What is a Minimalist Economy?
The concept of minimalism originated from Japan’s traditional Zen Buddhism which stresses the idea of simplicity and rejects modern consumerism. The minimalism movement, which entered different fields of art and culture, today, is a popular lifestyle choice with many opting to “declutter” their lives of material belongings. This trend has recently been in vogue and corporates are jumping on this bandwagon to keep up with the changing consumer behavior. In consumerism, minimalism refers to the practice of consuming only what is absolutely necessary.
The transition to a minimalist economy may hurt certain sectors in the short run like fast fashion, FMCGs and disposables. But, economies adapt and so do businesses. The real concern, however, is whether a minimalist economy can solve the problem of overconsumption that the current economic system exists to perpetuate or rather will businesses adopt the pure concept of minimalism or find new ways to promote unethical consumption as seen in the case of brands such as Apple, Muji and IKEA.
Minimalist product design is often seen as banal yet surprisingly pleasing to the eyes. A perfect example of minimalism is Apple – a pioneer in minimalism in the tech industry. The iPhone design is appealing to the eye despite looking extremely “simple” thanks to its satisfyingly sleek and well-researched exterior. Similarly, Muji, the Japanese retail company, is known for its distinctive design and has stores all over the world and not to mention IKEA, with its modernist ready-to-assemble furniture is popular among many minimalist interior fans.
This social movement spearheaded by celebrity cleaning guru, Marie Kondo, gained massive traction and resulted in a storm of people who were getting rid of their possessions that didn’t “spark joy”. Although this attitude is beneficial for the individual, the disposing of clutter also raises the concern of how it should be disposed of. Susu-harai, a Japanese ritual, is an annual end-of-year cleaning ceremony where people clean out their homes and throw away old and unused items.
According to folklore, these unwanted items, displeased at being thrown out and left on the side of the road, decided to fight back by coming to life as monsters (yokai) and marching through the streets of Kyoto while terrorising the locals. A perfect analogy for the present with the monster being climate change. If at the end of the day your concept of minimalism is to throw away old clothes in the trash or revamp your interior to make it more simple, you’re only contributing to the mounting wastage in the world. Decluttering your room while the world burns seems rather ignorant and rejects the profound concept of minimalism.
Yet what we fail to notice is that, under the guise of this aesthetic simplicity, lies the ever-present maximalist manufacturing and capitalist tendencies. Neither does having a sleek and expensive iPhone seem great when factories in China with low labor costs are killing workers nor does improving your interiors when you realise that IKEA has been accused of tax-evasion multiple times by the EU. The need for minimalism should exist in both spheres: consumption as well as production but this is a far cry from what the reality is.
When it comes to minimalism as a lifestyle choice, it is often synonymous with ridding your surroundings of clutter and keeping only what is essential.
Not to mention, to declutter you need to be from an affluent background. The impecunious families don’t have the option to go minimalist since their lives are inherently so. Living on the basic wage, their only option is to purchase essentials. On the other hand, the minimalist movement has been so severely commodified that it has become a trend hogged by the affluent which has twisted the original concept of minimalism turning it into a superficial aesthetic.
In this maelstrom of keeping up with the trends, we have forgotten the true meaning of this Japanese Buddhist tradition. Simplicity is not just for thing-oriented minimalism, but it has a moral perspective that makes you challenge your innermost beliefs while adhering strictly to a discipline.
So what can we expect from a Minimalist Economy?
With the present economic system? Nothing much. As long as corporate capitalism exists, material growth will be prioritised over any environmental or social concern. Businesses will continue to strive for profits and promote large scale production. Although an economy that prioritises the environment is highly unlikely, there is hope in the form of a significant reduction in unnecessary consumption.
Written By: Sahaj Singh Saluja
Edited By: Jasmine Kaur Bhatia