Jotting #23 - Voluntary Simplicity

Jotting #23: How have your impressions of the Voluntary Simplicity changed after reading this article (Maniates essay, “In Search of Consumptive Resistance,” pp. 199-235)

“Value moderation over excess, spiritual development over material consumption, cooperation over competition, and nature over technology”
-Rich Hayes on the voluntary simplicity movement

This is a little bit of a snapshot that I hope my life entails. I find that Hayes has succinctly summed up how I hope to live out my life. The ways in which it manifests itself will of course, be different. But that is what the journey is about, figuring out how living in this manner will display itself. As Andrews puts it those who believe in the Voluntary simplicity movement are “returning to the good life.” A live that is moderated, lived in cooperation with others and with a connection to nature. Above all these, for me, I find that spiritual development is much more important than material consumption. The practice of voluntary simplicity would, in large part, be in hopes to pursue and further my spiritual development as a Christian.

Maniates comments of voluntary simplicity are intriguing to me. In particular I found one of his quotes rang true with me particularly well. In regards to spending time in the woods “it allows you to observe the unnecessary complexity in life.” The area in which I grew up had a tremendous amount of natural beauty that allowed me to continually observe the “unnecessary complexity of life”. So much so in fact that coming to the city I found myself overwhelmingly distracted by all the new options that opened up to me. It requires a great amount of discipline to be able to observe unnecessary complexity of life while in the midst of complexity. Until recently I had convinced myself that it was impossible. However, its impossibility is only made valid by my personal feelings as to how it should be done. Nonetheless, my life in a complex city has further inspired me to desire to live more simply in my life and not be wrapped up in keeping up with the top 10% of America (as Maniates notes).

I found Andrews observation of the Voluntary Simplicity Movement interesting. When looking at my personal thoughts to the Voluntary Simplicity Movement I recognize it’s “self-help” qualities. Her call to have the movement “take the next step” is appropriate and necessary. If it remains a self-help movement then it will move and stop. The movement will cease whenever it has lost momentum and people will forget about it.