The space that surrounds a person and what occupies that space can deeply affect their mental health. So, what would happen if one was compacted into a home that in its entirety is less than 500 square feet? On one hand, the subsequent need to drastically minimize one’s entire life could give an opportunity for a fresh start without the overwhelming burden of clutter, which disrupts life. However, it could also make one feel cramped and unable to function. The tiny house movement forces its followers to minimize their belongings, but no thought is made as to the psychological effect this will have on the person. Although some may dismiss tiny homes as a trivial fad, the simplistic living philosophy behind the movement has important implications
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For example, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus were two friends who were tangled up in, “all the trappings of success: a six-figure salary, a big house in the suburbs with more bedrooms than inhabitants, and all of the stuff to fill it (Rosen).” From the outside, these two men in their late 20s had it all; therefore, they must be happy with their lives. Millburn says that he “had everything [he] ever wanted, but it took getting everything [he] ever wanted to realize that [he] wasn’t happy (Sanburn).” Often, humans focus on the idea of success and are conditioned to think of it as owning the most stuff or spending the most money. But on the inside, most feel empty; no one can see how their lives are “filled with stress and anxiety and discontent (Rosen).” Material possessions often serve as a “physical manifestation of a deeper problem-an internal clutter” that burdens us mentally and emotionally …show more content…
So, while a person’s consumption habit grows and grows, so does the size of their homes. In his article, “Living with Less. A Lot Less.,” Graham Hill, another advocate for the minimalist lifestyle, examines data that shows how over the course of 60 years, society’s consumption habits have gotten so out of control that Americans have more than tripled the amount of space they occupy. This dramatic increase in buying and acquiring has not, however, lead to increased happiness. In fact, it has had the opposite effect as more Americans than ever are prescribed antidepressants and other psychological medicines. Micro-housing, or tiny homes, takes the minimalist philosophy even further by limiting the size of the space one lives
For example, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus were two friends who were tangled up in, “all the trappings of success: a six-figure salary, a big house in the suburbs with more bedrooms than inhabitants, and all of the stuff to fill it (Rosen).” From the outside, these two men in their late 20s had it all; therefore, they must be happy with their lives. Millburn says that he “had everything [he] ever wanted, but it took getting everything [he] ever wanted to realize that [he] wasn’t happy (Sanburn).” Often, humans focus on the idea of success and are conditioned to think of it as owning the most stuff or spending the most money. But on the inside, most feel empty; no one can see how their lives are “filled with stress and anxiety and discontent (Rosen).” Material possessions often serve as a “physical manifestation of a deeper problem-an internal clutter” that burdens us mentally and emotionally …show more content…
So, while a person’s consumption habit grows and grows, so does the size of their homes. In his article, “Living with Less. A Lot Less.,” Graham Hill, another advocate for the minimalist lifestyle, examines data that shows how over the course of 60 years, society’s consumption habits have gotten so out of control that Americans have more than tripled the amount of space they occupy. This dramatic increase in buying and acquiring has not, however, lead to increased happiness. In fact, it has had the opposite effect as more Americans than ever are prescribed antidepressants and other psychological medicines. Micro-housing, or tiny homes, takes the minimalist philosophy even further by limiting the size of the space one lives