You've probably read in my review of Leo Babauta's The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life how offended I was when Leo used the term "Third World." The good thing about me is that I always try to see the other side of the coin.
Since I've been gobbling up minimalist blogs, I've come to the conclusion that Leo used the term "Third World" because it is a term that's familiar to his "First World" readers. Besides, I think the term "developing countries" is even more offensive because it communicates that our country is incomplete.
I've also realized that "First World" minimalists often take it for granted that people from the "Third World" live an effortless minimalist life because we have no choice but to live simply. They are wrong.
In fact, now that I think of it life in the Third World sets us up to a lifestyle that's anti-minimalist. Because we live with less, we feel that we have to have more to be happy. We work hard because we try to compensate for what we lack.
We amass properties so that we can feel complete. Don't you feel satisfied if you have your own house, your own car? If we don't compare ourselves with others, we compare ourselves to our lives before we had the money.
Our dream is to go anywhere in the world far away from the Philippines. Never mind that we work in a job that we hate. Never mind that we don't get to see our kids grow up. When we go home, we could flaunt to others how our lives are better than the ones who chose to stay home or who don't have the resources to go abroad.
The ones who stay in the Philippines hate the humid days and dream of snow. We toil and we dream and we get frustrated because our dreams often feel out of reach. But is it really out of reach or are we limiting ourselves? Are we allowing our needs to distract us from our dreams?
The distractions in our lives may be less frivolous, but they are distractions nevertheless. While First Worlders get distracted with how much stuff they own, we get distracted by how little of it we have.
Minimalism is about living with less, so that we can experience life. Why is it that we have less but we still don't live the life we want?
What is minimalism like in the Third World, I wonder? Let's find out together.
9 comments:
Reminded me of the book "Heritage of Smallness." Sometimes, people are just so hard to attain content in life, still longing for more than what he needs or could ever grasp. That I think, is true in general, regardless of what country he's from. =) Nice post!
Such an eye-opening post. I love this part: "Minimalism is about living with less, so that we can experience life. Why is it that we have less but we still don't live the life we want?". I guess it's plain human nature to desire what we don't have. Tsk-tsk.
Lots of love,
Hi, Dang and Golden! Thanks for the comments. I've been thinking a lot about desiring things and wonder if it really is human nature or is it something that was created in us by mass media. After all, the only time I feel discontented is when I read of others who have other stuff that I don't... Hhmmm
Hi, I just popped over here when I saw your comment about becomingminimalist. I lived for many years in Indonesia (as an American expat). I am looking forward to reading your perspective on minimalism (it will be refreshing, I'm sure).
Willow
Liberal, much? You lefties are always offended about *something*. Just chill out and quit walking around looking for something to be offended over. Leftist claptrap.
@Willow, welcome to my blog! I'm pleased to have new readers and I'm just as excited on where this is going to take me.
@Anonymous, I don't necessarily go around looking for something to be offended about, so I'd say chill out, too. =)
this is a great post. you're actually right, we fill ourselves with too much wants that we often neglect the things we have within our reach. we never are contented with what we have.
Very nice post. And good for you for realizing that we may often find ourselves discontented with our lives. I like this line, "If we don't compare ourselves with others, we compare ourselves to our lives before we had the money." I remember myself when i was still single and had a high paying job but wasn't really happy. That time, i would often daydream about having a family and just staying at home and not worry about working anymore. And now that i have my dream (im a SAHM now), i would sometimes feel envious of my friends who have work. haha! but reading your blog made me realize that i have just what i wanted. ;)
@Anonymous, you're right. Sometimes, we need to take a good hard look at our lives to realize that we have all it takes to be happy right now.
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