul, or wear the same grey outfit every day, or insist on denying themselves and others small pleasures because they weren’t absolutely necessary. this life of ascetism and lack of colour and personality seemed so dystopian to me. like surely there’s a way to reduce buying things and de clutter your life and still have a space that reflects your personality and enjoy yourself beyond trying to fit into a new trendy aesthetic. a lot of the trends minimalism brought with it are very useful but it was the extreme way people approached it that made me just look at it like i would at cult people standing on my doorstep

I think in the end most people came to their own conclusions of what minimalism meant to themselves. I wanted to be a minimalist but then realized I needed a lot of stuff I was gonna get rid of for the reason of minimalism. So I made it my own in a way. I decided to limit buying things I didn’t need. I realized when you limit things and buy less, you don’t have a messy room, you have a clean car, you only have what you need and then some. This is what minimalism is to me. It’s helped a lot!

What annoyed me about many of the minimalist blogs and channels was actually the consumerism: the underlying notion that a) everyone can follow the same formulas and b) you can always replace it if you need it later. (Not to mention the products that “make” you a minimalist!) Most of us can’t afford buying a new wardrobe because the weather or our weights fluctuate, neither can the planet!

I am a minimalist and have been for an extremely long time, but the reason why I stopped trying to associate with the community is because of how judgemental people are. I own less than 200 items and like it that way. I do not like to consume, and when I do, I try and buy second hand. I am poor (I only make 8k per year) yet have never had debt, pay rent, and am cash flowing college due to my "extreme" avoidance of spending money. It works for me, and yet others have been overly critical and would tell me I was too "extreme." But when you're this poor what other way is there to live? Spending money on college rather than items will help me escape poverty rather than continue to live in it.

Not a minimalist, but I have spent the last five years parting with possessions using the KonMarie method by Marie Kondo. And although I have parted with many items As someone who loves getting their hands dirty in paint, glue, grease, etc, I save a lot of money by repairing damaged items rather than just simply throwing it out and replacing it. The only times when I do buy something is when an item has become too worn out, is too far gone to be repaired, to swap out a large item for a smaller version (I did this recently with my rice cooker), or is something I think I can use in my day to day life. I should point out that Marie Kondo is not a minimalist, but an advocate for "Keep what brings you joy".

I am not a minimalist, but I used to listen to The Minimalists podcast and I saw their documentary. From what I remember, minimalism isn't necessarily about an aesthetic or even having a very tiny amount of stuff. It's more about buying intentionally and not keeping things that aren't being used/don't make you happy. You can be a minimalist in certain aspects while keeping certain other stuff that is useful/enjoyable. For example, you could still collect books or video games if it's something you really like to do. You also don't have to have a simple aesthetic. You can wear interesting clothes or have a colorful house, but if certain clothes aren't being used, maybe get rid of them. If something has been sitting in a drawer for years, get rid of it unless it's something really important. I've heard of families where one person is a minimalist, but the rest of the family isn't, so the house still has stuff, but maybe that one person's room doesn't. I think the big thing is to keep what makes you happy or things that are useful and get rid of the stuff that is just cluttering up your space. Ultimately, minimalism was supposed to be a tool to make your life better. If it isn't, maybe back off of it in certain areas or altogether. It kind of makes me think of bullet Journals. They were supposed to be a better way to journal and it was simplistic at first, but then people started making them super artistic things to post on social media. It's fine if people enjoy doing that, but for many people it's better to go back to the simpler design of the bullet journal, or do it just slightly artistic, or just find another method. The bullet journal is a tool that can be customized for personal preference or it might not be for everyone to use. Same with minimalism.

I too was enchanted by the concept of Minimalism. But as someone who doesn't have unlimited disposable income, I became disenchanted rather quickly. Throw out something I haven't used in 6 months, a year?? I live in Texas. Sometimes it simply doesn't get cold enough during a winter down here to need one every single year. But it does happen, and when it does, I may not be able to afford to run out and buy another coat every single time I need one.

The problem I most often see with minimalism is the huge emphasis on considering everything you don’t currently use as "toxic clutter" (physically and mentally), and the pressure to get rid of it all. If you know you’ll never use it again and attach no other value to it, yes get rid of it…but in order to be minimal about future purchases, it’s better to keep *some* items in storage. A good personal example is not getting rid of every item of clothing once it becomes too big or too small for me. I know that as an adult my body has varied within a few sizes and want to have some basic items stored away if I lose or gain weight (which tends to happen over time).

“ anxiety around their stuff” is the key part of the definition I needed to understand minimalism! The part I could not relate to and thus had never fathomed.

I am still a minimalist. I'm not just following trends. This is the kind of lifestyle that makes sense to me, that matches my personality, and that gives me a sense of mindfulness. As an architect and interior designer, I do not support extreme minimalism, but organic and naturalist minimalism is growing in popularity. Because it's all about sustainability, comfort and harmony with nature.

I actually came to minimalism DURING the pandemic, because I found myself stuck in a location with just barely one suitcase full of clothes and personal items, and after the four months I was there were up, I realized I didn’t miss or have or need any of the things I left behind at home. That’s when my decluttering days begun, and those huge trash bags of just stuff are still getting donated to this day. But! Im so much happier now that I know that I don’t need to pack a huge suitcase for travel, and it’s much easier to pass on the random purchase at a random shop. It doesn’t matter if the trend with its aesthetics dies down, but hopefully a lot of people, like me, have found a new way to approach their lifestyle ❤

I am a natural born minimalist as I am very sensitive to overwhelm. This has served me very well during my life so far. If it is in your nature to live this way great if not then do your own thing. Its the diversity that the planet thrives on. If we all do the same thing at the same time nothing is sustainable!

At its heart, the principles of minimalism seem to be more about keeping and using what you have, need, and enjoy and letting go of things that don't fall into those categories. From an individual perspective, anything goes from there. I don't "need" more clothes, so I choose to wear what I have and only make future purchases based on my chosen needs. And I have a large library of books I enjoy which I will continue to expand. I can do both. Minimalism isn't about not buying, not having, not decorating, not using, or not enjoying. However, why do I have an ironing board I haven't used for 10 years? Or canning supplies I haven't used for 5 years? Or office supplies I haven't used for 3 years. Will I suddenly decide to use them? Time and history suggest that I won't. So why should I keep them? Minimalism allows me to ask myself honest questions and give honest answers about my home and possessions for the purpose of giving up things I don't need for something better. What are those things, is completely up to me. Over the years, as my husband and I have lost family members and would clean out their homes, in each and every single case without fail we would throw away or donate at least 50%, if not more, of their belongings that was nothing more than clutter, junk, unused, broken, neglected, hidden, etc. If I don't want to saddle my children with a similar situation after my passing, doesn't it stand to reason that I, and most people, fall into this situation? The situation of having way, way, way more than I actually need/use. Minimalism isn't a one-size-fits-all process. But rather a journey...a self-defined journey of self-discovery into a purposeful and intentional way of living and looking at things. Those who have had regrets or purged too much may have simply been overzealous, unrealistic, or lacked clarity and understanding in their efforts. In my opinion, minimalism isn't dead. As the principles behind minimalism have always been true and will always be so.

I get described as minimalist, only because clutter annoys me and I hate buying stuff because anti theft packaging makes entirely too much waste. I kind of hate minimalism as a designer, it reminds me of a slick capitalist take on brutalism

I come from generations of hoarders and the "minimalism trend" taught me how to have a healthy relationship with my things and by extension has helped my family start to heal their relationships with their things. I'm always looking for more minimalism content

I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist anymore but I was in the past and the reality was that it helped me reset my life. It helped me really start being intentional about my life even in the small things and many of the minimalist principles continue to guide me to this day.

I think I found a healthy balance. I've learned a few tips & tricks that I know will stick with me to manage clutter. 1) One in one out. Don't bring in more belongings than you're taking out. 2) I don't think this is technically a minimalism thing but it helps a lot. "We're too poor to buy cheap things." ^ This one was a game-changer for me. Instead of buying cheap things in bulk, (knowing it will eventually break) I buy one expensive, good-quality thing that will last me a very long time. Whether it's an appliance, a coat, or a bicycle, I prefer investing in something that was made with intention that will serve me for many years. An example of this is my vacuum. My parents bought Bissel vacuums all my life. But between all the dirt we track in, and all the hair & dander from our pets, they never lasted long. Was buying a 60-dollar vacuum at Walmart more affordable? Maybe at the time. But we had to buy a new one every 6-8 months. So really, we weren't saving money at all. When I became an adult, I bought a Shark vacuum that had pet hair in mind. it cost me 170 bucks. But I've had it for three years and it works just as well as it did when I first bought it. And in the long run, it turned out to be the cheaper option anyway. 3) Don't buy storage bins before you've started discarding/cleaning. You'll feel the urge to fill these containers if they're empty, which will encourage you to buy more things that you don't need. Sort through your things, gather what you have left, and THEN look for a storage system. And for god's sake measure your furniture/spaces BEFORE you go out and buy a sh*t ton of canvas storage bins. 4) A lot of the time we buy something because we think we're out of it (in my house, that tends to be peanut butter). But 9 times out of 10, we had peanut butter all along. It just got shoved behind so much other stuff that we had no idea. If you have an excess of stuff, you won't be able to find anything. This is really disheartening when you do eventually excavate that jar of peanut butter from your pantry, only to discover that it is expired. This has happened to my family dozens of times over the years, resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. You can avoid travesties like this by not exceeding the space that you have. 5) Don't buy things that only have one purpose. This mostly applies to those little kitchen gadgets. Like a gizmo that only pits avocados, or separates egg yolks from egg whites, or that pan that only makes omelets. Unless you make omelets for breakfast every day, or have an avocado with every meal, it's not worth it. 6) Don't keep something just because it was a gift. If you know you're never going to use it, or you simply don't like it, keeping the object isn't going to make you happy. And it's not fair to the object, either. In my case, this is mostly in regard to clothes. My mom has a friend that likes to go shopping after she gets off work and she is the PINACLE of impulse buying. She'd get me shirts that weren't age-appropriate, or too small, or a color I didn't like. When this kept happening, I stopped accepting these gifts. It made me feel guiltier to let her spend her hard-earned money on clothes I knew I would never wear than it did to admit I didn't want them. And if you politely decline gifts that aren't to your taste, they can get a better idea of what you DO like. Those are the only ones that come to mind for now. Am I gonna limit myself to two pairs of shoes? No. Am I gonna have 7 duplicates of the same gray T-shirt? No. But I'm also never going to feel overwhelmed by my belongings ever again.

Clutter gives me anxiety and I have 'Nam like childhood memories of spending hours dusting my Grandma's countless furniture pieces and knick-knacks. My minimalism is necessary for my mental well-being. LOL

I think the principles of it can be great, limiting spending and only purchasing what is genuinely useful for your lifestyle. I just moved countries and all of my worldly possessions were in two suitcases, I physically don't need anything more than that, it was an incredibly freeing process! However being minimalist for the sake of being minimalist and limiting your enjoyment of life in order to do so is truely ridiculous. I absolutely love fashion and clothing design, I purchase second hand or ethically made and have a 1 in 1 out policy, this allows me to enjoy my passion without feeling like I'm over consuming or feeding corporate greed. All about balance!

For me, it isn't dead. But it evolved across time, as you stated yourself about painters, etc. In my personal case, I took my lessons from it. I live with ease and taking just what I actually need or love in life. It’s about that learning, about understanding what you really need. For me that's the real thing to take from the hot trend. I always felt overwhelmed with certain things and as I took them away or modified them, new doors opened for me as a person.

During the minimalist craze I was determined to downsize enough that I could fit all my belongings in a car and drive to the next town over and disappear. I still quite like minimalism. That being said though, I did regret getting rid of my couch

If anything, for me, minimalism taught me to buy reusable items whenever possible, and to fix things such as clothing whenever possible. Examples would be to use reusable sandwich bags, straws, grocery bags. I was never into buying clothing brand new or having a large supply of it, so using thrift stores for clothing has always been easy for me to be minimalist.

I’m still very much a minimalist. Even though it’s not “trending,” I think a lot of people still embrace it. I have plenty of color in my minimalism lol.

Hey, congrats Levi! So nice to see your growth, how you changed your mind, expanded your vision and went deeper in your analyses. I think that's is how a human experience should be, when we are able to be more and more mature and because of that be available to change our perception constantly.

For some of us, minimalism comes naturally. I grew up moving every two years; we were a family of 8. You can bet my mother drummed it into our heads not to collect stuff just to have it but to be intentional. Every two years, we would have to go through our things and make decisions. In fact - and this is a little bit of a childhood trauma for me - when I was 12, my mother decided for me that I was too old for stuffed animals and gave all my stuffed animals away … while I was away at school; I came home that afternoon to discover them all gone. That childhood trauma aside, learning to be more intentional about belongings helped a lot. My tiny 125 sq ft. apartment in NYC? No problem! No money to buy new stuff? No problem! Keeping those (few) things with meaning is indeed minimalist. No one ever said you had to live in an empty room with just a futon. I love the knock-on effects of minimalism: less stuff means less searching. Less stuff means less cleaning (or easier cleaning). Less stuff means more time (and mental space) for creativity. I don‘t like maximalism or a home that is packed with crap; some people do. The folks who love a lot of collected stuff can usually tell you a story behind each object. If that is the case, super! It is the folks who have tons of crap and they don‘t even think about it … they need to learn the lesson of intentionality and minimalism. Most of all, though, I just wish we all could stop being lemmings. Be just as intentional about your social media consumption as any other kind; be intentional about what you watch on youtube and don‘t let the algorithm decide your universe for you. Be a thinking being not just a consumer! 😊

I don't necessarily love maximalism, but minimalism was way too restrictive for me. I love collecting books (for example), and I felt judged for having so many, like people thought I was a hoarder for having a full bookshelf. I purged my collection several times and felt regret every time. Today, I have THREE bookshelves in my living room and I've literally never been happier. I get so much joy out of having objects to organize and engage with. 💙

I still really think a lot about everything I buy, kinda got drilled into my head when I was really young, always worried if I REALLY need what I'm about to buy so I don't waste money. Heck, most of my "Consumer" spending is on eating out, because I know I could always use some good food!

As a student who recently moved into a small box of an apartment, it very quickly became apparent that I had too much useless stuff. I've always been a very messy person as well (ADHD is great), which is the reason why I intentionally started trying to be more minimalist in general. I stopped buying so many things all the time (I shopped too much because of my previously untreated ADHD) and started giving away things I didn't use or didn't actually have a use for. Now I really try to buy things that I know I could use for several different purposes, or that fits in with what I already have. I almost completely cut my spending on clothes and shoes because I had _WAY_ too much. If I buy clothes now, I have set a couple of base colours that whatever I buy should be or match with, so I know that I'll *actually use* the items. Before I'd just buy anything I thought was pretty, and end up never using it. I've been trying to do this for about 5 years now, slowly organising and removing things I don't need or even like. Every time I've moved, I've rid myself of bags of stuff. I now feel like being more mindful of what you buy is important not only for your home environment and peace of mind, but also your wallet.

I learned about minimalism in college studying the great philosophers. From the time of Alexander the Great and even before that people realized that they were becoming slaves to their want of things. The first time I read Diogenes "when I saw a child drinking from his hand I threw away my cup" it had a great impact on me. Much more than any minimalist video or blog.

Main problem with minimalism was the people promoting it and their attitudes, they gave off an aura of superiority and annoying smugness. It also didn't help that it had ALL the red flags of a cult

I disagree with the notion that minimalism was fully anti-consumerism. While it placed a lot of focus on having few belongings, it also advocated for having the "right" kind of belongings. For examples influencers and creators would encourage replacing your current clothing with high quality (ergo expensive) clothing from trendy minimalist brands. They encouraged you to buy items with multifunctionality that often came at a high price while also getting rid of your current items that served the same purpose. They were still selling. In addition, the minimalism was connected to the 2010s sustainability movement that also encouraged consumption of "eco-friendly" goods. So while they discouraged large amounts of consumption, they still wanted us to buy into having a very specific set of expensive minimalist and sustainable products.

I'm an artist and a minimalist, but no one can peg me as one. The habits of living with less means our needs and wants fit in our casita. I disagree that minimalism failed in 2020. We all learned to just go outside. Talk to family. Write letters. Learn how to make bread. Thanks, Livi, for your perspective. I appreciate it even if I don't agree. :)

Minimalism always reminded me of that trend back in the 1700s and 1800s where wealthy women would try to appear pallid and sick because it looked beautiful and dainty, whereas the poor people had to live with the actual illness. It also reminds me of how Marie Antoinette had a play area for herself where she could pretend to be a regular person. It’s just rich people living a poor fantasy. I was never like “Gee. I would love to purge all my stuff I worked to buy with my hard earned money. 😂”

I'm still a minimalist. I always think about what I'm buying and why. I go through my stuff once in a while and think whether it still makes sense to have said stuff in my life. But then again, chaos and clutter and stuff stored for years and years kinda make my brain itch.

I would like mediumalism to come into style for once. A style of balance. A style of thoughtfully buying the things that will give you personal joy and use for years. A slow style that builds over time, as you add things to it. A style that ages and grows with you. A style that tells your story. You know, incorporating all the good things of minimalism and maximalism. A style of freeing ourselves from trends. A style that says it's OK to just paint things to cause the change you want instead of needing to buy the newest. That's not cheap, that's personal and responsible. A style of buying what fits your budget and your lifestyle.

In my heart I've always been a minimalist but I needed some tools from the videos to accomplish it, I recognize the difficulties of minimalism but it feels good to keep working on it, showing the video's of minimalism makes me joyfull and relaxed. I'm glad it made so much more people consciousness which is essential for our planet

Yes

For me, “minimalism” just means concentrating on the things that are valuable to me, and not wasting time or money on frivolous things. It’s amazing how many people blow their cash on completely useless items. I don’t need a big fancy house, fast cars, designer clothing, or any of that. However, the stuff that I do cherish and enjoy, like travel, eating out, etc. provide a lot of enjoyment and value to me, so I won’t skimp on those. Basically, spend the minimum to get the maximum.

Many core values of minimalism have lasting worth: sustainability, reducing the messes we make and leave behind us (Swedish Death Cleaning), clarifying our goals, creating space for what we want, letting go of fantasy-selves, etc. Hippie “trend” of 60-70’s left, but valuing more freedoms, nature, diversity and peace continue to bear fruit. Minimalism will never be over for me. There have been so many highly pragmatic ideas shared by this movement

Something I’ve noticed within myself is that I do get overwhelmed when I have too many things. As a home body and someone who appreciates both cleanliness and my items themselves, I feel a desire to care for everything I own. I dust on a regular basis, organize my space, and clean ordinarily. If I had a big house and lots of things to fill said house, it would contribute to my anxiety. But, I am also the person in my home that is in charge of the stuff. If I wasn’t, I don’t know that it would bother me so much.

Thank you for shaing and explaining this important topic. Minimalism is not about numbers or colors It's all about getting rid of things that we don't use often or we don't use at all, if tow people have the same one hundred items, the first one gets rid of 70 items and the second one gets rid of 30 items, they both removed the excessive things that they don't need, and I think this is minimilism, Plus people are completely different when it comes to using items.

for me it was never about the look or the style. it was a help to learn how to lead a more susatinable life. and it still helps me when I'm thinking about what I truly need or what I can get rid of. Awareness or mindfullness is true minimalism to me.

As an art historian I appreciated the nod to minimalism first as a concept rather than a "lifestyle" aesthetic. Your introduction of class and economics also adds an essential dimension to the discussion of ideal lifestyles that is so easily overlooked. It's incredible how much more your life costs when everything looks more streamlined! Another interesting exploration into this topic can be found in the development of the post-war International style of architecture (think "modern white box" buildings) and its spiritual collapse with the (very) physical collapse of the Pruitt Igoe flats. The International style intended for a streamlined and universalized style that could span cultural and economic divides in the trauma following the world wars, but attempts to force lower-income families into sanitized and uniform cubes "because the rich people could live in streamlined and minimal glass boxes" only exacerbated the deeper class distinctions. Interestingly enough, echoing your conclusions regarding the decline of popular minimalism in recent years, Pruitt-Igoe began to be torn down in the early 70's along with a popular shift towards bright, clashing colours and a generally maximalist aesthetic.

'To be able to think minimalist' in life at any given time is the key here. A mindset to declutter, donate valuable but 100% unused stuff. The ability to say No, I don't want to dust this object once more in the basement. And this minimalist thinking is also helpful when you inherit from your parents. Their lifetime memories, passions, especially you involved is extremely hard to handle. Minimalism did not fail, it is just another helpful puzzle piece that can be integrated in one's life. (Own opinion.)

You forgot the part about how endlessly empty, neutral, bland living spaces can be so very dreary when paired with the seemingly endless stretches of winter we go through here in Canada. It's cold! It's always dark out! Everything is grey, black, and white! Lol...I need *something* to look at! And some colour to make me feel happier. Not discounting any of your very valid points, but I think it might be easier to live a minimalist lifestyle in a warm and colourful country, where everything is vibrant green and blue and tropical flower bright around oneself. Also, thanks for bringing up the very valid "whitewashing" point! So true.

As someone who was introduced to minimalism via Joshua and Ryan, I was definitely influenced. While Joshua kept saying, "“Five Values that allow us to live a meaningful life: 1. Health 2. Relationships 3. Passions 4. Growth 5. Contribution”. Passions are a huge part of my life, and my mental health. I ride and tinker with bikes. So I own a few bikes, and the gear and tools associated with bikes. Does my passion take up space, time and money, absolutely. The issue arises when you have spokespeople with passions and hobbies that don't require many things, and people are influenced by that, and they, in-turn, get rid of most of their things, and now they are sad. You're right in that people often miss the mindfulness aspect of the movement. Being mindful about what you buy, where you buy it, and it does in fact, add value to your life. Over the years I have gotten rid of many things that have weighed me down, and mostly own things that are important to me. I still hold on to things that I know I will get rid of. Go vote with your dollar folks!

It may have died for influencers, but it’s alive and well in my household.

Anyone who tried to make their home or their life look like someone else's without independently thinking about their personality and circumstances probably did not have a good experience with "minimalism" regardless of how they defined it. Getting rid of excess is always going to be a benefit.

I've always defined minimalism as having the amount of stuff you need, feel comfortable with and can handle without loosing your mind. I still feel that the core idea of recognizing what is important to you (mentally ans physically) and letting go of the rest is still a good idea and makes life better in so many ways. People tend to get caught up on superficial things and with any ism get way too extreme with it. For me minimalism means trying to live an authentic life, that is meaningful and enjoyable to you, and not just keep pursuing what is expected of you.

I was never able to afford the minimalist aesthetic - but being in my 20's for most of when minimalism was on the rise and trendy did mean that being poor did have a certain advantage, if I couldn't afford the best product that I needed I could always say it was about trying to buy intentionally and not because I could not afford the best thing.

I've always hated minimalism. I like living in a home with a plethora of books to read, and a workshop full of tools and materials that inspire creativity. Another part of my pushback against minimalism, is that I saw that it was a convenient way to cut manufacturing costs, and get the public to accept products that were deliberately stripped of their utility. When I went shopping for a laptop, I made sure it came equipped with an optical drive and an Ethernet port!

I've always seen Minimalism as something for people who can afford to buy things as they need it. I also hate the aesthetic. I'm a crafter and would like to see more organizational designs that incorporate things people use, and encourage them to use their things more often.

Maximalist lifestyle has allowed me to surround myself with the things I love (movies, books, posters, magazines, candles).

Yes, the minimalism wave was great. I was anxious about a lot of this that I owned. I grow up in a house full of drawers with old stuff that maybe one day in or life we could use, but we wouldn't know it's here. It made things clear in my head, questioning stuff like gift, shopping, etc... I'm not a minimalist, I still own a lot of stuff, but a lot less than before and it makes my life easier. So thanks random youtube recommendation.

This reminds me to purge some stuff again. I will always strive to get rid of things I don't need. Minimalism moderation.

I remember watching you during your minimalism era. You were reviewing a backpack and you loved it, and the backpack you were using was broken, but because it was still functional you decided to give away the new one to a viewer. I always felt really bad since you seemed to love that bag so much, but in the name of minimalism you decided not to keep it. That was what I didn’t love about minimalism, giving up things you really enjoy for the sake of staying minimal. I’m sure you weren’t that upset about it but I hope you eventually got a new bag that you loved.

As someone with executive dysfunction and poor object permanence I find clutter to be a key part of representing tasks that need to be done. If I couldn’t see a pile of dirty clothes I’d never do my washing. If I didn’t leave craft projects unfinished in the middle of a room I probably would forget to finish them. To each their own but achieving a minimalist aesthetic is so unreasonable for so many people that need to hear that it’s okay not to have a pristine home like the ones on tv and instagram.

Are we ever going to get a trend that just focuses on moderation? Cuz that seems like the preferable way to live. You have just what you need and some of the stuff you want without living in need or excess.

I've always loved the idea of minimalism, but the fact that my house looks like an antique shop proves that I can't uphold to that standard 😆 but I do like to think that only buying used, vintage items gives it a second life and keeps things out of landfills.

I learned about minimalism during the pandemic. I never emptied my home entiredly. And I still travelled with more than one tshirt. But it inspired me to clean out my closet and to buy more intentionally. I gave away books that I know I would never read and so on. It's not a 100% thing for me but something that inspired me and that I managed to integrate some aspects off into my life.

I think we can ditch the aesthetic but keep the mindset. For instance, recently I thrifted a Pendleton wool shirt in a super fun color pattern. I wear it just about everyday. Because it’s wool it means I can wear it more often and need fewer clothes. I get a dose of expressing myself while still rejecting consumerism

It's maybe too cynical, but I always saw minimalism, like many other trendy things these days, as a way to "encourage consumption of services instead of goods because that's what our economy produces now", not to fights consumerism. That's why they always focus on the enjoy experiences thing and the said experience being show is almost always a travel, some paid show, a spa day or an upscale restaurant meal

More or less, I am thankful for the pandemic times when I evaluated myself a lot on my impulsive habit to buy a lot of stuff. I need to rebuild my confidence on myself first, not upon the stuff I buy. That has helped me to build confidence in the stuff I only need. No shame in not following the current trend.

minimalism is the act of having less things after paying the same amount. it felt like companies said "hey. put you things away and buy our way more expensive things"

Adopting minimalistic concepts really let me shed the trappings I 'needed' according to consumerism and let me rebuild with intent. It's an ongoing journey. The things I do have are functional and beautiful. It let me focus on art that makes me happy. Yes I have a collection of antique glass dishes, but I eat off them daily. I've got glass cake and cheese domes now instead of generic Tupperware and I've acquired a collection of glass jars- the domes are where I store baked goods and cheese and the last pancake. It's nice to look at, but it's visible, so the food gets eaten and not thrown away. The glass jars are nice to look at, but buying ingredients is easier to not over or under stock the pantry. Minimalism taught me intent, restraint, and problem solving. I went from a 96 gallon trash bin half or more full every week to a 48 gallon bin not full once a month. It really helped pull me away from consumerism. I am in favor of whatever trends can teach people how to break the cycle of consumerism and live with intent.

I think the popularity of the aesthetic, as well as the implied moral goodness of people who managed to live with extremely few things took away from the more useful message of minimalism: stop buying things, question why you buy things, don't shop our of boredom, why hang on to many things that don't enrich your life (especially if it's costing you money to keep them), focus more on experiences, etc. I still vibe with it to a degree, having Too Many Things stresses me out so I don't buy a lot, and when I do I use it and take good care of it. There is still a somewhat thriving community of eco-minimalists, who buy less specifically to reduce their carbon footprint, but it has more of an emphasis on fixing things, buying second hand, and making your own stuff.

My friend who used to love to declutter, all of a sudden found herself in a situation in life where she no longer could go and purchase things as she pleased. And she said she never needed to declutter anymore because she didn't buy so much junk.

I'm with Einstein who have said “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

This makes me laugh. I became a minimalist after a painful divorce and then learning about Feng Shui (the precursor to the Marie Kondo set) in the mid 90’s. I was a minimalist straight through “the minimalist trend” and I am still going. I guess I am like the minimalist energizer bunny.

What I found hard was by centring only my favourite objects things especially clothes wore out quicker. By having a couple spares/duplicates of the same i can share the wear out. I also enjoy having more than one option of bag, outdoor coat,trainers. Minimalism has helped me be more intentional and focus on reusing and not wasting. However I like the cozy cabin home aesthetic and that’s ok too!

I'm a 73 year old woman and I've never owned or wanted lots of stuff. Give more food to the hungry, books and school supplies to kids, save the bees, instead of shopping. My husband, kids, daughters in law, and grandchildren also do so much giving it makes me happy. Tina, Al's wife

I think the problem began when minimalism got the 'aesthetic' and 'lifestyle' branding. It was never supposed to be that. For me the philosophies behind minimalism have definitely made a positive impact upon the way I lead my life and make purchases. I stopped impulse buying and got rid of several items that I never used and probably would never have used. My apartment doesn't look minimalist to the outsider, but to me there's a difference now that I have an overview of what I own.

Minimalism didn’t “fail”. It was a fad that came and went, just like “maximalism” has and will. It’s really just as deep as you want it to be.