Note: This is a guest post by Mike Donghia of This Evergreen Home.
This modern world that we live in, like any age, has its blessings and challenges. If you want to live a flourishing life, then it’s especially important to be aware of the drawbacks of your culture and time, in order to protect yourself against them.
In this post, I’m going to be speaking specifically about life in the modern Western world for those who are living at least a middle class lifestyle. The principles likely transfer well to other scenarios, but I’ll keep myself from speaking about that which I have not experienced first hand.
The challenges of modern life
I’m not here to make the case that our modern world is any better or worse than what’s come before. Of course, it’s going to be a mixture of both. But it’s absolutely true that our world still has its challenges. Just look around at so many people struggling with obesity, depression, and addiction.
We don’t have a binary choice between the past or the present. We can keep what is good from our modern world and learn what we can from the past. There are 3 particular challenges that we face in modern society:
An abundance of food and information. Modern agriculture, technological changes, and rising incomes has made it so that most of us have a nearly limitless access to tasty food and pleasing content to consume. It would be foolish to say that abundance is purely a curse, when so much of the world still goes without essential needs. But it’s also true that many of us have been destroyed by our appetites, unable to adjust to a reality that has only existed in the last 75 years of human history. We don’t yet have the skills to live in an age of abundance.
Too much consistency, predictability, & convenience. We eat 3 meals a day, spaced out perfectly throughout our waking hours, with a small snack in between. We leave our 72 degree homes to climb into our temperature controlled cars and then spend our evenings in front of a screen. Where is the variation? Where is the possibility for surprise or even inconvenience to slip in? We’ve removed it completely, at potentially great cost to our health and happiness.
We’ve removed too much mystery and texture from everyday life. Ever since the industrial era, our world has become increasingly fixated on efficiency and optimization. Since the enlightenment, we’ve been driven by the idea that reason and rationality are the only sources of authority. These movements brought many good changes, but even a good idea can be taken too far. We’ve lost a sense of wonder in our lives by removing much of what is mysterious and that which was built on faith and tradition.
A way forward
Below are a few rules of thumb that we live by in our family and have found to be useful ways to push back against some of the negative forces of modern life.
Embrace restraints.
So much modern advice is about what to add to your life: a new diet, another self-help tip, a new product. But adding things is fraught with all sorts of complications and unintended effects. There is far more wisdom to be found in the minimalist school of thought. They seek to improve life by taking away. Addition by subtraction. This method has and will continue to stand the test of time.
- Simplify your life by removing what is unnecessary (101 simple living tips to get you started).
- Leave a few evenings and days completely empty.
- Spend less than you earn.
- Do 1 thing at a time, and be fully present.
Look at that which has stood the test of time.
Human history is a storehouse of wisdom. If something has been practiced for hundreds or even thousands of years, you can be pretty certain that the practice is 1) safe and 2) carries forward some wisdom, even if modern science has not yet caught up. Anything “invented” in the past 100 or so years has not yet withstood the filter of time. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad, just that you should be skeptical. Those trying to do good, have often done the most harm.
- Be skeptical of chemicals that have been significantly added to our environment in the past 100 years (household cleaners, bug sprays, sun screen, plastics, etc.)
- Eat mostly foods that humans have been eating for more than 500 years.
- The sedentary lifestyle is largely a product of modern life. Stand up and walk around regularly.
Add stressors and challenges.
Modern life has removed so much of the variability from life. We rarely ever feel hungry, thirsty, hot, or cold for more than a few minutes. How rarely do we find ourselves out of breath panting for air, or completely alone and quiet for more than an hour? Much of our lives is optimized for consistency and sameness, but the wisdom of nature and tradition suggests that we may be missing something. Many religions, for example, practice periods of fasting and feasting. The seasons give us periods of warm, hot, cool and cold weather. Our muscles respond to acute stress and rest by getting stronger. There is much wisdom here to be rediscovered.
- Occasionally skip a meal throughout the week (and allow yourself to anticipate your next meal rather than just expecting it).
- Expose yourself to hot and cold temperatures as a normal part of seasonal change.
- Take regular fasts from digital screens, reading the news, productive work, and more.
Add novelty, variation, & randomness.
Why do modern people turn to distraction, debt, or addiction? To escape the boredom and monotony of their lives. Boredom, without doubt, has been around since the beginning of history, but in our modern world we have created the perfect environment for it to flourish. By allowing volatility, randomness, and periodic change back into our lives we’ll better appreciate comfort when it comes, and learn to embrace the joy of serendipity.
- Embrace different habits and traditions depending on the season.
- Explore all of the parks and trails within 2 hours of your home and become a connoisseur of life’s free pleasures.
- Try living with one car and embrace the challenge and potential inconveniences that might result.
Re-enchant your world.
A flourishing life is filled with beauty and wonder. Without these ingredients the world can feel cold and mechanical, and the void will get filled with something less good for your soul. The re-enchantment of life starts by slowing down, it cannot be rushed. Find ways to add non-productive, not-economic activities back into your life. Let them lead you towards delight and gratitude.
- Revitalize family traditions from your childhood.
- Practice a faith, even without all the answers (Christianity, for example, has proved to be an enduring way of life for over 2,000 years across many cultures).
- Take long, slow walks without a destination in mind.
- Add beauty to your home (houseplants, cut flowers, candles, string lights, etc.)
With the right tools and mindset, the modern world can still be a place where humans live and flourish. We can be grateful for all the areas where real progress has been made, without forgetting that tradition, simplicity, variety, and wonder still have an important role to play.
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Mike (and his wife, Mollie) blog at This Evergreen Home where they share their experience with living simply, intentionally, and relationally in this modern world. You can follow along by subscribing to their twice-weekly newsletter.
Mike, your post & the aerial view reminded me of a phenomenal movie I wanted to share with everyone here. I think it speaks to your point on living a more artificial life & the need to embrace nature more for our own well being, balance, & health. I saw this years ago & it is simply an amazing piece of work.
It is called Koyaanisqatsi- Life Out of Balance. Here is the synopsis by my local library
“Koyaanisqatsi is a Hopi Indian word meaning variously: crazy life, life disintegrating, life out of balance, & a state of life that calls for another way of life. This film presents a concert of visual images to the music of Phillip Glass that progresses from purely natural environments to nature as affected by man, finally to man’s own manmade environment that is devoid of nature.
Thanks for the movie recommendation, Maria. Sounds intriguing!
I agree with the points you have made overall. I do wonder whether it is a more male perspective. I am a mom with a full-time job and act as the primary manager at home. The consistency, predictability, and convenience I coordinate for my family is invaluable. Regular meals, sanitary home, paid bills, medical care, etc. are important to our comfort. Beyond these basics, where is the consistency, predictability, and convenience? More of each sounds lovely to me.
Great, counter point, Emma. There are certainly areas of my own life that I value consistency. And as the parent of 3 young children, I totally get it. Maybe a barbell approach makes sense here— areas of your life that are usually predictable but sometimes you break that pattern. Or maybe areas of complete predictability and other areas of spontaneity.
I started this course 3 years ago, and yes it took 3 years. Its amazing now that I am selling my house and the biggest compliment that comes through those browsing to buy, is the house is immaculate and so clean you can eat off the floor! I have Joshua to thank, the support group that had me laughing because IU did not have to explain my disorder to anyone and even the realtor thinks I must have had this life style. Wrong. But as I downsize I can promise I am not going backward so once I sell there will be another phase. My facebook site was hacked so I have a different email on facebook so I cannot post to the group but would like to offer encouragement. For some of us, yep took 3 times around but the important thing is I finally arrived!
Love getting my morning off to a good start reading these blogs on minimalism. Living a good life mindfully and appreciating nature and just being here now……thank you.
That’s beautiful, Karon. Sounds like you are on to something ;-)
Thank you so much for this posting. I’m trying to find inner peace and letting go of items and people that make life more challenging. Another item I’ve given up is reading comments. You can”t please everyone. Read an article, take what pertains to you.
Betsy, it sounds like you won’t be reading this comment ;-) But thank you for reading, and I hope this article helped you in some small way along the path of letting go.
I cannot explain how much I needed to read a post lile this. There are certain posts here at becomingmimimalist that deserve to be read every day for me. This one is one of them. The world is full of content telling you to do more and faster, and yet having something that tells you to embrace faith, simplicity and value is great. Thanks a lot!
Glad the post resonated with you, Max. I certainly have a list just like you describe– books and articles that I keep coming back to again and again to help me to remember what is important. I wish you the best!
Love some of the tips you provide, Mike. I feel the number one distractor is the mobile phone – the connection to, literally, everything and everyone. (And, yes, I’m guilty, too.) Leaving this device at home while taking a walk with no destination, exploring the trails around you, etc., would go a long way to revive the mind and soul. Being bored is a good thing and allows for such rich creativity. Thanks for a great post!
Agreed! Smartphones are a great invention, but many of us could benefit from adopting limits and boundaries in how we take advantage of it. I know I have. The same is true of nearly all good things.
One of the best read I had in a while!
Thank you Mike for a validating what’ve I been experiencing and feeling.
Just bookmark you blog site. Can’t wait to pay a visit there.
Thanks, a lot! I’m very appreciative of your support and attention. I will do my best to steward it well :)
This is an incredibly irresponsible post – telling people to be skeptical of anything invented in the past 100 years directly leads to people being anti-vaccine, which is how we got into/are still in this current mess. Is this an anti-vax blog? Please let me know so I can unfollow as needed.
Love this blog!!! ???
You’re awesome! Thanks Vince.
Mary, you raise a very legitimate concern. When writing a blog post, you often do not have the room for as much nuance as you could possibly add. My post should probably be read as a proverb– a useful rule of thumb that is helpful in many situations, but certainly not all.
In fact, I myself chose to get the vaccine. I generally believe that a less is more approach to medical interventions is a good guiding principle, but in the case where a risk is growing exponentially– a degree of protection (for myself and others) may be reasonable. I understand that there are strong opinions on both sides of this topic, and so I extend my empathy towards those making hard personal decisions and my humility in the fact that there is much I do not understand.
P.S. I’m just a guest author, so my one opinion is just a small speck compared to the great, diverse community that Joshua has cultivated here at Becoming Minimalist.
What a classy reply.
Love this, Mike! Getting back to basics—- ??
Yes, indeed! That has been the appeal of minimalism in my life– when you strip away the excess and get back to the basics, you often find that good things happen.
Great philosophy, all of it. Today, we have more stuff, more discontent. Stimulus all around us, but more alienation, loneliness. More choice, more confusion. People, and aggressive/misguided govt entities hyper over “health” causing humanity greater suffering. More resurgence in “spirituality”, but more immorality, misdirection… Nature can teach us, and so can history. Whenever there’s question, more is never the answer.
Thanks for the comment, Valerie. Those are certainly some interesting contrasts that we see around us, aren’t they? And I like the point of your last sentence: when there’s a challenge we face, we should start by looking for what can be reduced or removed, rather than what can be added. The power of subtraction.
I like your post. It reminds me the world we live in, always faster, and entertained by media and ads. There are so many ads pop ups and distractions as soon as you are log in unless you pay for protection spyware and for a fortune. We are sold what we don’t want to buy because we haven’t even thought of buying anything in the first place. You are really on something here. Thank you for your insights.
This might be one of your BEST writings! Thank you so much…Lots to chew on for sure!
Thank you for the kind words, Jean. Glad it got you thinking.
Mike,
I like a lot of what you are talking about and have embraced many of these ideas for years. Voluntary Simplicity, Sustainable Living, Minimalism, and all though it is a journey I love, there is always more I can do to live lighter on this beautiful planet we call home.
I don’t think it is wrong that you brought faith into the mix but I find it troublesome that you brought up Christianity. I have found that we an interesting bunch of people here of different faiths, spirituality , & I think some Agnostics & Atheists as well.
I have always felt that Joshua has kept Religion out of the mix, & to stay very focused on Minimalism. I even watched one of Joshua’s You tube videos where he was at Church but he was only talking about Minimalism. Otherwise as I know from experience it could cause polarity & problems. Inclusivity & tolerance in our world goes a long way toward peace and understanding.
I feel staying more on topic is the best way forward & I personally am excited to talk more about how to strike a balance in one’s life in our hectic, noisy, & fast paced world. Thank you.
Hi Maria. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I agree that Joshua has created a great, diverse community around here and we have much to learn from one another. I’ll leave the community management to Joshua but in this post I was merely trying to share an example to illustrate a point, not trying to be preachy. I think it’s great to use inclusive language, but there’s also value in all of us sharing from our own personal experiences and unique contexts— trusting that the broader community can also share from their own. With humility, Mike.
I appreciate your thoughts Mike, and we all can learn so much & be inspired here. It is so important to be conversing on these posts with people who “get it” about Minimalism, whether you are new to the concept or an old timer like myself.
I agree there are many advantages our modern world has to offer but feel it is good to be aware of the drawbacks, for each individual to find a balance for their own life. Technology & easy access to so much is alluring to say the least but part of the journey I feel is to when it is “enough”, & to not buckle under societal pressure to always have more, & to what end.
When it comes to the Matrix, I will choose the Red Pill every time.
Telling people to be skeptical of sunscreen sounds like just a step away from telling people to be skeptical of vaccines. Joshua, this is a pretty irresponsible thing to have on your website.
I respect that concern. There may be a time and place for sunscreen, but much of what sunscreen attempts to accomplish can be done with a wide brim hat, protective clothing, staying out of the sun during the most intense parts of the day, and acclimating yourself to sun exposure slowly over time (not just being a weekend beach warrior).
There is a chemical in certain sunscreens that causes cancer—- look it up. I forgot the name of it—- but I have it written down somewhere. When I purchase… I make sure it is free of that chemical.
benzene
Thanks for adding your thoughts, Judy. We live in a complex world and the interactions between our bodies and the environment are certainly hard to predict and nearly impossible to control. The healthy skepticism that I suggest in this post is just to be aware of the fact that what is “new” has yet to be proven by the test of time. Your example illustrates the point well– there are sometimes unintended side effects when we add something “new” into a system– and those ought to be carefully considered vs any alternatives in light of potential risk. Less is often more.
Question everything; that is wisdom. Skepticism is a viable part of life. Not to is naive.
Very interesting post mike! I like it a lot of the points you brought out. I think we are actually too comfortable a lot of the time and like you said that leads to boredom and self destructive behaviors.
If we simplify we may sometimes face a challenge but that’s the spice of life. We also need to take time for spirituality and thus show our creator we appreciate all we have.
It’s ok to be hungry, hot, or physically tired. We were built to work hard outside not sit in dark boxes and look at screens.
Yes, that’s exactly right. We are perhaps learning that too much comfort isn’t the path to human flourishing that we thought it could be. The contrast brings out the best in us. Thanks for sharing, Jessalyn!