rbmrtn
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
As george carlin said " a house is just a place to keep your stuff"
George Carlin Talks About "Stuff" - YouTube
George Carlin Talks About "Stuff" - YouTube
I know plenty of people in the U.S. who have no choice but to "live on less," and then there's the small matter of the rest of the world. Remember this slide show with the total household possessions of various people around the planet? Kinda eye-opening:
Everything You Own In A Photo: A Look At Our Worldly Possessions : The Picture Show : NPR
+1. I just read the NYT article again, seems consistent with YMOYL and LBYM? So the uproar here is surprising to me, but then I agree with the basic less is more/stuff.NE.happiness POV - ideas I thought were widely held here.Sheesh, and I thought I was cynical...
The 6th picture - a family in Texas, didn't have any tv's... that surprised me.
Look again - I see one left center, next to the easy chair.The 6th picture - a family in Texas, didn't have any tv's... that surprised me.
Is my reading unfair to the author?
-ERD50
Is my reading unfair to the author?
-ERD50
Thanks for posting that link.
The 7th picture cracked me up. A yurt living family in a super desolate desert had some things you'd expect (wood fired stove, for example) and some things that surprised me (satellite dish and tv.)
The 6th picture - a family in Texas, didn't have any tv's... that surprised me.
I also think this article is a self promotion of his new business...
He said he has designed the small living space he is in now and is going to try and sell everybody else on the same thing...
"Buy from me because I know better"..... is what I think he is saying...
Me, too!
A few years ago, my Texas niece and SIL visited us for a week. We had had no TV for a few years; it broke and we just didn't care enough to replace it. My cheapo Mr. Coffee had just broken down, and I hadn't replaced it yet.
Worst of all, we were still using the microwave we had bought back in oh, 1980.
When my SIL told my brother about the situation here, he asked her, "What are they, Quakers or something?"
We are now known as the family's California Amish.
You want my honest opinion, ERD?
I picked up on that too.
Self promoter? Follow me so I can get richer?
He lost a bit of credibility from me after I read that.
Otherwise, most of his message is common sense and really not all that new, except to the degree he has taken it. I would not be happy in 420 sq ft. No way! I would feel claustrophobic.
Each to his own. Some might be happy with their clutter or distressed at getting rid of it.
This one does capture the essence of why a lot of people react negatively to Hill's opinion piece. A couple of lines:This take-down of the original bit of narcissism is much more wortwhile than the original, IMHO:
It Would Be Great if Millionaires Would Not Lecture Us on 'Living With Less'
But I'm not so sure he got religion. So it is worse. It is the preacher who is having a fling with the secretary on the side. That fling is another business to consume his time. (More stuff.)I don't begrudge the folks who have and like lots of stuff. Neither do I mind if someone enjoys the spartan life. But don't preach to me that one is better than the other. Sounds too much like someone who just "got" religion and wants to save my soul.
I have stuff and I enjoy most of it. I may have stuff that is now surplus to my requirements, but so what. Ain't no skin off anyone's nose but mine
(Like me), you probably don't get the whole "social media" concept either, right?Who is this guy to tell me how many dishes or CDs is the 'right' amount? Am I some little baby who can't decide that for myself? ... I'm amazed that people see any value in this sort of thing. Can't they think for themselves? I just don't get it.
I don't begrudge the folks who have and like lots of stuff. Neither do I mind if someone enjoys the spartan life. But don't preach to me that one is better than the other. Sounds too much like someone who just "got" religion and wants to save my soul.
This one does capture the essence of why a lot of people react negatively to Hill's opinion piece. A couple of lines:
"Aha! All it takes is a leisurely decade or so of world travel with "Olga, an Andorran beauty" to come to the conclusion that less is more. Make a note, average Americans..."
"The problem here is not the message. The problem is the messenger. More specifically, it is the messenger using his own life as supporting evidence for the message...to say to the average American, "My journey through the perils of great wealth has bestowed me with wisdom that is directly applicable to you" is simply false."
This suits me fine. A long time ago I figured out that only those who were not well off would negatively affect my well being. Bring on the obsessive compulsives! Bring on the anxiety neurotics! What I don't want is easy riders who plan budget supplements on my dime.In some ways, though, the same could be said for this forum. "Some" of us have a hard time relating to the machinations and hand-wringing of folks who wonder if they can somehow FIRE with a few mil in the bank...
This suits me fine. A long time ago I figured out that only those who were not well off would negatively affect my well being. Bring on the obsessive compulsives! Bring on the anxiety neurotics! What I don't want is easy riders who plan budget supplements on my dime.
The occasional poster who is planning to survive by cutting corners and playing the nanny state are those who do not please me. If you have $10mm and think you need $15mm, attaboy partner!
Ha
(Like me), you probably don't get the whole "social media" concept either, right?
Not to mention the part where he spent $350,000 renovating his apartment into the minimalist form in which it exists today.