Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism (by FumioSasaki)
5 minutes
My thoughts
This book isn’t about less being better than more. But this is a book that reminds you about what really matters in life. And often, happiness isn’t something we get from the material things our culture encourages us to accumulate.
Quotes from the book
There’s happiness in having less. That’s why it’s time to say goodbye to all our extra things.
Everyone wants to be happy. But trying to buy happiness only makes us happy for a little while.
With our desire to have more, we find ourselves spending more and more time and energy to manage and maintain everything we have. We try so hard to do this that the things that were supposed to help us and end up ruling us.
Unhappiness isn’t just the result of genetics or past trauma or career trouble. I think that some of our unhappiness is simple due to the burden of all our things.
But no matter how rich you become, no matter how many things you own, the joy from all your things won’t be much different from how you feel now.
The problem starts to occur when we buy things just to convey our qualities to others, and our collections start to grow too big.
And the more you have, the harder it is to know what you have.
Let go of “someday.” Things we don’t need now will probably never be needed.
Boxes filled with things you’ve forgotten about can almost certainly be discarded without a second glance.
It’s the things you’d be willing to buy again that give you true satisfaction.
Don’t buy it because it’s cheap. Don’t take it because it’s free.
I agree that fashion can be fun, but chasing trends can get excessive in today’s world.
We find our originality when we own less.
Minimalism is freedom–the sooner you experience it, the better.
Discarding things may leave you with less, but it will never make you a lesser person.
When you’re surrounded by a lot of things, getting rid of your cherished items may seem like you’re tearing away pieces of yourself. But remember, those things aren’t you; your close connection to them is entirely a creation in your mind. You won’t become less of a person by doing away with those things. In fact, you may actually be pleasantly surprised to find that with all those extraneous possessions out of the way, the true you will begin to come alive.
Our possessions will keep increasing if we’re constrained by the standard uses or conveniences of each item, but we can de-clutter surprisingly well if we ignore convention.
Minimalism is not a rite of penance, nor is it a competitive sport. It is simply a means to an end.
For a minimalist, the objective isn’t to reduce, it’s to eliminate distractions so they can focus on the things that are truly important. Minimalism is just the beginning. It’s a tool. Once you’ve gone ahead and minimized, it’s time to find out what those important things are.
Listen, life is short. It’s a shame to waste it because of some material object.
When given too many choices, people tend to worry that there’s something better out there than what they decided on.
Quality time, not quality objects, leads to happiness.
By reducing the number of material possessions you have, you can take back the time that your belongings have been stealing from you.
Cleaning can be really easy if you have fewer things.
There’s no point in putting up with a terrible job or working yourself to death just to maintain your standard of living. By having less and lowering your minimum living costs, you can go anywhere you want. Minimalism can really be liberating.
Weitiko is a Native American word, literally translated as “man-eater,” which refers to a mental disorder in which you want more than you need. This disorder destroys people’s lives.
Left to its own devices, our hunger for things can grow out of control and become a monster.
Want to know how to make yourself instantly unhappy? Compare yourself with someone else.
Once you start comparing yourself with others, you’re always going to find someone who’s better than you.
When you stop comparing, you find yourself.
No one’s as concerned about you as you may think. Everyone’s busy and wrapped up with their own lives.
By letting go of the old, I’ve been able to get hold of the new.
It’s often said that you have to endure your job to “put food on the table” or “enjoy the nicer things in life.” But wait. Most of those “nicer things,” and the money we need for them, are just for show. We’re driven by pride rather than need.
The only way to focus on the important things is to reduce the things that aren’t important.
Minimalism is very effective for cutting down on costs, but it isn’t limited to just that. We can change the way we use money–we can direct it awar from the things that are just for show, and invest instead in experiences, people, or new initiatives. We can spend our money where it’s really important.
When you reduce the number of things you own, you can devote more time and energy to your interpersonal relationships.
Happiness isn’t a state that we win by accomplishing certain criteria. Happiness is something that can only be felt in this moment.
You don’t “become” happy. Happiness isn’t a reward that you receive for following examples that are set. It doesn’t come attached to certain life achievements, and it isn’t handed to you on a silver platter.
