Today in news: Rich white liberals assuage social guilt by redecorating house with minimalistic Pottery Barn designs and growing own vegetables with help of Restoration Hardware. Sparse lifestyle recommended by same for working class Americans.
Does anyone know someone who practices “voluntary simplicity” who isn’t at least upper-middle class, white, and liberal? I thought not. The last “simplicate” I met bragged about the $10 tomatoes he had just pulled out of his garden. Translation: “I’m so rich I can waste time and money on growing $10 tomatoes, and I feel morally superior for doing it!”
Obviously, I’m no stranger to liberal white guilt. But the problem isn’t solved by “playing” at a working class lifestyle. That’s just insulting to people who have to work–and by that I mean “sweat”–for a living. As someone who was raised by service workers (before that was considered a trendy “growth sector”), this just rubs me the wrong way. If you’re rich and troubled by it, the solution is simple: sell everything you own and give it to the poor. Short of that, do what you need to do, but don’t tell me about it. No one likes to hear rich people brag.
(Now that my rant is concluded and judging by Dave Pollard’s review of Radical Simplicity, it sounds like Jim Merkel might have just beat Luke’s rich young ruler. More power to him.)
Voluntary simplicity
Chutney at makingchutney.com asks: Does anyone know someone who practices “voluntary simplicity” who isn’t at least upper-middle class, white, and liberal? I thought not. Go ahead and read the rest of his thoughts. I’m more compelled by those who are…
Hip Hop culture tells us that we should all get as rich as possible and enjoy the good life (which for men generally involves having lots of loose women around him). This view says – “My life sucks because I’m poor and if I were super-rich, I’d be happy.” Well, lots of us that are upper-middle class, know this is not true. Rather than holding materialism up as something we should all strive for, I think it is good when the rich choose to live simpler lives. Why should we follow the materialism craze like lemmings just because we can?
Two thoughts…
1. People can live as simply as they like–I just don’t want to hear them brag about it. To me, the whole “voluntary simplicity” movement is about bragging.
2. By US standards, you and I aren’t upper-middle class yet. I think of that as starting around $100K/year.
LOL. I guess we’re not! Thanks for the thoughts. I’d never heard of the “Voluntary Simplicity” movement before this post. Is talking about simplifying your life bragging? Hmm.
I wish I could brag about the Sooners winning the Big XII Championship, but we didn’t. Actually we got our asses kicked. It sucked.
It’s only bragging if you’re rich. ;-)
Missed the game. At least we should still be up for the national championship.