From the consumer and even from the point of view of a complete home product having many products or items may indicate success. However, from a free/independent or ecological/sustainable point of view, having too many products indicates only one thing: failure.
Conversely, friends and family will likely view the skills-based lifestyle with some suspicion. They will wonder why you don’t have a full set of tools, a blender, a juicer, a food processor, a (large) car, fancy furniture, or walk-in closets full of suits and shoes. It will also be difficult for them to understand why you would not want these things.
This is something that a person must get used to if he is going against the culture. Thinking and living differently from 95–99% of other people is something to learn. Yes, this is something that a number of people struggle with every day: religious and ethnic minorities, meat-eaters, homosexuals, hyper-intellectuals, and people who choose not to have children.
I would suggest being upfront about it and saying something like “I’ll think about it” or “Maybe another day” when I’m given unsolicited advice. On the other hand, if you feel like getting revenge, try the retreat tactic. When you enter someone’s house, act as a surprise and say “Wow! You have so many things?! How long did it take to collect all of this? Think about what you could do if you didn’t have to take care of it. You can go see Europe or Asia, …, or quit your job and write a book or go back to college, … If you hadn’t bought it, I bet you would have retired by now, …”.
Maybe they will get the point.
Daily Yakezie Short Carnival: Looking at Personal Financial Statements @ Narrow Bridge, Save Time & Money with Dvorak @ End the Muda!, Why I’m a Fan of Lifestyle Pricing @ Big Sweat, & Are You a Pay Monthly or Budget Shopper? @ Auto Negotiation Coach
Jacob comments: This problem is exactly the same as the problem of being a stranger (minority) in an indifferent world. I’m not sure there’s much to be gained by fighting a dead issue because the way we use language is so straightforward to make the majority point seem neutral. Maybe the idea is to just shut up and write loud blogs
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First posted 2010-05-21 15:05:11.
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