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'Simple living' (or 'voluntary simplicity') is a lifestyle in which individuals consciously choose to minimize the pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents choose simple living for a variety of reasons, including spirituality, health, stress reduction, conservation, social justice or to reject consumerism, while others choose to live more simply for reasons of personal taste or personal economy.
Simple living as a concept is distinguished from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice. Although asceticism may resemble voluntary simplicity, proponents of simple living are not all ascetics. The term "downshifting" is often used to describe the act of moving from a lifestyle of greater consumption towards a lifestyle based on voluntary simplicity.

Contents

History

Practice

Politics

Technology

Other, non-religious approaches

Further reading

See also

History

From the 2nd millennium BC various Hindu groups in the Eastern world had established a voluntarily simplified spiritual lifestyle. This practice continued with various Abrahamic and Buddhist religious movements in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Abraham, Moses, Gautama Buddha, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Muhammad all practised simple living, and many of their teachings recommend that their followers do likewise. Various notable individuals have claimed that spiritual inspiration led them to a simple living lifestyle, such as Francis of Assisi, Ammon Hennacy, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi.
Epicureanism, based on the teachings of the Athens-based philosopher Epicurus, flourished from about the fourth century B.C.E. to the third century C.E.. Epicureanism upheld the untroubled life as the paradigm of happiness, made possible by carefully considered choices and avoidances. Specifically, Epicurus pointed out that troubles entailed by maintaining an extravagant lifestyle tend to outweigh the pleasure of partaking in it. He therefore concluded that what is necessary for happiness, bodily comfort, and life itself should be maintained at minimal cost, while all things beyond what is necessary for these should either be tempered by moderation or completely avoided.
In North America, religious groups including the Shakers, Mennonites, Amish, and some Quakers have for centuries practiced lifestyles in which some forms of wealth or technology are excluded for religious or philosophical reasons. For more information about Quaker simplicity see ''Testimony of Simplicity''.
Henry David Thoreau, a naturalist, utopian and author, is often considered to have made the classic non-sectarian statement advocating a life of simple and sustainable living in his book ''Walden'' (1854).
From the 1920s to the 1960s, a number of fairly prominent modern authors articulated both the theory and practice of lifestyles of this sort, among them Gandhian Richard Gregg, economists Ralph Borsodi and Scott Nearing, anthropologist-poet Gary Snyder, and utopian fiction writer Ernest Callenbach. Richard Gregg wrote a book entitled The ''Value of Voluntary Simplicity'' (1936) and many decades later Duane Elgin wrote the highly influential book ''Voluntary Simplicity'' (1981). There are eco-anarchist groups in the United States and Canada today promoting lifestyles of simplicity. In the United Kingdom, the Movement for Compassionate Living was formed by Kathleen and Jack Jannaway in 1984, to spread the vegan message and promote simple living and self-reliance as a remedy against the exploitation of humans, animals and the Earth.

Practice

Some people who practice voluntary simplicity act consciously to reduce their need for purchased services or goods and, by extension, their need to sell their time for money. Some will spend the extra free time this generates helping their family or others in a voluntary way. During the holiday season, such people often perform alternative giving. Others may spend the extra free time to improve their own quality of life, for example pursuing creative activities such as art and craft.

Politics

Although some religious and political movements may encourage such practices, simple living itself is apolitical. There is no basic conflict in living simply and espousing most political theories.
Many Green Parties often advocate voluntary simplicity as a consequence of their "four pillars" or the "Ten Key Values" of the United States Green party. This includes in policy terms rejection of genetic modification and nuclear power and other potentially hazardous technologies. The Greens' support for simplicity is based on the reduction in natural resource usage and environmental impact. This concept is expressed in Ernest Callenbach's "green triangle" of ecology, frugality and health.
Many with similar views avoid involvement even with green politics as compromising simplicity, however, and advocate forms of green anarchism that attempt to implement these principles at a smaller scale than through modern nations, e.g. the ecovillage. This view is often allied with a general critique of globalization as industrial capitalism, colonial imperialism, or a neoliberal "neocolonialism." Such a pairing is not universal among practitioners of simple living, however, who may denounce such obsession with worldly affairs as distasteful or unseemly.

Technology

Living simply may involve reconsidering personal definitions of "appropriate technology", as Anabaptist groups such as the Amish or Mennonites have done. People who eschew modern technology are often referred to as Luddites.
People who practice simple living have diverse views on the role of technology. Some simple living adherents, such as Kirkpatrick Sale, are strong critics of technology, while others see the Internet as a key component of simple living in the future, including the reduction of an individual's carbon footprint through telecommuting and less reliance on paper. Voluntary simplicity may include high-tech components — indeed computers, Internet, photovoltaic arrays, wind and water turbines, and a variety of other cutting-edge technologies can be used to make a simple lifestyle within mainstream culture easier and more sustainable.
The idea of food miles, the number of miles a given item of food, or its ingredients, has travelled between the farm and the table, is used by simple living advocates to argue for locally grown food, and this idea is gaining mainstream acceptance. Some argue that computers and the Internet will allow people to do things they needed a car to do before, such as work or shopping, while video games and movies will make staying at home a much more attractive option.
Advertising is criticised for encouraging a consumerist mentality. Many advocates of voluntary simplicity tend to agree that cutting out, or cutting down, on television viewing is a key ingredient in simple living. Some see the Internet, podcasting, community radio or pirate radio as viable alternatives.

Other, non-religious approaches

A reference and starting point for this approach can be found in James Robertson's ''New Economics'' and the work of thinkers and activists, who participate in his ''Working for a Sane Alternative'' network and program.

Further reading

★ ''Walden'' (1854), Henry David Thoreau, available at — key text in simple living.

★ ''The Value of Voluntary Simplicity '' (1936), Richard Gregg; a seminal book on the subject of simplicity, heavily influenced by Gandhi.

★ ''The Simple Life'' (1973), Vernard Eller, ISBN 0802815375; a perspective on simple living according to Jesus, Kierkegaard and Eller.

★ ''More-With-Less Cookbook'' (Herald Press, 1976), Doris Janzen Longacre, ISBN 0-8361-1786-7 — suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources.

★ ''New Age Politics'' (1979), Mark Satin, ISBN 0-440-55700-3 — articulates a politics focused on voluntary simplicity and humanistic psychology; builds on two important Elgin articles from the 1970s.

★ ''Living More With Less'' (Herald Press, 1980), Doris Janzen Longacre, ISBN 0-8361-1930-4 — a pattern of living with less and a wealth of practical suggestions from the worldwide experiences of Mennonites.

★ ''Voluntary Simplicity'' (1980), Duane Elgin, ISBN 0-688-12119-5 — key text in voluntary simplicity.

★ ''What Are People For?'' (North Point Press, 1990), Wendell Berry, ISBN 0-86547-437-0

★ ''Wealth 101: Getting What You Want-Enjoying What You've Got'', Peter McWilliams (1992)

★ ''Your Money or Your Life'' (1992), Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin, ISBN 0-14-016715-3 — another classic voluntary simplicity text.

★ ''Self-reliant, Tree-based, Autonomous Vegan Villages'' (Movement for Compassionate Living, 1996), Kathleen Jannaway.

★ ''Stepping Lightly: Simplicity for People and the Planet'', Mark A. Burch (2000), ISBN 0-86571-423-1

★ ''Affluenza'' (2002), John de Graaf et al., ISBN 1-57675-199-6 — popularized approach to voluntary simplicity.

★ ''What Should I Do If Reverend Billy is in my Store?'' (2003), Bill Talen, ISBN 1-56584-979-5, more recent anti-consumerism, anti-corporate. Talen gives an account of his activism.

★ ''The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life'', Cecile Andrews, ISBN 0-06-092872-7 — leading guide for simplicity study circles.

★ ''Nothing's Too Small to Make a Difference'', Wanda Urbanska & Frank Levering, ISBN 0-89587-297-8

★ ''Simplicity and Success: Creating the Life You Long For'', Bruce Elkin, Trafford {2003]

★ ''Serve God, Save the Planet'' (Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2006), J. Matthew Sleeth, M.D., ISBN 1-933392-01-0, religious approach to voluntary simplicity.

★ ''Living the Good Life. How one family changed their world from their own backyard.'' (2006), Linda Cockburn, ISBN 1-74066-312-8

See also

★ Alternative society

★ Anarcho-primitivism

★ Anti-consumerism

★ Affluenza

★ EcoCommunalism

★ Ecotivity

★ Ecovillage

★ Henry David Thoreau

★ Hippies

★ Homesteading

★ Intentional living

★ Intentional community

★ Lovos

★ Meaning of life

★ Religion of Consumerism

★ Sustainable living

★ World Brotherhood Colonies