Simple living
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
Simple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include, for example, reducing one's possessions, generally referred to as minimalism, or increasing self-sufficiency. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they have rather than want. Although asceticism generally promotes living simply and refraining from luxury and indulgence, not all proponents of simple living are ascetics. Simple living is distinct from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice.
Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in quality time for family and friends, work–life balance, personal taste, financial sustainability, frugality, environmental sustainability, or reducing stress. Simple living can also be a reaction to materialism and conspicuous consumption. Some cite sociopolitical goals aligned with the environmentalist, anti-consumerist or anti-war movements, including conservation, degrowth, deep ecology, and tax resistance (anti-war).
See also
- Affluenza
- Asceticism
- Anti-consumerism
- Corporate poverty
- Deep ecology
- Degrowth
- Downshifting (lifestyle)
- Eye of a needle
- Epicureanism
- Gross National Happiness
- Homesteading
- Intentional living
- Jesus and the rich young man
- Off-the-grid
- Slow living
- Tiny house movement