The less things you own, the more free you are?

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Froya
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10 Jul 2016, 6:33 pm

Anyone else who like getting rid of things?
Either throwing it out, selling it or giving it to someone else. I have been like this ever since I moved out from my parents house 17 years ago. For me it can be a good thing, but also a bad thing. I'ts important to find a balance. Get rid of to much and it's more a sign of mental problems I think. When you have to bye something that you have just thrown out, because it turns out you needed it after all, it has gone to far... ha ha
Positive things: It's easier to clean the apartment and I have better controll of what things I have.
I feel like things invade me somehow, they take up space inside me.



BeaArthur
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10 Jul 2016, 6:46 pm

"Live simply, that others may simply live."


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DancingCorpse
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10 Jul 2016, 6:55 pm

I ended up becoming broke as dirt after I'd saved up my dough from my own hard work for years, I never owned anything that I didn't love so it made me sad when I had to sell a lot or I couldn't replace stuff, I have never been interested in things that don't give me joy or fulfillment whether it's a guitar or a curiously revolving light changing contraption or a celery stick.



ToughDiamond
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10 Jul 2016, 7:39 pm

I've still got heaps of junk that I've accumulated over the years. I hate wasting money so I tend to hoard everything in case I need it again one day. Then there's a lot of stuff that represents my past, I don't want to get rid of that either. I've noticed the downside, that it bogs me down, and I'd like to feel the freedom of just owning the bare minimum, but for the time being all I can do is stop things getting any worse, and occasionally dispose of some pile of stuff or other, once I've sifted through it and thought about it properly. Most of my house is a "purgatory" area for the stuff that I'm considering throwing out.

So yes, I think there is a freedom in owning just a few things, though you can never have too much money. Certainly I feel very trapped by my mountains of stuff. Even the sight of it is kind of depressing.



C2V
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10 Jul 2016, 10:23 pm

Clearing out is one of my favourite things to do.
It's just so much more comfortable when my living space is empty and clean, everything is properly ordered, everything has its use and I have everything I need, and I know where everything is. It's smooth, effortless, organised.
I cannot stand clutter. And unfortunately my relatives are hoarders. I just can't stand it encroaching on me, tripping over things, not being able to sit down / put anything down because everywhere is covered with useless junk, chaos and disorganisation, messiness/dirtiness - living in the midst of all these scattered objects feels oppressively like living in a garbage dump. You're just dwelling in the middle of a whole pile of crap.
As I've said before I'm nomadic so have to be very minimalistic and utilitarian. Everything I have I have to be able to move very frequently - at times, restricted to what I myself can carry. There is a cohesive system that any object I acquire has to conform to, and if it can't, I can't take on that object. The system also eliminates any possibility for "needing it later" type scenarios, as I would be aware via said system if such was the case.
Throw out the crap, I say !


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Redxk
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11 Jul 2016, 12:30 am

It depends on how much value you assign to something. You can have a roomful of things you would readily part with and be free. Alternatively, you can have one object that you believe you can't live without, and it owns you.



EzraS
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11 Jul 2016, 12:57 am

Some of the freeest looking people I see are those in westerns who travle all over and all they own fits into a couple of saddlebags.



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11 Jul 2016, 1:19 am

I'm currently in the process of going through my belongings so that I can get rid of things I no longer need. I've always had a tendency to hoard as I get emotionally attached to items, or fear I may need them one day. But I know how bogged down I feel when I can't organise my belongings properly as I simply have too much. I certainly feel more free when I get rid 'stuff'. It also makes me feel good to think that items I've donated could go on to do better things than just sitting away in a dark cupboard.


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babybird
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11 Jul 2016, 1:48 am

I love getting rid of things me.


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goatfish57
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11 Jul 2016, 3:41 am

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Skilpadde
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11 Jul 2016, 3:44 am

not in the least. I like my stuff and I'm no minimalist.


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Fnord
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11 Jul 2016, 8:18 am

"'Freedom' is just another word for 'Nothing left to lose'." -- Janis Joplin



kraftiekortie
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11 Jul 2016, 8:26 am

I don't like having too many "things."

If I didn't have furniture, I would feel "freer," since I wouldn't have to hire a moving truck to move should I feel a desire to move.



Froya
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11 Jul 2016, 11:42 am

Fnord wrote:
"'Freedom' is just another word for 'Nothing left to lose'." -- Janis Joplin

Yes, there is definitely something to that.



Amity
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11 Jul 2016, 12:58 pm

I think you are more free if you own less things, but like mentioned above that depends on having the money available to make quick purchases at full price. I don't like being wasteful, I buy when the price is right, don't buy things I don't need, or throw out items that only have an annual use.



McCat
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11 Jul 2016, 3:29 pm

I think living simple without much stuff really is freeing. And maybe it's good for a lot of people with Autism too.

I used to collect things when I was younger. I collected a lot of things :wink: My house was a mess and I didn't know how to clean either. Because how can you clean when everything is full with stuff? I felt depressed. I bought stuff to make me happy, but I felt like I couldn't move at home.

So a few years ago, during a nightly browsing session, I found people in America discussing how to organise. It seemed to be a hype. Pinterest was full of tips. I read for a few weeks and went for it.

It took a lot of time, but now my house is like I want it. It's clean and I don't have a lot of stuff anymore. I feel freed. And I keep feeling freed everytime I come home. It cleared up my head as well. I don't need collections anymore. I only keep things I really love and it makes me happy.

So yes, I agree with your topic title! :D