Is Simplicity Bad for the Economy?
Posted on October 22, 2008 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Simplification
Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
I read an article on a simplicity blog recently where the author was sharing how she gets hate mail for encouraging people to simplify their lives. The email blasts her for encouraging people to cut back consumption while the economy is going downhill. It’s as if by encouraging people to rethink how they live their lives, instead of committing to a vicious cycle of buy/work to pay for what you buy, she is going to cause the economy of the world to collapse.
I believe that simplicity is not about stopping consumption: it is about considering your consumption and rejecting that which does not fit into your life.
Sure, people who voluntarily simplify will probably not spend as much. They will re-use instead of throw away. But won’t that reduce the tax burden from decreased trash collection costs? They will probably either grow food, or buy locally. But won’t that reduce the amount of fuel used to move food all over the country? They will repair instead of replace. But doesn’t that mean more work for local repair people rather than for a multi-national corporation who manufactures off-shore?
I fail to see how living deliberately can be a bad thing.
All I can think of is that if the economic situation turns into a depression, those of us who are in the habit of thinking through our consumption will have less mental anguish as we deal with the changes, for we will have chosen our actions, rather than having our lifestyles curtailed from the outside.
Photo by ericskiff
If you enjoyed this post, please buy me a cup of coffee!
