I HATE blogs on minimalism.

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Started 1 year ago by FatStupidAmerican
Latest reply from pkilmain
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FatStupidAmerican
Member

Am I the only one?

I find blogs like unclutterer, and the articles in life hacker to be the most useful when it comes to getting tips and ideas on how to pare down, free up space etc.

These blogs.....

There are a few I read and enjoy reading them and have found them helpful.

There rest of these blogs I swear the writers failed out of high school. They are filled with such pseudo-intellectual bullshit. I go looking for interesting discussions and ideas that would help me down size, instead I get scientology.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Posted 1 year ago #
Kamakazi
Member

Examples?

Posted 1 year ago #
Mimi
Member

well i don´t hate them but a lot of them bore me. posessions get so much attention, sometimes i get a feeling of "inverse hoarding".

note: i am not talking about zenhabits/ mnmlist/ missminimalist. i like them a lot.

Posted 1 year ago #
Periwinkle
Member

This is what I thought of after reading your post: http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=1765

Minimalism? For me, yes, though I restrict my interest to (a) objects and (b) hassles and chores. If you can show me a way to get the same result but with less stuff, I'm interested. If you can show me that a chore I do is actually unnecessary, I'm interested. I'm not interested in simplifying my activities, though that comes more under simple living.

Simple living is what I am NOT interested in. I like to do what I enjoy and I don't buy all that stuff about completely absorbing yourself in the washing up or whatever - Zen Habits sort of stuff. Fine if you like that, but it's not for me.

Frugality does interest me, but a lot of blogs I've found are US-centric and don't help me in the UK. Sure, they may have lots of really neat hacks for US services, but that's no good when the system/laws here are different.

Green living I'm interested in but I wouldn't really read a blog about - I already recycle, try and use as little as I can etc. and there doesn't seem to be that much practical advice beyond that.

I used to think 'TBH 75% of minimalism blogs are crap'. Now, I realise that it's that minimalism is a very, very broad term that's applied to lots of different ideas, and it's just that I'm not interested in every category. That may well be how you feel too - I love lifehacker and Unclutterer because I find they give practical advice, not 'pseudo-intellectual bullshit' and 5-step programmes to (simplify your life/quit your day job/be happy) that start with '1. Embrace the day' or something like that.

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

LOL you don't respond well to being told to "embrace the day"? Neither do I. :-) Sometimes I just want to give the day a swift kick in the arse.

I would say, in response to the OP, that I don't hate minimalist blogs - because I don't read them. I am not interested in minimalist living.

Self-sufficient living, yes - but that's in the future and things are going to change, so why study it now? Uncluttered living, most definitely - but I don't see any need to go outside this particular site and forum, because between Erin and all the geniuses who post here I have collected more ideas already than I have had a chance to apply.

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

I write a minimalist blog. I enjoy reading the blogs of other aspiring minimalists. I respect your opinion - not everyone has to enjoy them. I have found that my close friends and family enjoy reading my blog over that of a much larger blogger because they feel connected to ME. I have helped a handful of them realize that they want to change their path in life to become more minimalist. Even if I only inspire one or two other people, it is worth it to me.

Posted 1 year ago #
tmichelle
Member

I had to laugh over "instead I get scientology". To be frank, I'm not sure what all scientology is, but if it is the New Agey, spiritualism stuff, I think that it is actually more of a fad then something limited to minimalism. I find I hear a lot of fluttery spiritual talk in all walks of life these days.

Posted 1 year ago #
Astreja
Member

I actually have a (beginner-level!) background in mindfulness meditation, so Zen Habits is a blog that I enjoy.

There are blogs that make my eyes glaze over, though -- The "minimalism" seems to be one part Urban Eco-Survivalist Guilt Trip and one part Extreme Involuntary Personal Reinvention.

I occasionally blog about decluttering, in the context of my household's rich and twisted reality, so the closest I tend to get to minimalist blogging is "I can see my desk from here!"

Posted 1 year ago #
Jude2004
Member

I have a lot of blog subscriptions, so I end up adding new ones and unsubscribing from the old many times each week. I find minimalist blogs useful because they're so extreme. When I find myself unable to let go of something, I can read some useful blog posts, go back, and get rid of stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
FatStupidAmerican
Member

I don't really want to give examples of blogs.

When I first started getting into downsizing/minimalism/simplicity/uncluttered/romanticism, (I pretty much consider them to all be the same, but different discussion) there were a few blogs, which are popular now, that provided a good amount of useful information.

I look for blogs on minimalism because hopefully it could provide helpful insights.I don't mind when they deviate into topics that have similarities like green living, frugal, money management, alternative living, because discussion on those topics can aid in practical applications.

It really only seems like life hacker and unclutterer are the only ones left still giving useful info.

However this is not what they are talking about. I run into posts like, How to be creative, why you should appreciate a tea cup, how to unclutterer your soul or whatever. Most of their garbage tends to draw these non sequitur connections to pretty much anything. Only in extremely rare instances (now) do you find a post that are practical.

Posted 1 year ago #
FatStupidAmerican
Member

FYI I used to blog about it myself.

My goal was always discussing minimalism as it served a functional purpose to a poor mid-twenties recent college grad who didn't know where he is going to end up in the next few years.

I stopped because it seemed useless in comparison to the awesomeness of these forums and life hacker.

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

FSA: i actually do apprecaite my teacups!!!lolol
but I know what you're saying. I have sometimes gotten the feeling that certain bloggers are talking down to, acting superior to, and in general just thinking they are all that because they own 5 things, and that I am a consumerist whore because I have more than 10 things that aren't necessities. I don't need to get online to receive attitude, I go for inspiration, support, ideas and tips and the friendly voices here on unclutterer!

Posted 1 year ago #
Irulan
Member

I think that's just the limitation of blogs as a medium - how many new and fresh ideas can you come up with when you're expected to post something every day for years? Unclutterer and Lifehacker have a relatively broad base of topics to choose from, but pretty much every blog involves a lot of variation on a theme. I've had a similar experience to yours with blogs that I read on other topics, especially niche blogs. After a few years, they seem to be grasping at anything to make their topic seem relevant and new.

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

FatStupidAmerican - I agree with you on the "why you should appreciate a teacup" style posts. I know exactly what you mean! That comment made me laugh out loud :o)

Posted 1 year ago #
ninakk
Member

I agree with irishbell. It doesn't seem like people who need to act superior are going minimalist for a 'real' reason, but maybe because it seems cool somehow. Hate that.

Posted 1 year ago #
FatStupidAmerican
Member

Glad to see I am not the only one.

Posted 1 year ago #
FatStupidAmerican
Member

@Irulan

I don't think its the limitation with the medium its really more like a limitation with the topic.

If you run out of things to and have to start clamoring stop talking, people should know when to quit.

Posted 1 year ago #
Ginger
Member

@FST, LOL!!! Your post made me laugh too. "Why you should appreciate a tea cup" is not my style either.

I'm not a fan of minimalist blogs either and don't read them anymore. I will give them credit though because they were the ones which I found first. They gave me the "idea" and motivation to unclutter (and I only found them in the first place because it was related to a research paper for school, lol). One of them led me to this site and some money saving ones. I then found out where my "line" is and where my interests are.

Posted 1 year ago #
everydayminimalist
Member

@Periwinkle: I can't tell if I should be flattered you linked to my post or insulted.

I don't hate blogs on minimalism, what I don't like are people who push an ideal lifestyle that doesn't work for everyone. I don't tell anyone <b>hey my life is like this and you should do it too.. and if you don't, you're crap!!</b>

Mine is more of.. "This is what I do, this is how I live.. this is what makes me happy and interested, this is how I pack.." .. you know, everyday stuff.

No one should do what they don't want to do, especially read blogs on minimalism if you hate them.

In fact, I even blogged about something similar lately -- don't do what you don't want to do. Period.

http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=4855

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

everydayminimalist - Your blog was one of the first I read when I looked into the minimalist lifestyle. I love it - keep up the good work!

Posted 1 year ago #

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