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A lot of people don’t do minimalism because it doesn’t seem 1）realistic for their lives. But what they often mean is that they don’t want others to think they’re weird.
Wearing the same clothes every day might seem weird to your friends and co-workers. Having no car might make you seem like an 2）oddball. Not having a smartphone might make you uncool. Living in a small home or an RV注 might make everyone think you’re poor or crazy. Eating 3）vegan food might make the meat eaters in your life 4）groan or roll their eyes.
But who are we living for？ I am all for living to help other people， but when we live our lives to the expectations of other people， we end up living lives we don’t want. And what do we get when we live up to the expectations of all these other people？ They really don’t care—they just don’t like things different because they are uncomfortable with change. Staying the same as everyone else doesn’t make everyone else happier—it just doesn’t force them to reflect on their lives.
Where do these expectations come from， anyway？ Other people didn’t just make them up—they are customs built up over the years， often very consciously by 5）corporations trying to get us into expensive buying habits. For example， we have so many clothes， 6）gadgets and other 7）possessions because ads have sold us on the idea that we need clothing to look 8）stylish， to be successful， to feel like a woman， to be as good as the people on TV. It wasn’t always this way， and it’s up to us to decide whether we want it to be that way from now on.
I’m not saying we should go live in the woods and ignore society （though that’s not a bad option）. I live in society， and yet no one minds me wearing the same clothes all the time. People don’t go wild with anger when they hear that I’m not buying Christmas presents. I might get a 9）raised eyebrow when they find out I don’t have 10）cable TV or a car， and I might have to explain myself when they hear I’m a vegan， but no one gets mad at me and they go on with their lives. I sure go on with mine.
The way everyone else does things isn’t working. People aren’t happy with a life filled with possessions. Driving cars all the time adds to stress， makes people unhealthy， pollutes. People get unhealthy with their standard American diet. Just because everyone else thinks this is the way it should be done， doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Go against the stream—the other fish don’t know where they’re going either！ When it comes to others， be helpful， 11）compassionate， grateful. But don’t live up to their expectations. You’ll be freed of the 12）shackles of meaningless customs， so that you can live as you want.
许多人不当简约主义者是因为他们认为这么做不切实际，但他们这么说通常意味着他们不想被别人当成怪物。
每天穿着同样的衣服可能会让你的朋友和同事觉得不可思议；没有汽车似乎会让你成为异类；没有用智能手机或许会让你显得不够潇洒；住在一间小房子或旅行房车里兴许会让每个人觉得你要么很穷苦要么是疯了；成为素食主义者可能会令你身边的肉食主义者大发牢骚或者猛翻白眼。
但我们到底为谁而活？我总是为帮助他人而活，但当我们为了满足别人的期待而活时，我们终将无法过上自己想要的生活。况且当我们一生都为了成全所有人的期待而活时，我们又能得到什么呢？他们真的毫不在乎——他们只是不喜欢另类的事物，因为他们对于变化倍感不适。和别人保持一致并没有使每个人更开心——只是没有逼迫他们反思自己的人生罢了。
话说回来，这些期待到底来自哪里呢？人们并没有把它们编造出来——它们都是我们经年累月养成的习惯，通常是被企业有意识地培养起来的高消费习惯。比方说，我们有许多的衣服、小玩意儿和其他财物，因为广告总向我们灌输着这样的理念：我们需要衣服来变得时髦、成功、有女人味、像电视里的人那般美好。事情并不总是这样的。所以，从现在起，我们是否愿意那么做，是由我们决定的。
我并不是说我们应该住在树林里与世隔绝（虽然这个选择也不错）。我活在世俗中，但没人会介意我是否总是穿着同一件衣服。当人们听到我没有买圣诞礼物时，他们并不会气得发疯。当他们发现我没有有线电视或汽车时可能会感到有点不可思议。当他们听说我是一名素食主义者时，我也许不得不为自己辩解，但没有人会生我的气，他们继续过他们的生活。我当然也继续过我的小日子。
随波逐流的生活方式并不通用。腰缠万贯的生活并不能使人幸福。长期开车会增加精神压力，影响身体健康，并且污染环境。标准的美国食谱有损健康。仅仅因为其他人都认为应该这么做并不意味着它就是最好的。逆流而行——其他鱼儿也不知道它们将去往何处！
与人交往时，我们要乐于助人、富有同情心、怀抱感恩之心，但不要为了满足他们的期待而活。你将从毫无意义的世俗桎梏中得到解脱，这样你就能过上自己想要的生活了。
小资料
简约主义（minimalism）是什么？一种时尚潮流？一种文化倾向？一种艺术家理想主义的探索？还是一种美学定义或是一种哲学教育？它可以是以上的全部，也可能什么都不是。它是一种被建筑师、画家、音乐家、作家在过去十几年中不断提及的理念，也是被许多现代人追求的生活方式。
简约主义源于20世纪初期的西方现代主义。欧洲现代主义建筑大师路德维希·密斯·凡德罗（Ludwig Mies Vander Rohe）的名言“Less is more.”被认为是简约主义的核心思想。简约主义最初应用于设计领域上，将设计的元素、色彩、照明、原材料简化到最少的程度，但对色彩、材料的质感要求极高，以达到以少胜多、以简胜繁的效果。现代人推崇简约主义的生活方式，即一切回归本真，越简约的生活越接近生活的本质。
Wearing the same clothes every day might seem weird to your friends and co-workers. Having no car might make you seem like an 2）oddball. Not having a smartphone might make you uncool. Living in a small home or an RV注 might make everyone think you’re poor or crazy. Eating 3）vegan food might make the meat eaters in your life 4）groan or roll their eyes.
But who are we living for？ I am all for living to help other people， but when we live our lives to the expectations of other people， we end up living lives we don’t want. And what do we get when we live up to the expectations of all these other people？ They really don’t care—they just don’t like things different because they are uncomfortable with change. Staying the same as everyone else doesn’t make everyone else happier—it just doesn’t force them to reflect on their lives.
Where do these expectations come from， anyway？ Other people didn’t just make them up—they are customs built up over the years， often very consciously by 5）corporations trying to get us into expensive buying habits. For example， we have so many clothes， 6）gadgets and other 7）possessions because ads have sold us on the idea that we need clothing to look 8）stylish， to be successful， to feel like a woman， to be as good as the people on TV. It wasn’t always this way， and it’s up to us to decide whether we want it to be that way from now on.
I’m not saying we should go live in the woods and ignore society （though that’s not a bad option）. I live in society， and yet no one minds me wearing the same clothes all the time. People don’t go wild with anger when they hear that I’m not buying Christmas presents. I might get a 9）raised eyebrow when they find out I don’t have 10）cable TV or a car， and I might have to explain myself when they hear I’m a vegan， but no one gets mad at me and they go on with their lives. I sure go on with mine.
The way everyone else does things isn’t working. People aren’t happy with a life filled with possessions. Driving cars all the time adds to stress， makes people unhealthy， pollutes. People get unhealthy with their standard American diet. Just because everyone else thinks this is the way it should be done， doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Go against the stream—the other fish don’t know where they’re going either！ When it comes to others， be helpful， 11）compassionate， grateful. But don’t live up to their expectations. You’ll be freed of the 12）shackles of meaningless customs， so that you can live as you want.
许多人不当简约主义者是因为他们认为这么做不切实际，但他们这么说通常意味着他们不想被别人当成怪物。
每天穿着同样的衣服可能会让你的朋友和同事觉得不可思议；没有汽车似乎会让你成为异类；没有用智能手机或许会让你显得不够潇洒；住在一间小房子或旅行房车里兴许会让每个人觉得你要么很穷苦要么是疯了；成为素食主义者可能会令你身边的肉食主义者大发牢骚或者猛翻白眼。
但我们到底为谁而活？我总是为帮助他人而活，但当我们为了满足别人的期待而活时，我们终将无法过上自己想要的生活。况且当我们一生都为了成全所有人的期待而活时，我们又能得到什么呢？他们真的毫不在乎——他们只是不喜欢另类的事物，因为他们对于变化倍感不适。和别人保持一致并没有使每个人更开心——只是没有逼迫他们反思自己的人生罢了。
话说回来，这些期待到底来自哪里呢？人们并没有把它们编造出来——它们都是我们经年累月养成的习惯，通常是被企业有意识地培养起来的高消费习惯。比方说，我们有许多的衣服、小玩意儿和其他财物，因为广告总向我们灌输着这样的理念：我们需要衣服来变得时髦、成功、有女人味、像电视里的人那般美好。事情并不总是这样的。所以，从现在起，我们是否愿意那么做，是由我们决定的。
我并不是说我们应该住在树林里与世隔绝（虽然这个选择也不错）。我活在世俗中，但没人会介意我是否总是穿着同一件衣服。当人们听到我没有买圣诞礼物时，他们并不会气得发疯。当他们发现我没有有线电视或汽车时可能会感到有点不可思议。当他们听说我是一名素食主义者时，我也许不得不为自己辩解，但没有人会生我的气，他们继续过他们的生活。我当然也继续过我的小日子。
随波逐流的生活方式并不通用。腰缠万贯的生活并不能使人幸福。长期开车会增加精神压力，影响身体健康，并且污染环境。标准的美国食谱有损健康。仅仅因为其他人都认为应该这么做并不意味着它就是最好的。逆流而行——其他鱼儿也不知道它们将去往何处！
与人交往时，我们要乐于助人、富有同情心、怀抱感恩之心，但不要为了满足他们的期待而活。你将从毫无意义的世俗桎梏中得到解脱，这样你就能过上自己想要的生活了。
小资料
简约主义（minimalism）是什么？一种时尚潮流？一种文化倾向？一种艺术家理想主义的探索？还是一种美学定义或是一种哲学教育？它可以是以上的全部，也可能什么都不是。它是一种被建筑师、画家、音乐家、作家在过去十几年中不断提及的理念，也是被许多现代人追求的生活方式。
简约主义源于20世纪初期的西方现代主义。欧洲现代主义建筑大师路德维希·密斯·凡德罗（Ludwig Mies Vander Rohe）的名言“Less is more.”被认为是简约主义的核心思想。简约主义最初应用于设计领域上，将设计的元素、色彩、照明、原材料简化到最少的程度，但对色彩、材料的质感要求极高，以达到以少胜多、以简胜繁的效果。现代人推崇简约主义的生活方式，即一切回归本真，越简约的生活越接近生活的本质。