Minimalism
"You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you're satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you".[1]
Definition
In the digital era, minimalism is a term used to describe a lifestyle movement characterized by keeping as small amount of resources as necessary and living with the connectivity and minimal overhead that a laptop provides. It allows for one to not be "owned by one's possessions" - the lead character in Fight Club is an example of this, while communicating with others and having the freedom to quickly move and live in different places at will. This kind of lifestyle is often possible or amplified in its ease because of the ease and possibility of connectivity that social networks, writing and other technosocial interaction can provide online. For instance, some minimalists make a living exclusively off of creating online content or software, allowing them to work anywhere in the world. The World Domination Summit, a conference in Portland, OR most recently in 2011 drew a gathering of many of these types, who then exchanged tips, tricks, experiences and hacks for best living for achieving the lifestyle.
"If you don't know what you want," the doorman said, "you end up with a lot you don't".[2]
