How Minimalism can change the world

Over the last few days I haven't really gotten a whole lot done when it comes to decluttering, organizing and getting rid of things. Neither have I felt like writing about it. Nor any of the other topics that are on my list. 

So before just not writing anything, I thought I'd share a comment I left on youtube the other day. It was a video of The Minimalists and I got into an “argument” (it actually turned out really friendly in the end) with another user. She'd said something about The Minimalists coming from a privileged perspective and not going far enough, not looking at the big picture etc. (if you want to read all our comments, go check out the video, I don't want to post her comments without permission). My answer pretty much sums up one of the big reasons I think minimalism is so awesome, not just on a personal level.

"But it [consumerism] cannot be transformed by "lifestyle choices" that do not acknowledge justice above personal satisfaction.” (She said this. I quoted her and answered:) I agree. But what I was trying to say (maybe badly) was, that I see this more as a matter of a "shift in consciousness". The Minimalism movement represents just another "sympton" and the "disease" is people waking up to what's really going on in this world and what really matters.

    I believe we all have our roles in changing this world into a beautiful and just place for everybody. Some of those roles are directly addressing certain problems at their root and trying to change certain realities. Other roles might be more subtle. There are still so many people out there who are still so wrapped up in consumerism and materialism and trying to pay the bills or just trying to survive. Those people might just not be ready for the big picture and the grand scheme of things. So their role will be smaller, more personal, in just trying to live a more conscious life. Eventually, those ideas of being more conscious will transform into higher ideas. And even if they don't, that's okay too. 

   Everyone has a "trigger" for waking up to reality. So we need people at all stages of consciousness, doing all sorts of different things and talking about all sorts of different stuff, because they can all trigger someone. And that someone is going to start thinking critically and reflectively about that certain area of his or her life. And eventually, they will extend those thought processes beyond that area.

   And before you know it, everyone is finally woken up enough to take your path of destroying the evil at its root and we'll get to our utopia in no time. But minimalism will have helped.

Hope this makes it more clear.

Love and peace. 

What do you think? Is minimalism more than just something personal to you?

Read you soon,

Lisa