I don't own a car. A lot of people are surprised by this. They tell me they could never live without one. It is far too convenient. And I agree. But is it necessary? Do we really need all of the things we own? How many things do we own because we think we need them? Because we want them? Just in case we might use them one day?
It seems to me that our culture has been severely brainwashed with the illusion of necessity. Everyone needs to have their own things. Every house has a vacuum so it is conveniently available anytime you need it. Instead of five houses sharing one vacuum cleaner and only using it when they need, we all have our own collecting dust in a closet. How often do you really need to use something like that?
Advertising has a lot to do with this. Cars are a big one. We are all sold on the idea that we need to own a car. It demonstrates status and wealth and success. Working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. Four coworkers could share a ride to the same workplace. But then they wouldn't have the perceived success we all so crave in this era where status is only a Tweet or a Facebook update away. I'm not saying that I am against buying a car. But I do think that a lot of us buy things we don't really need just because we think we are supposed to. Instead, whenever I buy something, I seriously question the purchase. Do I really need this? Will it add value to my life?
I recently bought a queen-sized bed. It was a big purchase. But I had been sleeping on an air mattress for the past four or five months. Upgrading to a real bed was a huge step up for me, for my health. I sleep better now. This clearly adds value to my life. Buying a car, on the other hand, would grant me much more mobility, but the level of cost associated with it would ultimately restrict my lifestyle and take away much of my freedom.
What about your next big purchase? Or even a little one? Is it adding value to your life? Or is it costing you more freedom than it offers?
Finally, I leave you with a bit of wisdom from Tyler Durden, my first minimalist guru:
The things you own end up owning you.
