A Blacker Friday is upon us
embracing minimalism and cleaning our damn rooms!
Good Afternoon.
As our American chums wake up with stomach pains from yesterdays feast and headaches from trying to decide which store to shop for Black Friday deals, we are reminded of rampant materialism and man’s quest for meaning in the modern age.
I have to give it up to the capitalists who were able to successfully export the idea of Black Friday to other countries despite not celebrating thanksgiving the day before (soft power in action). This phenomenon just like Levi’s jeans or other status signifiers like Rolex watches have been exported around the world and it gives people a sense of who they are and what they are about. Take for instance the iPhone, despite the exorbitant costs, the closed ecosystem, and small/lack of external storage on the iPhone. Many still dream of getting one and the current users want to acquire the latest Apple devices like the new iPhone, or the Airpods, or the iMac etc which only sucks them more into the ecosystem and leaves them penniless. Thus, the wheel never stops.
I know many who have borrowed money just to purchase an iPhone, or stolen money just to buy Louis Vuitton or Gucci clothes or material goods. This is rife within many Black communities be it in America or in Africa where there is a common and accepted correlation between status or social significance and material possession. A myopic and backward approach would be to conclude that material possessions is a direct causation of success or status. We all know the common quote “that correlation does not imply causation.”
I bet we will see images of various Black Friday madness like the one in the image below;
Where people fight in order to get goods at a cheaper discount all to acquire more and more “stuff”. One wonders if all these “stuff” is meant to improve lives or make them worse or keep them dormant or keep them in a loop of finding their next dopamine hit.
My former self was incredibly materialistic, worrying about the clothes on my back, shoes and status signaling in general. I would spend copious time researching the latest trends, wasting money shopping for expensive garments, worrying about my presentation and trying to fit in with the in-crowd, etc until I realized it was futile. There is a saying in Nigeria (I am sure other places have them too) that goes, “the way you’re dressed is the way you are addressed”, which is true to an extent but heavily dependent on the type of personalities and people one aims to attract or to be associated with.
This was quite the revelation for me as I started seeking higher things in life and I questioned the meaning of life. I slowly caught onto the notion that the clothes on my back did not make me intelligent nor improve my state. On the contrary, it did make me look stupid and shallow in many instances. This in part led to the death of my obsession with materialism and the rise of deep introspection together with the search for the meaning of life and seeking freedom.
I assume freedom is something we all would like to attain. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from financial burdens. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom, true freedom would be one that separates one from our television’s version of happiness and true contentment in thyself.
This I find can be achieved by imbibing in another stoic philosophy; Minimalism. According to The Minimalists (please, subscribe to them and check out their podcast and books);
“Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”
Minimalism has helped so many and myself to reclaim lost time, develop as an individual, live in the moment, discover my passion and pursuing it diligently, create more, eliminate excess baggage and free my mind of unnecessary clutter, amongst many other positive results.
I remember learning about how Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and many high functioning individuals attained mental freedom by eliminating excess and clutter in their lives such as wearing the same thing all the time (a signature style or a uniform), or by living very simple. This is down to first principle thinking that Elon Musk also employs and talks about frequently. The idea is to save all my mental energy to use for other productive purposes like first principle thinking.
On can see why the car company, Tesla is also known for minimalistic and simple formats in their designs and ethos.
Minimalism has gotten me to appreciate Japanese culture and tradition as in Zen philosophy, in architecture, spaces and design through the works of Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, or in music, film and other various aspects of my life. Generally, it has made me to appreciate the basic things in life and to experience nature and adventures better.
If more people employed these strategies I am certain that more will be less stressed, and depression rates would reduce. It would also get many prepared for a possible return to the basics especially as we witness this relentless push for a great reset or a new normal of existing that separates people completely from the real world and into the metaverse.
As Dr. Jordan Peterson notes in one of his rules in his seminal work, 12 Rules for Life, “cleaning your room is about more than a physical space-it’s about your life itself!”
There are many health benefits to this small idea, as it is proven to reduce stress and depression, boost productivity, encourage better eating habits and improve decision making that enhance one’s life.
Lastly, channeling Dr. Jordan Peterson, we can “Change your Brian, Change your Life, Change the World (in any order) - AND CLEAN YOUR DAMN ROOM!”
I leave you with a visual tabulation of Dr. Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules for life;
See you next week.
- Ope