Comments on: Sentimentality is the Enemy of Evolution

By: Ayana Justice

Ayana Justice — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:03:57 +0000

Good job! I wrote about it before–many others have written it before me, and written it better–know thyself, and to thine own body be true.

By: Restless Mama

Restless Mama — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:57:45 +0000

I completely agree with you on this – having been an expat before. It was an odd feeling getting rid of anything that I couldn’t fit into my two suitcases (in retrospect I’m sure I could’ve dealt with just one suitcase) but it was a relief.
I’ve been moving for 4 years now and have learned that less really is more…gratifying!
I’ve only just begun reading your blog and am enjoying every bit so far.
So excited to see where you end up next.
Cheers!

By: English Expat

English Expat — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:41:57 +0000

tally-ho! one will be very happy to be paid by visa/sushi etc. i’m sure that we can come to some agreement…

By: colin

colin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:33:00 +0000

@English Expat: Haha! Just wait, you gave me another idea over sushi the other night. You’re a fount of inspiration, dreadfully ghastly or no!

By: English Expat

English Expat — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:26:32 +0000

…what we are all wondering is who is this dreadfully ghastly english expact you describe?!

By: colin

colin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:55:57 +0000

@John: Very true. I myself am suffering from withdrawal from my iPhone, though I like to think that’s more because of the incredible functionality it provided, rather than any emotional attachment (I got an iPod Touch so I can still listen to music and read eBooks while I’m traveling, fortunately!). In any case, I definitely agree that there are things that, simply by owning them, can improve your life drastically.

That being said, I think having too many of these things, with overlapping functionality, can lead to less joy from them. I’ve found myself in this position in the past, when I would take a trip and bring so many gadgets that I wouldn’t use any of them. The process of determining which to use would be so complex that I would just avoid the situation completely.

I definitely have a lot of photos online, and I scanned some before they were shredded. It’s good to have memories, and I certainly don’t have anything against photos, it’s the attaching of emotion to an object over the memory itself that I have trouble with. So many people are terrified of losing an old photograph, for example, so they sacrifice and sacrifice and sacrifice to keep it around, when in reality the real value is in their head. That piece of paper is merely a piece of paper, and being ruled by the desire to possess it is akin to being owned by your emotions.

By: John Bardos - JetSetCitizen

John Bardos - JetSetCitizen — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:20:03 +0000

There is a tough balance. It is great to de-clutter and get rid of things, but at the same time stuff actually can improve the quality of our lives.(Computer, iPod, Camera, etc.) Sometimes our stuff actually defines who we are. For me it is my guitars, espresso machine, music, and bikes.

I hate clutter but at the same time I do value possessions. I have never been able to throw out good books, pictures, my idea books, etc. Those things have too much meaning to discard. Some of this stuff has been accidentally disposed of by others without too much disruption, but personal stuff is still important.

Another thing I find is that as I get older, those mementos are more important. A great old picture can relive an event that happened 20 years ago. In my 20s I was proud to be able to put all of my life in a couple of bags. Now, I try to keep stashes of important things with friends and family in a few places around the world.

Did you save the digital versions of the photos?

By: colin

colin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:00:10 +0000

@Dave: I hadn’t heard about that chimpanzee study; really interesting! I have no doubt that the desire to accumulate and hang on to the familiar is a natural survival instinct of some kind. It’s perpetuated by modern consumerist culture, for sure, but marketers better at augmenting and exaggerating what’s already there and not so good at creating new traits out of thin air. I say if it makes you feel good, keep absolutely everything you’ve ever touched! Of course, there are more ‘middle path’ routes like that one you mentioned (keeping some things, but slowly reducing the other stuff as you feel the need) that have equal validity. Thanks for sharing!

@Darko: Ah, you’ve got quite a bit of experience, it sounds like! I like the idea of having a box of memorabilia…it makes you really consider what’s important, but isn’t as drastic as chucking everything. A really solid option for many people, I’d say.

@Barb: Thanks Barb! I’ve found the same to be true, and though I’m sure it’s not the same for everyone, I think discovering whether or not it works for you, personally, is an important thing to figure out.

By: Barb McMahon

Barb McMahon — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:06:59 +0000

I love this post!

I’ve always found the idea that a person’s essence, or even a memory, can be embodied in an object to be just a little frightening.

As I’ve pared down my possessions, I actually find that my memories have clarified, solidified. It’s counter-intuitive, but it works.

Did I mention I love this post?

By: Darko

Darko — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:41:34 +0000

Wonderful post! I’ve been at this minimalism thing for about 3-4 years now and it’s been one hell of a ride. It tends to rise some issues to overcome and forces one to do some soul-searching.

I limited myself to just one box (about 35×25x20cm big) of sentimental memorabilia (2 photoalbums, a DVD case for files and some minor stuff) and am getting pretty good at it But the suitcase with all the legal stuff spoils the simplicity of that box… These are the only must-keep-safe items I still have, everything else is replaceable.