How is extreme minimalism different from other types of minimalism? I decided to do this as a separate post from my last post about anti-mainstream minimalist concepts because there are so many different aspects of extreme minimalism. This topic needs an article of its own!
What I find interesting is that when I looked into extreme minimalism, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about it. But I'll get into that in a little bit. Here is the run-down of topics:
- What does extreme minimalism mean?
- Examples of extreme minimalism
- Misconceptions about extreme minimalism
- The benefits of extreme minimalism
- Is extreme minimalism selfish?
What does extreme minimalism mean?
Just as a refresher, "minimalism," as defined by this blog's original owner, means letting go of things that are less important--whether it be things, activities, or people--to focus on what's more important.
In contrast, extreme minimalism is about paring your life down to the necessities. Some people may refer to it as essential minimalism, or essentialism, which is evaluating wants and needs, with a preference towards only acquiring what you need. If you want more details about essential minimalism, we have a post all about it here.
Examples of extreme minimalism
Besides essentialism, there are several examples of minimalist archetypes that can fall under extreme minimalism. For one, there are types of experiential minimalists called nomadic minimalists (the article goes into some detail about minimalist nomad life).
I also recently did a post specifically about sailboat-dwelling minimalist nomads because I read a book about it that I liked so much. Other types of nomadic minimalists are people who live/travel in vehicles on land or people who live out of suitcases or backpacks, like people who hop from one Airbnb to another or who are professional house-sitters.
But extreme minimalists don't have to be nomads. They can live in a small space in one place, such as an apartment. Their home can be very minimal in aesthetic, possessions, and cost. This can include a lack of decorations and furniture. I'd say my bedroom makeover in my old apartment probably falls into the extreme minimalist category.
While a "normal" minimalist could streamline their clothing with a capsule wardrobe, an extreme minimalist would go down to a single change of clothes, shoes, etc. (plus an extra for wash day).
They could also own a single set of silverware, one plate, bowl, cup, etc. per person.
Some people choose to have mats or pillows as their only seating, no TVs or other personal electronics and place their mattress on the floor. They only have one set of sheets. They're "zero waste."
Some people base their minimalism on how many possessions they own overall. I read about this 100 things challenge where you downsize until you have only 100 things left. I also saw that one person has 15 possessions!!!
I have to admit, I kind of drowned in all the ways you can be an extreme minimalist. I'm going to truncate my descriptions so it doesn't take you an hour to read this post. Here are some more:
- Fasting/intermittent fasting/very low-calorie diet
- Abstinence
- Sobriety
- Religious/spiritual pilgrimage
- Extreme frugal minimalism
Misconceptions about extreme minimalism
I think people unfamiliar with how regular minimalism works might look at extreme minimalism and think that it's normal minimalism. That everyone who says they're a minimalist only owns 15 things and lives in a 200 square-foot apartment with a mattress on the floor and a single pair of socks.
I think this assumption is what leads people to go overboard in their minimalist journey, thinking they have to meet other people's expectations. They eliminate what's important because they think they have to. Then they regret their decision, end up "hating minimalism," and become anti-minimalists because they think that will make them happy.
Whether you take conservative steps or extreme ones, your minimalist journey should be about what's right for you. Giving things up that enrich your life is not minimalist. It's sacrifice.
Likewise, people who criticize others for being too extreme or not minimalist enough don't really understand minimalism either. If a minimalist wants to have 50 t-shirts or 100 paper books or save 3000 pictures, how does that hurt anyone?
I also don't see a problem with someone being not minimalist for special occasions. Maybe they're a frugal minimalist all year, but they splurge on an awesome annual vacation, treat their partner to a luxurious anniversary date, or spoil their grandchild on their birthday.
The benefits of extreme minimalism
While this type of minimalism is not for everyone, there are some potential benefits. Even more so than standard minimalist practices, extreme minimalism could lead to more free time, debt elimination, stress reduction, early retirement, the ability to pursue your passions instead of chasing a paycheck, better physical health, and a smaller impact on the environment.
It's just a question of creating a balance until you maximize benefits and minimize side effects. Depending on one's tolerance for extremism, in theory, the more extreme one goes, the more benefits one receives.
Is extreme minimalism selfish?
As I was reading about this topic, I actually came across a few articles that addressed this question. In their minds, anything extreme has the potential to be selfish.
If you minimize your possessions while only considering yourself, then this could lead to complications. For example, one person said she had dinner guests over and drank her wine from a coffee mug because she only owns 2 wine glasses. But, she reasoned, this was still better than not having enough glasses to serve them wine at all.
I guess that's one way to think about it. Another way is that it's pretty shallow and privileged to be worried about whether you're drinking your wine from a mug or a wine glass. I wonder how much of her concern was about her worry of how others saw her?
My predecessor on this blog told me that it isn't uncommon for RVers to not have enough chairs, cups, or even food to accommodate guests, due to their limited storage space and tiny little kitchen areas. She said this is acknowledged as part of RV life, and there's an easy solution for it. When one RVer invites another over for a gathering, you ask what you should bring. Whether it's side dishes, a chair, or even your own plate, this is something that's considered an acceptable ask of your guests. Nobody gets judgy about it or thinks it's rude. It's common for the RVing community to share what they have and help others when they can. Isn't that nice?
And actually, my parents raised me that a polite guest always asks what they can bring or do to help when they're invited to someone else's home. When did it become a rule that what someone brings has to be limited to a bottle of wine or a bag of chips?
Someone else said that when he was a minimalist, he was a "taker" because he lived in a trailer and rode a bike everywhere. So he could be a guest, but not have a guest. And he couldn't give anyone a ride anywhere. He also mentioned that he was strapped for cash.
I don't understand why it's selfish if you can't afford a car or an extra bed sitting around in case, someday, you need to use them?? When did living within your means make you a "taker?"
Or what if you just think that's wasteful? I think it's more of a problem that people are perceived as selfish for not owning excess things instead of evaluated for the quality of their personality and morals.
Also, if you only have to work part-time because you're an extreme frugal minimalist, maybe that means you can offer free dog walks to a neighbor or be available to drive your relative to their doctor's appointment. It means you don't have to miss important things in the lives of your loved ones because you're too busy working. That doesn't seem selfish to me.
But in the end, it isn't always bad to be a little selfish. Everyone is entitled to live in an authentic way, and sometimes that means that your wants and needs take priority over what other people want or expect you to do. It's unhealthy to give all your time and energy to everyone else. Even the most altruistic amongst us recognize the importance of keeping themselves healthy so they can help more people.
Right now, there are a lot of problems in this world that are the result of perceiving things a certain way that is not the most useful. If we want to improve our situation, it has to start in our heads and being open to thinking differently. Extreme minimalism might not be for everyone, but the concepts are certainly food for thought.
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