PRINT-Voluntary Simplicity--2nd ed. by Duane Elgin

Duane Elgin's Voluntary Simplicity was originally published in 1981 and has gone on to become a touchstone for environmentalists, the simplicity movement, and minimalists. It was revised, and it is the second edition that I read. I do not know how faithful or improved it is to the first edition.

The radical part of Elgin's book isn't the writing but the title. Voluntary simplicity is a concept that is revolutionary. It is to choose to live simply when you live in a world of options and abundance. Presented as a lifestyle choice, the concept is very appealing. But Elgin does not present it as a lifestyle choice. He presents it as an environmental necessity in a world headed for a Malthusian apocalypse. The result is the book sucks dick. It does not live up to its title which is that simplicity is voluntary and makes you happier. Instead, it is an environmentalist tract for green living. Fuck that.

The best arguments for a simple life are the selfish ones. By owning less, you get to do more, enjoy more, and have less stress and worry. Decluttering your garage is not going to do a damn thing for the environment. In fact, it goes against green philosophy because the bulk of your shit is headed straight for a landfill. Having a smaller home and car helps because it saves on energy, but beyond this, a simple life and a more complex life are not much different in terms of the environment.

I think minimalism should be value free in terms of politics and the environment. Too often, I see people ranging from Leo Babauta to Duane Elgin putting a Marxist/green spin on it that I find nauseating and stupid. I don't think this should be done. The first reason is that living simply doesn't advance those causes very much at all. The second is that it hampers the broad appeal that simple living can have. The third is that it gives simplicity a sanctimonius ring to it that it doesn't need.

You should pursue voluntary simplicity because it is going to be a better and more optimized lifestyle for you. It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn't matter if you are Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu. Ultimately, simplicity brings freedom. In a world with heavy mortgage payments, gas guzzling SUVs, and jobs you hate but can't afford to quit, the simplicity as freedom argument is very appealing. People are downshifting and not regretting it a bit.

The simple life may have beneficial impacts for the environment, but this should not be a key selling point. On this basis, we should shun electricity and indoor plumbing. Luddites and the Unabomber are the result of this green minimalism. This is when people step off the train and go back to their McMansions and SUVs.

Voluntary Simplicity is not very good unless you like guilt trips. Read something by the many minimalist bloggers out there instead.

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