September 10, 2020

A New Simplicity Movement Is Forming




People are staying home more. Cooking and baking more. Riding bikes more, spending more time with the family.

They are flying less, driving less, shopping less, working less, and running around less.

Will the pandemic be the beginning of a new simplicity? 

This could be the start of something beautiful that heals the planet and saves us from meaningless work and unnecessary consumption.

Here's my guess - after initially feeling like we have lost something, people will see this time as an historic moment during which we gained a new understanding of the collective consumer-induced hypnotic state we have been in since the end of WWII. 
 
I can hear them now:

"At first I didn't like it as I was preoccupied with a sense of loss and sacrifice."

"But then I settled into a slower, less busy, more simple way, and started to see it as an opportunity rather than a curse." 
"Now I wouldn't go back to the way things were pre-pandemic even if I could. I may have less money and stuff, but find myself happier than ever."  

Watch for simplicity to begin breaking out all over the place, in a mass movement that will first make us happier, then save our species and planet.

I see this arising as people become more aware of their impact and of the widespread efforts of many others who share their vision of more simple, less hurried, and sustainable ways of living.

It has to happen eventually, why not now?  

 



7 comments:

  1. One of the most common things I am hearing these days is, "What on earth was I spending all my money on?" as people begin to realize just how much they have been engaging in stress shopping/retail therapy. I have been saying for years that we are not a consumer society so much as an acquisitive society - if we actually consumed what we buy we wouldn't be in the bind we are in.

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    1. We hardly ever buy anything, and we are noticing that we are saving more money since the Pandemic began.

      We are definitely acquisitive, having been trained to enjoy the act of buying things. Whether we consume them or not doesn't matter.

      Storing them seems to be the way to go considering the popularity of off-site "storage solutions".

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  2. I love the simplicity and slowing down.

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    Replies
    1. Definitely the way to go. We love them, too.

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  3. One can hope that change is going to come sooner rather than later.

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    Replies
    1. Change seems to be coming whether people want it, or not. Nature will make sure of that.

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  4. Nothing much changed for us during lockdown to be honest. I stay at home with the children anyway, and so we're used to living on one income. We're very frugal, grow some of our own food, have chooks for eggs and live pretty simply really. But even we saved money! I'm hoping any change will be for the better, although there are still many voices screaming into the wind about losing money and investments and the economy blah blah. Wouldn't it be great if we all lived simply, took only what we needed and enjoyed healthy, interdependent community where we all contributed something meaningful? We can dream anyway!

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