The End of Minimalism

Psychologists found that people cling to material stuff as a response to a form of anxiety (about loss, financial instability, even body image) and that clutter itself is often a source of stress.

Clutter tends to accumulate in the homes those working people for whom the hope of financial stability and the lurking possibility of ruination are always present.

Tossing everything that isn’t just right in the moment is its own kind of privilege.

Living light may have its benefits, but it’s not a strategy that’s really adaptable to unexpected unemployment or overburdened supply chains. Searching for domestic perfection should be done only by those who don’t have to worry about what unforeseen wants or needs might lie ahead.