Simple living refers to practices that promotesimplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money.[1][2] In addition to such external changes, simple living also reflects a person's mindset and values.[3] Simple living practices can be seen in history, religion, art, and economics.
Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such asspirituality,health, increase inquality time for family and friends,work–life balance, personal taste, financial sustainability, increase inphilanthropy,frugality,environmental sustainability,[4] or reducingstress. Simple living can also be a reaction toeconomic materialism andconsumer culture. Some citesociopolitical goals aligned with environmentalist,anti-consumerist, oranti-war movements, includingconservation,degrowth,deep ecology, andtax resistance.[5]
A number of religious and spiritual traditions encourage simple living.[6] Early examples include theŚramaṇa traditions ofIron Age India and biblicalNazirites. These traditions were heavily influenced by both national cultures and religious ethics.[7][page needed] Simplicity was one of the primary concepts espoused by Lao Tzu, the founder ofTaoism. This is most embodied in the principles ofPu andZiran.[8][full citation needed] Confucius has been quoted numerous times as promoting simple living.[9][10][full citation needed]
Gautama Buddha espoused simple living as a central virtue ofBuddhism. TheFour Noble Truths advocate detachment from desire as the path to ending suffering and attainingNirvana.[11][full citation needed][12]
Jesus is said to have lived a simple life. He is said to have encouraged hisdisciples "to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics".[13] He also told his disciples that they cannot serve God and money at the same time, and explained that God is capable of providing them with the essentials for life (food and clothing), so long as they "seek his kingdom first".[14]The Apostle Paul taught that people should be content with food and clothing, and that the desire to be rich is the cause of many kinds of evils.[15]
Many other notable religious individuals, such asBenedict of Nursia,Francis of Assisi,[16]Leo Tolstoy,Rabindranath Tagore,Albert Schweitzer, andMahatma Gandhi, have claimed that spiritual inspiration led them to a simple living lifestyle.[7][page needed]
Sufism in theMuslim world emerged and grew as a mystical, somewhat hidden tradition in the mainstreamSunni andShiadenominations ofIslam.[17] Sufism grew particularly in the frontier areas ofIslamic states,[17][18] where the asceticism of itsfakirs anddervishes appealed to populations already used to the monastic traditions ofHinduism,Buddhism, andChristianity.[19][20] Sufis were influential and successful inspreading Islam between the 10th and 19th centuries.[17] Some scholars have argued that Sufi Muslim ascetics and mystics played a decisive role in converting theTurkic peoples to Islam, mainly because of the similarities between the extreme, ascetic Sufis (fakirs anddervishes) and theShamans of thetraditional Turco-Mongol religion.[18][21]
Plain people typically belonged to Christian groups that practised lifestyles that excluded forms ofwealth ortechnology for religious or philosophical reasons. Such Christian groups include theShakers,Mennonites,Amish,Hutterites,Amana Colonies,Bruderhof,[22]Old German Baptist Brethren,Harmony Society, and someQuakers. A Quaker belief calledTestimony of simplicity states that a person ought to live her or his life simply. Some tropes about complete exclusion of technology in these groups may not be accurate though. The Amish and other groups do use some modern technology, after assessing its impact on the community.[23]
The 18th-centuryFrench Enlightenment philosopherJean-Jacques Rousseau strongly praised the simple way of life in many of his writings, especially in two books:Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (1750) andDiscourse on Inequality (1754).[24]
Epicureanism, based on the teachings of theAthens-basedphilosopherEpicurus, flourished from about the fourth century BCE to the third century CE. Epicureanism held that the paradigm of happiness was the untroubled life, which was made possible by carefully considered choices. Epicurus pointed out that troubles entailed by maintaining an extravagant lifestyle tend to outweigh the pleasures of partaking in it. He therefore concluded that what is necessary for happiness, bodily comfort, and life itself should be maintained at minimal cost, while all things beyond what is necessary for these should either be tempered by moderation or completely avoided.[25]
Henry David Thoreau, an Americannaturalist and author, made the classicsecular advocacy of a life of simple andsustainable living in his bookWalden (1854). Thoreau conducted a two-year experiment living a plain and simple life on the shores ofWalden Pond. He concluded: "Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail."[26]
In Victorian Britain,Henry Stephens Salt, an admirer of Thoreau, popularised the idea of "Simplification, the saner method of living".[27]: 22 Other British advocates of the simple life includedEdward Carpenter,William Morris, and the members of the "Fellowship of the New Life".[27]: 27–28 Carpenter popularised the phrase the "Simple Life" in his essaySimplification of Life in hisEngland's Ideal (1887).[28]
C.R. Ashbee and his followers also practised some of these ideas, thus linking simplicity with theArts and Crafts movement.[29] British novelistJohn Cowper Powys advocated the simple life in his 1933 bookA Philosophy of Solitude.[30]John Middleton Murry andMax Plowman practised a simple lifestyle at their Adelphi Centre in Essex in the 1930s.[31]Irish poetPatrick Kavanagh championed a "right simplicity" philosophy based onruralism in some of his work.[32]
George Lorenzo Noyes, anaturalist,mineralogist,development critic, writer, and artist, is known as the Thoreau of Maine. He lived a wilderness lifestyle, advocating through his creative work a simple life and reverence for nature. During the 1920s and 1930s, theVanderbilt Agrarians of theSouthern United States advocated a lifestyle and culture centered upon traditional and sustainableagrarian values as opposed to the progressive urbanindustrialism which dominatedthe Western world at that time.
The Norwegian-American economist and sociologistThorstein Veblen warned against theconspicuous consumption of thematerialistic society in hisThe Theory of the Leisure Class (1899);Richard Gregg coined the term "voluntary simplicity" inThe Value of Voluntary Simplicity (1936). From the 1920s, a number of modern authors articulated both the theory and practice of living simply, among themGandhian Richard Gregg, economistsRalph Borsodi andScott Nearing, anthropologist-poetGary Snyder, andutopian fiction writerErnest Callenbach. EconomistE. F. Schumacher argued against the notion that "bigger is better" inSmall Is Beautiful (1973); andDuane Elgin continued the promotion of the simple life inVoluntary Simplicity (1981).
The Australian academicTed Trainer practices and writes about simplicity, and established The Simplicity Institute[33] at Pigface Point, some 20 km (12 mi) from theUniversity of New South Wales to which it is attached.[34] A secular set of nine values was developed with theEthify Yourself project inAustria, having a simplified life style in mind. In theUnited States voluntary simplicity started to garner more public exposure through a movement in the late 1990s around a popular "simplicity" book,The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs.[35]
CertainChristian monasteries andconvents, such as the Evangelical-LutheranSisters of the Holy Spirit at Alsike Convent, allow Christians to commit a certain period of time (such as the summer period) to living as a hermit in ahermitage.[36] While living as ahermit, individuals reside in desolated cabins that do not contain running water, and focus onprayer (particularly theDivine Office).[36]
Those Christians who desire to live as a hermit,monk ornun may choose to enter theconsecrated life (a state of life in the Catholic, Evangelical-Lutheran and Anglican denominations).[37]
Some people practice simple living by reducing theirconsumption. Lowering consumption can reduce individual debt, which allows for greater flexibility and simplicity in one's life. If one spends less ongoods or services, one can spend less time earningmoney. The time saved may be used to pursue other interests, to help others throughvolunteering, or to improve theirquality of life, for example, by pursuing creative activities. Developing adetachment from the pursuit of money has led some individuals, such asSuelo andMark Boyle, to live with no money.[38] People who reduce their expenses can also increase their savings, leading tofinancial independence and the possibility ofearly retirement.[39]
The "100 Thing Challenge" is a grassroots movement to whittle personal possessions to one hundred items, aiming of de-cluttering and simplify life.[40] People in thetiny house movement chose to live in small, mortgage-free, low-impact dwellings, such aslog cabins orbeach huts.[41]
Joshua Becker suggests that people who desire to simplify their lives begin by simplifying their homes.[42]
Increasedself-sufficiency reduces dependency on money and the broadereconomy.[43]Tom Hodgkinson believes the key to a free and simple life is to stop consuming and start producing.[44] Writer and eco-blogger Jennifer Nini left the city to live off-grid, grow food, and "be a part of the solution; not part of the problem."[45]
Forest gardening, developed by simple living adherentRobert Hart, is a low-maintenance, plant-based food production system based on woodland ecosystems. It incorporates fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables.[46]: 97 Hart created a model forest garden from a 0.12-acre (490 m2) orchard on his farm atWenlock Edge inShropshire.[46]: 45
"Food miles" is a description of the number of miles a given item of food or its ingredients has travelled between the farm and the table. Simple living advocates use this metric to argue for locally grown food, for example in books likeThe 100-Mile Diet andBarbara Kingsolver'sAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. In each of those cases, the authors devoted a year to reducing their carbon footprint by eating locally.[47]
City dwellers can produce home-grown fruit and vegetables inpot gardens or miniature indoor greenhouses. Tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, peas, strawberries, and several types of herbs can all thrive in pots.Jim Merkel says "A person could sprout seeds. They are tasty, incredibly nutritious, and easy to grow... We grow them in wide-mouthed mason jars with a square of nylon window screen screwed under a metal ring".[48]
People who practice simple living have diverse views on the role of technology. The American political activistScott Nearing was skeptical about how humanity would use new technology, citing destructive inventions such asnuclear weapons.[49] Those who eschew modern technology are often referred to asLuddites orneo-Luddites.[50] Although simple living is often asecular pursuit, it may still involve reconsideringappropriate technology asAnabaptist groups such as theAmish orMennonites have done.
Technology can make a simple lifestyle within mainstream culture easier and more sustainable. Theinternet can reduce an individual'scarbon footprint throughremote work and lower paper usage. Some have calculated their energy consumption to show that one can live simply and in a satisfying way by using much less energy than is typically used in Western countries.[51] Technologies they may embrace include computers,photovoltaic systems,wind turbines, andwater turbines.
Technological interventions that appear to simplify living may actually induce side effects elsewhere or in the future.Evgeny Morozov warns that tools like the internet can facilitatemass surveillance andpolitical repression.[52] The bookGreen Illusions identifies how wind and solar energy technologies have hidden side effects and can actually increase energy consumption and entrench environmental harms over time.[53] The authors of the bookTechno-Fix criticize technological optimists for overlooking the limitations of technology in solving agricultural problems.[54]
In contrast to diets like vegetarianism, a simplified diet focuses on principles rather than a set of rules. People may use less sophisticated and cheaper ingredients, and eat dishes considered as "comfort food", including home-cooked dishes. Simple diets are usually considered to be "healthy", since they include a significant amount of fruit and vegetables.[55] A simple diet usually avoids highly processed foods and fast-food eating.[56][verification needed] Simplicity may also entail taking time to be present while eating, such as by following rituals, avoiding multitasking when eating, and putting time aside to consume food mindfully and gratefully, potentially in the company of others.[57][verification needed] Practicing mindfulness and awareness while eating promotes a deeper sense of connection and responsibility toward understanding food as a meaningful and fulfilling process, rather than merely consuming a product.[58] Moreover, it is common to cook one's own food, by following simple recipes that are not particularly time consuming, in an attempt to reduce the amount of energy necessary for cooking.[59][verification needed]
A simple diet looks different from person to person and can be adapted to suit individual needs and desires. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the Movement for Compassionate Living was formed by Kathleen and Jack Jannaway in 1984 to spread the message ofveganism and promote simple living and self-reliance as a remedy against theexploitation of humans, animals, and the planet.
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Environmentalism is inspired by simple living, as harmony withnature is intrinsically dependent on a simple lifestyle.[according to whom?] For example,Green parties often advocate simple living as a consequence of their "four pillars" or the "Ten Key Values" of theGreen Party of the United States. This includes, in policy terms, their rejection ofgenetic engineering andnuclear power and other technologies they consider to be hazardous. TheGreens' support for simplicity is based on the reduction in natural resource usage and environmental impact.[4] This concept is expressed inErnest Callenbach's "green triangle" ofecology,frugality, and health.
Some avoid involvement even withgreen politics as compromising simplicity, however, and instead advocate forms ofgreen anarchism that attempt to implement these principles at a smaller scale, e.g. theecovillage.Deep ecology, a belief that the world does not exist as a resource to be freely exploited by humans, proposeswilderness preservation,human population control, and simple living.[60]
Minimalist lifestyles may contribute to reduced carbon emissions, although further research is needed to quantify their impact.[61]
The term "bohemianism" describes a tradition of both voluntary and involuntary poverty byartists who devote their time to artistic endeavors rather than paid labor. The term was coined by the French bourgeoisie as a way to describe social non-conformists.[62] Bohemians sometimes also expressed their unorthodoxy through simplistic art, for instance in the case of Amedeo Modigliani.[63] Minimalistic art inspired "rebel" artistic movements into the 20th century.[62]
Positive attitudes towards living in poverty for the sake of art are becoming less common amongyoung American artists. One recent graduate of theRhode Island School of Design said "her classmates showed little interest in living ingarrets and eatingramen noodles."[64]
A new economics movement has been building since theUnited Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972,[65] and the publications that year ofOnly One Earth,The Limits to Growth, andBlueprint for Survival, followed bySmall Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered in 1973.[66][page needed]
David Wann introduced the idea of "simple prosperity" as it applies to asustainable lifestyle. From his point of view, "it is important to ask ourselves three fundamental questions: what is the point of all our commuting and consuming? What is the economy for? And, finally, why do we seem to be unhappier now than when we began our initial pursuit for rich abundance?"[67][page needed]
James Robertson'sA New Economics of Sustainable Development[66] inspired work of thinkers and activists who participate in hisWorking for a Sane Alternative network and program. According to Robertson, the shift to sustainability is likely to require a widespread shift of emphasis from raising incomes to reducing costs.
The principles of the new economics, as set out by Robertson, are the following:[68]
Rather than being consumed by materialism, we choose to surround ourselves with only those material possessions we truly need or genuinely cherish
You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)In most cases, consecrated persons live in a religious community such as a monastery, convent, or religious house.
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