Famous People Across History Who Lived Simply

Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein, another famous advocate of the simple life.

Living simply has always appealed to a wide variety of people, even famous people that could have lived more luxuriously. 

The choice to live simply has always been a viable, attractive option outside the constrictions of conventionality.

The following are a few unconventional famous people across history who preferred simplicity over complexity and convenience:

1. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Lived in a small cabin near Walden Pond, embracing minimalism and self-sufficiency.

2. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Advocated for simple living, spinning his own clothes and living with few possessions.

3. Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

Renounced wealth and lived in poverty, focusing on spiritual growth and simplicity.

4. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Embraced a simple life, giving away his wealth and living as a peasant farmer.

5. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Lived a reclusive life, finding joy in nature and simplicity.

6. Diogenes (412-323 BCE)

A Greek philosopher who lived in a clay pot, rejecting luxury and social conventions.

7. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Lived simply, focusing on art, literature, and spiritual growth.

8. Simplicius of Cilicia (c. 420-484 CE)

A Christian ascetic who lived in solitude, devoting himself to prayer and simplicity.

These rebels and renouncers demonstrate that living simply can be a path to greater fulfillment, creativity, and spiritual growth, no matter who, where, or when, you are.

Choosing to live simply - it was good then, continues to be good now, and will be an even better choice for the future.

Who Cares?

Apathy must be routed out wherever it exists. Or not.

A widespread and insidious problem that humanity is currently experiencing is apathy. People throw their hands in the air and ask, "What can I do about it?" Many have fallen even farther to, "whatever" and "who cares?"

Albert Einstein, for one, cared deeply. He thought that it would be the opposite of caring, or apathy, that would eventually be humanities undoing.

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."

Sophie Scholl was a brave, non-violent activist in Munich, Germany at the time of Hitler. After risking her life daily on the streets while handing out anti-Nazi leaflets, she had no problem calling out those who mutely stood by while their world was being destroyed around them.

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive'. The honest people who just want to be left in peace. Those who don't want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who don't like to make waves - or enemies."

Again, apathy, or a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern, is the problem.

But there is a solution.

According to author Dan Millman, the answer is willpower. Tapping in to our life source and overcoming by sheer will alone.

We are more powerful than we give ourselves credit for, as Millman points out.

"Willpower is the key. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt, or fear."

And after our will has been revived and our apathy diffused by that jolt of life? What when the zest has returned?

Activist Arundhati Roy has some good ideas of how we can direct our will to stop the current round of destruction from continuing.

"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling - their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them."

We don't have much to lose, unlike Sophie Scholl who was executed for standing up to evil and being unafraid to point it out, scabs and all, to others. At this point we have a lot to gain by refusing to remain on the sidelines as passive, non-participatory blobs.

Our silence and inactivity is being taken for consent.

Do we really agree with the way things are going right now? Do enough of us care to stop the destruction of all that we love and cherish?

Can we rise above the collective apathy and change the world? Or shall we say, save the world?

Quotes On My Fridge

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science. They to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, are as good as dead: their eyes are closed." - Albert Einstein 

Opportunity Monday

We are moving toward simplicity and harmony. During these difficult times, damaging practices are dying away; more sensible ways of living are being born.

Our current difficulties require us to do things differently. This is a time to for us to harness our intuition and creativity. It is an amazing opportunity to design new ways of living in harmony with nature's limits.

Increasingly, people are taking advantage of this opportunity.

One encouraging source of evidence for this trend is increased visits to this blog. Visitors exploring small footprint, more sustainable lifestyles have increased the number of visits to NBA over 600% in the last year.

Not only am I honored and humbled by this turn of events, but I am also heartened by it. Many people are recognizing the opportunity in these tough times, and are creating simplicity and harmony in their lives, and in the world.

Shabby Ideas and Shoddy Philosophies

“If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies. It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it."  - Albert Einstein

 

People seldom notice old clothes if you are wearing a big smile, or coming up with revolutionary theories that change the way we think about the universe.

I have read that Albert Einstein had several sets of the same, simple suit of clothes hanging in his closet. That way, when he woke in the morning and went to his closet, he did not need to think about what to wear.

To simplify matters more, he never wore socks. Not sure about that wonderful and wild hair of his, but it looks like it did not see a brush often. He, like many people, had other things to think about.

There's a growing group of people that would agree with Albert, and would rather not think too much about what to wear. Some advocate cutting the work wardrobe down to 6 items (or less), at first for a month. The idea is to help people understand their shopping habits and clothes better, by cutting the cloth to a minimum. Here's the website.

The tiny wardrobe keeps down both costs, and maintenance. It focuses on buying high quality clothing, taking care of what you have, and making sure everything works with everything else to maximize versatility.

The payoffs are simplifying your life, reducing costs, and decluttering the closet. But wait! There are other benefits.

Many who have tried the Six Things Or Less Challenge report that they came to realize that they are not defined by fashion trends, and now look at their clothing in new, healthier, less wasteful ways. In the era of the 'walk-in closet' and 'shoe wall', this can only be a good thing.

Einstein had a healthy and refreshingly rebellious attitude toward his six items. When considering how he presented himself to visitors he said, "If they came to see me, here I am. If they came to see my clothes, they can go to the closet."

Edit: If the Six Items Or Less website is not working, read more about the challenge here.