"I hate minimalism. I genuinely despise it as a lifestyle."
It’s fair to despise any lifestyle with or without reasons. There are lifestyles that are closer to Good and closer to Bad.
←Bad--Neutral--Good→
In any particular lifestyle, there could be a closer to Better sublifestyles and closer to Worse sublifestyles.
←Worse--Neutral--Better→
Since each individual creates their own uniquely different take of the main lifestyle. It’s less of a right vs wrong situation but more of a fit vs unfit to the general tenets and ideas of the lifestyle.
"Its fucking stupid to me that someone would willingly give up their posesessions and live some sort of spartan lifestyle."
There is no "willingly give up" something in minimalism, if it implies our early decisions are directly/indirectly influenced/required by somebody/a situation. It’s about consciously rethinking the relationship between our possessions and ourselves. How those things add value in our life.
Example: If you have to press your monthly electricity spending and you're faced to pick between keeping your espresso machine or your smoothie blender which you loved both, that is not minimalism, that is being frugal. If you have a higher budget, you would probably keep both right? Minimalism is when you question their contribution to your life, your satisfaction, your happiness. How many times did you use them? Are they being regularly useful or just being there for special occasions? Are there better alternatives to them like you can still enjoy drinking/making coffee/smoothies but you don't have to own them? Or if it could also add an extra time for you to spend elsewhere that previously spent in making drinks.
Not all minimalist are "spartan" minimalist. What you call as spartan, in minimalism, is close to 'extreme minimalism', which like the name suggests, are only in the extreme minority in the minimalism community. And for people who applied extreme minimalism to their lifestyle, they are highly likely don't consider it as an 'extreme' kind of minimalism to them, just minimalism. What minimalism mean to them.
"I especially hate it when they get preachy and say "it brought me peace", or "people fear what they dont understand", or "its humbling."
Minimalism is at the core, a very personal philosophy, a personal issue, a personal movement. It’s not like social or political movements that need raising awareness, educating the youths, sharing resources, taking direct actions, passing bills, lobbying governments, etc.
Although minimalism can be related to anticonsumerism, anticapitalism, environmentalism, sustainability, frugal, fast fashion, etc. And minimalism also can be socially promoted through activism through campaigns, blogging, books, seminars, talkshows, documentaries, etc.
But yes, there could be preachy annoying minimalist, like there could be arrogant vegetarian or narcissistic zerowaste-r. It’s just a lifestyle. It’s simply about the relationship of an individual with their possessions. Not the relationship between an individual to another individual or to the society. Not how to behave, how to do right by ethics or morals.
Imposing and dictating what minimalism is, how minimalism is practiced, who could be called as “minimalist”, are an un-minimalistic things to do. Minimalism is about organizing yourself, not organizing other people. Stop campaigning for it.
520 words | written on 4/22/22