Marie Kondo & Minimalism
By: Abdullah Ashari
Tags: Minimalist, Minimalism, Lifestyle, Simple Living, Marie Kondo

Source: Pinterest

We have lost the art of simple living. We have too many material possessions, too many choices and too much to eat, that we waste and destroy so much. Minimalism is not about living in poverty and sleeping on the floor of an empty room, it’s about possessing little or just necessities and simple decorations that is enough to make your home clean and comfortable.

For many of us, material wealth is an expression of selfhood, proof of our existence or success to show to the world that we’ve made it. So we tend to associate our identities and self-image with the things we possess, the car we drive, the job we have, the house we live in, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the phone we use, the degree certificate we take and so much more.

How often do we asked ourselves, do we buy things because we really need or love them or because you think it might impress others who will see them? Do we post social gathering photos on social media to show our appreciation of our friendship or to show others what kind of friends we have and to portray the type of person we are? Do we buy a particular car model because it’s economical, practical or pleasing to the eyes? Or do we buy them to show others that we could afford such a brand?

In the end, we became unhappy with our own excessive and repulsive purchases because we buy them not for ourselves but for others, or buy them simply because we were too stressed at the time that we went on a shopping therapy. And you start asking yourself all this now as you get older, when your list of bills start to get longer and your store starts to get crowded with items you don’t even remember why you bought it or when was the last time you actually used it.

It’s no wonder we get so stressed easily working at home now during the pandemic and no wonder minimalist guru such as Marie Kondo have been gaining popularity, because people not only need help in sorting out their stuffs but sorting out their cluttered heart and life as well, to achieve the inner peace with just the minimum.

Source : The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story

We all know who she is by now and one thing I do not understand is the hate she’s been getting since she became known to the world. Interesting fact about her is that her videos have already been circulating YouTube about five years ago but she only became famous now after her shows came on Netflix.

From what I understand from these haters or skeptics is that they have a misconception about her, thinking it’s just a tidying up method that anybody can do or has been doing for ages, so they do not see the logic that people need to read her books and watch her shows to know how to clean up your own house.

What they fail to understand is that it’s more than just cleaning up your room, it’s about recognizing your attachments to your belongings and identifying yourself. It’s not just about cluttering up your cupboards but your life as well. Not letting objects define your self worth. You do not need things that you do not need, just to impress others on social media for likes or make yourself feel better.

When you dig out your stuffs, you can tell which are the ones that you bought simply because you really want it, because you like the color or design or its comfortable or it makes you look great? And the ones that you bought simply because of the brand or trend because you want to show off to others to give them an impression that you are this or that kind of person?

This is what she’s trying to imply, separating things that you really love “spark joy” and those that you don’t even remember or know why you bought it in the first place now that you look at it again. It could be you bought it ten years ago when you were younger because you wanted to make a fashion statement but now you’re more mature and realize what a waste of money that was.

Unfortunately, we live in a capitalist world that is constantly shoving consumerism down our throats daily with advertisements and social influencers telling you to get this and that just so you could be in trend with everyone else and do not want to be left out. And when you can’t afford to get those things like everyone else you become unhappy, depressed and angry.

You wanted to dress like them, you wanted to look like them, you wanted to live in a big house like them, you wanted to drive a branded car like them, you wanted to have the perfect lover like them, you want everything about them from their lifestyle to their personality that you lost yourself and your identity of who you really are as a person and what really makes you happy.

Despite all the things that you already have that you need, you’re still unhappy because you’re obsessed in getting things that you want simply because others have it too! So we put in extra hours at work for that extra cash sacrificing things that really matter such as spending time with friends and family. We lost the human connection to objects that’s supposed to make us feel happy.

She also stress out about the dangers of nostalgia because if you are too entrenched in the past, you’ll never be able to get rid of the old things and you’ll only accumulate more stuffs that you don’t need. You’ll feel more constrained and stressed out living in a “storeroom” you call home. Most importantly, you won’t be able to move on in the present because you’re still living in the past.

I have only started learning more about her recently as I have never been the sort that gets on stuffs while its trending and the only reason I start to learn more about her now is purely out of curiosity and interest as I believe there is more to her than meets the eye. I find her “anti-consumerism” refreshing because I think extreme consumerism is what making people very unhappy today.

Also because I believe that no matter how many years of experiences that we have or all the knowledge that we acquired thus far, no matter how smart we think we are, there is always something new that we do not know about. Life is a continuous learning process, it’s all about learning, discovering new things and taking a step back to re-look at things from a different perspective.

Learning doesn’t stop, which is why I find it amusing when the haters, critics and skeptics say they don’t need to know about Konmari when they’ve been cleaning up their entire life. To me that’s like saying, “This has always been the way we do things around here, we don’t need improvisation or innovation, thank you.”

Be it as it may, what I’m trying to say here is to just be respectful to others and their beliefs no matter how weird or ridiculous that may seem to you. If you think it’s not something meant for you or interests you then by all means, you’re free to walk away from this. No one’s forcing you to stay put.

I just don’t get why they choose to stay and make fun of something they do not understand that works for the fans.

At the end of the day, it is who you are as a person that defines you. Not your material possessions, not your career credentials, not your academic qualifications. Strip them all away, and ask yourself who you are beneath it all?

I end my thoughts with a quote by Sen no Rikyu, a historical figure considered to have had the most profound influence on the Japanese tea ceremony.

“How much does he lack himself who must have many things.”