Is simplicity a tough concept?

**Sara Noel** · 06-09-2005, 10:09 AM

Do you think frugality and simplicity is a tough concept? I fully understand living a life completely ignorant to the concept. I lived that years ago. I just never thought about it, but how about those that are aware of the concepts of it and just don't seem to "get it"?

I've had numerous email inquiries about simple living. These emails range from the average mom at home to journalists and university directors.

I've found that many people can't grasp simplicity and when I try and explain it, I often feel like I'm not reaching these people.

Do we truly live in a society that thinks simplicity and frugality is being poor or lazy?

And so many people seem to think simple living HAS to mean moving to the country.

**homesteadmamma** · 06-09-2005, 10:31 AM

Yes simplicity is because its way more than frugality and thats what most people can't grasp. It goes inner to our thought life, to our actions, to slowing down, to taking time away for quiet time.

Many people can be frugal. Thats the easy part. When it comes times to sitting and doing nothing, thats the part they can't grasp.

**Mamawolf** · 06-09-2005, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by homesteadmamma
Yes simplicity is because its way more than frugality and thats what most people can't grasp. It goes inner to our thought life, to our actions, to slowing down, to taking time away for quiet time.

Many people can be frugal. Thats the easy part. When it comes times to sitting and doing nothing, thats the part they can't grasp.

I have to agree, that is very well said.

**britbunny** · 06-09-2005, 11:19 AM

ITA with what has been said. Slowing down and taking time to be on your own rather than being seen and being seen to be needed is very personal. It reaches to something fundamental about yourself, an honesty that people aren't used to seeing on the surface.

I think many people find it difficult to accept that people wanting the simple life have been honest with themselves - from finding out how much you need to pay off the credit cards to seeing what your face looks like under the makeup and beyond. Having the ability to say "no" and having the strength to be true to your own vision and not follow the crowd is hard and alien to some. It's easier for people to label someone as lazy or "not like us" than to look deeper at that person and at themselves.

**forestdale** · 06-09-2005, 03:28 PM

I think most people don't think about being frugal nor do they understand that living a simple life means examining and reassessing what makes us happy - and then living it.

I think our society thrives on consumerism and accumulating more than your neighbours, even if it makes you poor. Sadly I don't think most people really think about how they are dragged into spending money they don't have until they start choking on useless material possessions they don't want anymore.

How can you judge whether buying a new $300 outfit will make you truly happy when you get your values from TV? Lots of people only have an opinion about something if they've seen it spoken about on TV. It's sad and I doubt it will change anytime soon. Maybe a TV show about the simple life that doesn't star Paris Hilton might be a step in the right direction. I'd love to see a mainstream program showing the general population about how some of us live. Mind you, I doubt anyone living a simple life would want to be part of such a program, it's an interesting concept, nonetheless.

I'm not sure if we live in a society that thinks simplicity and frugality is being poor or lazy. Many people probably do think that but I think most of them are just thinking about their next shopping trip.

**daddys3chicks** · 06-10-2005, 08:14 AM

I agree. I'll never forget a film we had to watch in college which basically showed a newly married young couple getting in debt. They thought they had to get everything and make their home perfect from the start. What they didn't realize was their parents took years to get the things they had. And, I think tha tis even more a problem today.

Take the show friends. I remember reading somewhere that most people aspire to having apartments like those and things. They don't "get " that it is all a tv set. And another article I read said that most of the tv characters could never afford their housing on the jobs they had. Yet we hold those up and aspire to those things.

I am still struggling with the frugality issues - not because I don't get it, but because I really shop to fill a void. I know it doesn't work, but it is a hard thing to lick. Simplicity is another story - I am really trying to work on it - well I am working on both, but simplicity is a little easier.

I have a book called Descending Into Greatness (a Christian book)- about how sometimes God's will for out lives is in less than we think. I lent this to a friend a church and I remember him saying "I can't do that".

It is interesting to me how much of people's identity is tied up in careers and things, not abilities and relationships.

**Mojjo** · 06-10-2005, 04:38 PM

I think it's hardest for people to imagine that we don't want every material thing we can possibly afford, even if it's on credit. They don't get that it's in the experiences...especially the simplicity of life.

It always reminds me of the phrase "Keep it simple stupid" except applying it to my ENTIRE life.