"Simple living" has become a sought-after keyword in the world of blogging and YouTube, because so many people search the phrase on a daily basis. Ironically, this term which implies, among other things, frugality and disdain for collecting material things, can be quite profitable.
The truth is, people who write and video about simple living are selling a fantasy. Why?
Life is complicated.
I don't care who you are, where you live, or what your lifestyle looks like. Life is never simple. Even a newborn baby has to figure out what kind of cries will get their mother's attention. They don't instantly get their needs met just by having a need.
Want to be self-sufficient in food? It takes a lot of work, planning, and, yes, some material collection in the way of seeds and tools. Growing and foraging for food are complicated endeavors.
How about living off the energy grid? Unless you have zero energy needs, the items you purchase in order to produce your own energy have been manufactured using a complicated process, and assembled by other people.
I know! Make things really simple by just renting an apartment where all utilities are paid and maintenance is free. On the outside, this lifestyle appears simple, and probably feels simple to the person living it. But you and I both know that all of the materials, resources, and systems required to allow this "simple" life end up being a complicated array.
Time to face the truth.
Simple living is a myth. The main reason?
People. For one thing, entering into any kind of relationship with even one person makes life much more complicated. For another, human beings thrive on those relationships. We're meant to be interdependent. Even if you live all by yourself in a lean-to, trying to be as independent as you can, you have to count on other people not to infringe on your space. And you can't control other people.
That's what really makes life complicated.
How about a new phrase?
I prefer the term "simpler living." Because, while a simple life is non-existent, a person can always strive to make one's journey simpler.
Henry David Thoreau hated the railroad because he believed technology made life more complicated. But no one with half a brain can believe that his year on Walden Pond carried no frustrations or worries with it. And the seeds that he used to grow his food didn't just come out of thin air. He would have had to have spent money in a store to purchase them.
Then, afterward, he wrote a book about his experience and sold it to a publisher.
In other words, he got involved with a complicated system in order to get his message about simple living across.
Like all of the online "simple living" gurus do, hoping to make a few bucks from the fantasy they weave in their audiences' minds.
Simple living does not exist. But it's always a good thing to reach for the next step to make life a little simpler.
