“Imagine a life with less: less stuff, less clutter, less stress and discontent…Now imagine a life with more: more time, more meaningful relationships, more growth, contribution and contentment…” – This is how the film starts…
Every now and then, this documentary would pop up on my YouTube recommended videos list, but I deferred every single time, not wanting to fall prey to their algorithm. Today, I searched for a documentary, and there it was for the nth time, and I went ahead with it.
I am sure you are aware of the recent reports of homeless people succumbing to an unendurable heatwave in the capital city. How many of you would agree that we have some or another role to play, indirectly and distantly, in these unfortunate and sad outcomes? I hope to give you a satisfying explanation by the end of this write-up.
Minimalist is a Netflix documentary that was released back in 2016; the free version was uploaded on YouTube about a year ago. Directed by Matt D’Avella, with Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus as the principal proponents of the idea of minimalism. The term minimalist often colloquially refers to anything or anyone that is spare or stripped to its essentials, in effect opting for need over wants.
On the other hand, maximalism is an aesthetic of excess (dil mange more). It’s the appetite for materialistic possessions. Materialistic pursuits, fueled by globalization, are a naked truth that we all like and happily adopt in our daily lives. Whenever there is a new fashion trend in the market promoted by a Kiara Advani, a Karan Johar, or a Ranveer Singh, there is an instant urge to go for those products, even if the purchasing ability suggests otherwise. This has a lot to do with the kind of popular content we consume on a daily basis. Frequent and unnecessary flaunting of brands like Starbucks, MacDonald, KFC, Louis Philippe, USPA, etc. by a Hollywood movie, as part of promoting soft power, affects our cognitive self to such an extent that the ability to reciprocate such a lifestyle becomes almost an instantaneous urge, at least for most if not all. This documentary suggests a simpler way to find peace through the concept of “less is more.”.
Desire is the driver of all such thoughts. Is there anything wrong with having such a high-end ambition? It is in no way suggested that those desires be curtailed. The central idea of this documentary is that understanding and subsequently adopting a lifestyle with a limited number of materials can be an economically wise, environmentally astute, and psychologically less burdensome decision. The longing to have more is a human tendency that never rests because, as the documentary suggests, we tend to get bored with things that we have for an elongated period of time. It’s quite possible that the material possession you feel most attached to today will be meaningless a few years down the line.
Is the film an effort to proselytize you from your present economic belief system? Again, the answer is no. It is a thought-provoking cinematic content backed by some real-life stories that makes one realize how the key to a dignified, meaningful, and stress-free life can be found through a frugal lifestyle too. It would help millions globally to make a better living out of their limited net worth. Secondly, this can economically empower billions by liberating them from the unceasing cycle of loans and mortgages. Environmentally, the lust for material possession is leading to a larger per capita carbon footprint. If your family owns a 2000-square-foot apartment, you are most likely to utilize only a portion of it, and spaces like the drawing room, entrance hall, dining room etc. remain unutilized for the majority of the time.
We have cumulatively, generation after generation, in search of “dil maange more,” caused irreversible damage to the planet by generating more emissions from industries, construction sites, mindless urbanization, deforestation, exponential growth in private vehicles on road that run on fossil fuel etc. These are largely the ventures of the rich. Larger footprints by the rich are creating more fertile ground for climate disasters where the immediate victims are poor, marginalized, women, children and homeless ones. This climate emergency is only going to be exacerbated in the days to come. At this critical juncture, we need to adopt a lifestyle that is sustainable, and minimalism might help in realizing the same. Coming back to the question I asked above about the recent deaths reported from Delhi caused by extreme heatwave, how many of you would agree that we have some or another role to play, indirectly and distantly, in these unfortunate and sad outcomes? Share your views.
Nazrul Islam