Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
Reviews
Buku ini banyak mendeskripsikan pengalaman Fumio Sasaki sebagai penganut minimalisme yang mengubahnya secara personal, baik batinian maupun lahiriah. Sepanjang buku Fumio nggak abis2nya ngasih pandangannya gimana dengan beralih dan menjalani hidup minimalis membuat hidupnya lebih ringan, lebih menyenangkan untuk dijalani. Fumio ngasih tips yang cukup banyak untuk berpisah dengan benda-benda. Namun, menurutku pribadi tips-tips itu kurang teknis dan terasa sangat cocok2an buat tiap2 orang yang ingin mencobanya. Dan di beberapa bagian aku merasa Fumio agak menarik terlalu jauh kaitan-kaitan antara penjelasan yang ia sampaikan dengan konsep minimalisme. Buku yang menyenangkan untuk mengisi waktu luang, karena muatannya yang ringan dan terasa personal. In the end, Fumio menegaskan kalau minimalisme adalah metode bukan tujuan akhir. Dengan mengurangi jumlah kepemilikan benda2, kita bisa menemukan hal yang benar2 penting bagi kita. Oh, ya, membaca buku ini juga mengingatkanku pada film Happy Old Year (2019), yang pada intinya juga membahas perihal berpisah dengan benda-benda.
I never quite know how to rate a book like this. I could rant on about how I appreciate authors like Sasaki for putting themselves out there and giving it a shot even though they know they probably won't write the next masterpiece; however, I'm going to make it short. I think Sasaki had some really really inspiring, insightful, and eye-opening points he made. I have tonnnnssss of highlights in my ebook--things that actually connected with me, sliced through the rest of the words and claimed their spot in my brain. My complaints are that I a bit annoyed sometimes when he'd say something like "I was happy now because I gave up my things," or something similar where he was making a claim that giving up his things directly made him a better, happier, etc. person." Okay, maybe your life did change after you gave up your things, but I'm thinking it was a mindset change that created the effects. This is technically probably from getting rid of his things, but once in a while I got tired of him crediting throwing things away with every change in his life. That was more of a rant than an analysis, but I think I've communicated my point. This book really did stay with me too--it has affected everyday choices I make, started to change my mindset towards buying things, materialism in general, etc. I have started to see the true importance of certain things-to see through the veil society has cast on them. Without getting any more cliché or emo, I am very glad I read this book and it was a good start to fueling my interest in minimalism.
I was looking for an inspiring and practical pep talk to help me get rid of things during our move. It wasn’t really groundbreaking or incredible writing and format, but it was nice to get a different perspective nonetheless. I’m not sure how persuasive or effective it was yet—we’re still in the moving process.
This book read like a compilation of blog posts, complete with listicles like “55 Things To Help You...” or “12 Reasons....” Not particularly useful or helpful. Spends much of the time talking about the benefits of minimalism, and it feels like listening to your friend go on and on about how much better he feels since he went gluten free.
Mi aspettavo qualche cosa di differente da questo libro, tipo un manuale per diventare minimalisti (se mai mi venisse questa folle voglia) cosa che questo libro assolutamente non è. In pratica è solo un girare attorno alla vita dell'autore che ci tiene a spiegarci in più di 100 pagine come sia felice ora che in casa non ha più niente. Peccato che questo libro non ti incoraggi particolarmente a diventare minimalista, anche se molto probabilmente l'autore invece era proprio quello che voleva fare solo che con me proprio non è riuscito. A voler riassumere in libro è solamente lui che non fa altro che dire come la sua vita sia perfetta da quando in casa ha solo un vaso di fiori però dall'altro lato solo un cieco non capirebbe che il problema della sua infelicità di prima non era di sicuro l'avere troppe cose. Prima di fare ordine nella sua casa per sua stessa ammissione era alcolizzato, vuoi magari dire che il tuo problema era l'alcool e non il fatto che avevi tre paia di forbici? No, ovviamente. Erano 'le cose' che gli impedivano di essere una persona differente. L'autore poi chiaramente prima non era minimalista, infatti era l'esatto contrario. Ora io ovviamente capisco tenere le cose significative ma chi diavolo tiene OGNI post-it che ci lasciano i colleghi? saremmo sommersi di cose del tutto inutili se lo facessimo! ovviamente la sua casa era un macello, come avrebbe potuto non esserlo? questo teneva pure gli scontrini del supermercato secondo me, non buttava proprio niente di niente. Sempre per sua ammissione comprava vestiti che non voleva e di cui non aveva bisogno solo perché comprare lo rendeva felice, anche se sapeva che quel capo di abbigliamento non lo avrebbe messo mai. Ovviamente ad un certo punto è arrivato a decidere che era meglio sbarazzarsi di tutto piuttosto che provare a fare ordine in maniera umana, è come quando hai i capelli troppo lunghi e rovinati perché non li hai curati e piuttosto che badarci preferisci un bel taglio cortissimo. Poi da uno che dice di aver buttato libri per il valore di 8mila (!!) euro ed averci fatto 160 euro al massimo io non mi posso proprio fidare.
Great information and relatively short. I just wish the author hadn't repeated himself so much. But, it's a good reminder that it's easier than we think to let go of our possessions.
The examples of minimalism in this book are hardcore, far past my goals (but sort of thrilling to think about!). Despite the author’s personal rigor though, he’s really generous in his attitude of minimalism being all about what’s right for you, and I think that’s right on the mark. We all will have different definitions of “I only have what I need” and growth requires a push but not excess force.
for a book about minimalism, it sure drags on and keeps repeating itself a lot... if you’re interest in minimalism, i highly recommend watching the documentary ‘minimalism’ by matt d’avella over reading this
Every single possible thing that could be minimised is described in excruciating detail. If I’d read it I’d have given it 2 stars but the audiobook is worth 3 as it is great for insomnia.
my first and favorite book about minimalism lifestyle. picking this book on a bookstore while i was strolling around and decided to buy it in just seconds. this lifestyle has got my interest since 2016 and i always come to this book whenever i feel like getting some kick ass motivation to get rid of unnecessary stuffs
Relatively clear and concise. I expected a lot more of Marie Kondo's philosophy, but this was completely and refreshingly different.
Excellent book on minimalism. I consider myself someone who is already good at not accumulating too many things, yet I found this very practical book inspiring to find ways to further declutter. The book is filled with gems that truly resonated with me. There's also a lot of scientific research on happiness distilled in this book. I've taken courses about happiness and well-being, the most recent through Coursera taught by Yale, and this book makes a strong case for reducing the stuff you own to be happier based on many of the scientific findings. Overall, very inspiring.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and understand and the pictures in the beginning were great. He was obsessed with Steve Jobs and Apple which was annoying after a while.
What stuck to me is the open-minded view of the writer (who is a hardcore minimalist) about how minimalism comes in many shapes. It feels like an open invitation instead of a rulebook. And it works: I threw out 3 boxes of stuff in the past week already, and I don't even identify as a minimalist. The book itself is like a minimalism field guide. It describes the concepts and benefits minimalism can provide, while also containing an entire section dedicated to tangible advice on how you can start reducing clutter at home.
Ngl, I judged this book prior to reading it. I seriously thought this would focus on strategies in getting rid of stuff, but it went pretty deep into existential territory. I guess it was this route or just the practical decluterring direction. I probably would’ve dropped the book early on if it were of the latter. Also, props to Eriko Sugita who did the translation work. Made this truly an easy read; felt like I was just casually being walked through someone’s thought process. My issue with this focus on 2 things: structure and bias, if that makes any sense. Structure, because the flow felt a bit jumpy to me. I didn’t know how the themes were threaded. Second is bias, mainly because the author is single and living alone at the time of writing. His suggestions on being untethered and focused on the present (he expanded on this in the book) may be a bit difficult to apply to someone who has people relying on them, like parents or breadwinners. I wish this was also covered somehow. Overall, though, another surprisingly eye-opening read. Definitely helpful on the daily. Oh, and another issue: not sure if the subtitle ‘the new Japanese minimalism’ is necessary at all (sorry, publisher). Nothing in the book particularly focused on his practice of minimalism being strictly Japanese. Maybe except the infrequent mentions of disaster risk reduction? 🤷🏻♀️
Another book about minimalism. Good if You don't know where to start from.
I really enjoyed this one, it certainly made me look at my lifestyle and surroundings in a different way. All while giving some handy strategies and advice.
This book would have greatly benefited from being edited down quite a bit, probably half the length would be enough. And many of the ideas are explored better in Essentialism by Greg McKeown https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
El libro no está mal como introducción al minimalismo. Es un poco difícil encontrar libros realmente buenos sobre esta temática. La serie de fotografías al comienzo del libro es muy interesante y quizá es lo más ilustrativo del libro. Los capítulos más importantes del libro —en mi opinión— son el primero, el segundo y el cuarto: - ¿qué es el minimalismo? - ¿por qué acumulamos tantas cosas? - cómo el minimalismo ha cambiado al autor. El resto del libro son listas interminables de tips que no son más que sentido común: tira primero las cosas que son basura, después, las cosas que no uses, etc. En cualquier caso, el libro tiene un par de conceptos y lecciones interesantes: - Lo que el autor denomina estado minimalista frente al estado maximalista: Piensa en un viaje de ida. Llegas al hotel y la habitación está limpia y ordenada. No estás rodeado de todas las cosas que te suelen distraer, no sientes la carga de las responsabilidades —la pila de platos por fregar. Es por eso por lo que nos sentimos tan bien cuando viajamos, tan sólo tenemos que dejar las maletas y somos libres para irnos a dar una vuelta por el vecindario. Te sientes ligero. Estado minimalista. Ahora piensa en un viaje de vuelta. Todas las cosas están mal metidas en la maleta. Las cosas que has comprado apenas caben. Llevas los bolsillos llenos de tickets de los sitios que has visitado. Estás en el aeropuerto y no encuentras el boarding pass entre tanto papel. La sensación de estrés causada por tener más objetos de los que puedes manejar. Estado maximalista. - La definición de minimalista: En resumidas cuentas, todo aquel que sabe lo que es esencial para él y evita el signaling —quizá esto es lo más interesante del libro. El autor toca el tema del signaling en varias ocasiones. - ¿Por qué no nos sentimos felices a pesar de tener tantas cosas? Porque nos acostumbramos. - ¿Por qué seguimos comprando cosas si sabemos que lo que nos ilusiona ahora nos cansará dentro de unos meses? Porque basamos los sentimientos futuros en los presentes. Predecimos mal. - ¿Por qué acumulamos tanto? Porque somos animales sociales y sentimos la necesidad de que otras personales nos valoren. Ante la dificultad de transmitir nuestros valores y principios, empleamos nuestras posesiones como proxy. - El concepto de la "silent to-do list": Nuestras posesiones nos mandan señales a diario que acaban generándonos estrés. Por ejemplo, la pila de platos que sabes que tienes que limpiar, la lavadora que sabes que tienes que poner, toda esa montaña de ropa que sabes que tienes que planchar. Es una lista de cosas por hacer que no está escrita en ningún sitio pero nos crea una pesada carga cognitiva. En definitiva, es un tema interesante y sobre el que quiero reflexionar. Quiero intentar llevar una vida más minimalista, aunque a diferencia del autor, conservaré dos cosas que para mí siguen siendo imprescindibles: un buen armario y una buena colección de libros físicos.
I would recommend this book for its inspirational value. While the highly annectodal evidence of the positive impact of minimalism bothered me at times (there is literally a section called "minimalist are slim"), I can't deny the positive impact it has had on my life. I especially enjoyed reading on the seemingly intertwined relationship of minimalism and mindfulness.
One of my favorite books. A wonderful read for anyone who's feeling weighed down by their material possessions.
Highlights
The glory of (product) acquisition starts to dim with use, eventually changing to boredom as the item no longer elicits even a bit of excitement.
Minimalism is not a goal. It is a method for individuals to find the things that are genuinely important to them. It's a prologue for crafting your own unique story.
We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than in trying to be happy ourselves.
Minimalism isn't an objective. It's a method. There are many important lessons that I've learned through minimalism. But if you've already learned these lessons and more, you don't need to become a minimalist. Even I have the freedom to start buying more things, as long as I continue to cherish the important lessons minimalism has taught me.
An important note on how Sasaki-san emphasizes on minimalism being a method, not an end goal. And how the learnings (and the personal transformation) through it are much, much more important than just the objective of getting rid of things.
Positive psychology, a branch of psychology aimed at studying satisfaction and fulfillment, reveals a completely different model for happiness. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky says that 50 percent of our happiness is genetically determined, 10 percent by life circumstances and situations, and the remaining 40 percent by our daily actions. "Life circumstances and situations" includes various factors, such as where we live, whether we're rich or poor, healthy or ill, married or divorced, and so forth.
We can accumulate as much as we like, but without gratitude we'll only end up being bored with everything we've obtained. Conversely, we can achieve true contentment with few possessions, just so long as we treat them with gratitude.
On gratitude being the antidote to boredom
Anyone who believes that they have the ability to experience the future will pay little attention to the present. They'll put up with things and frown if only for the sake of their glorious future. But it's only in the present that they can experience something, which means that those grumpy-looking souls frowning today will probably continue to be sullen no matter what they do.
Such a bold, bold claim, but I completely get the intent. Made me think.
Neither the past nor the future actually exists. There's only an eternal present, and you can only experience the now. I think that's what Einstein meant when he said you can't make a distinction between the past, present, and future.
This Einstein quote and the Dale Carnegie quote on washing the dishes left a huge impact on me.
I've heard about a Native American teaching that says when something needs to be decided, they look seven generations ahead, which seems to make much more sense.
Shame on us 🙊😩
Consuming too much junk information will lead to a state of "information metabolic syndrome." Tests have shown that people flooded with excess amounts of information performed worse on brain tests than when they smoked marijuana.
Cue canned laughter
The key to flow is the sense of contentment with the passing of time. The consumption of an engrossing movie or TV series may mask the passing of time, but it doesn't lead to a state of flow.
What a great way to put it.
There are things you love so much that they start to feel like they're a part of you. They assemble themselves into a persona that you then have to maintain. Parting with those things means you're freeing yourself from that particular consciousness.
Near my old apartment, there was a gingko tree that loomed over the sidewalk. Each morning, I would see my middle-aged neighbor busy sweeping away the fallen leaves and wonder how she could stand doing that day after day. The leaves were falling all the time anyway, so why didn't she just take care of the sweeping once a week or even every other day? That had been the old me. Now I can understand how the woman must have felt. It wasn't the fallen leaves that she had been tidying up; it was her own laziness that she had been sweeping away.
Welp, I love this bit. Explains a lot about my own habits (especially the ones questioned by people since they know I live in a tiny studio apartment).
Psychologist Tim Kasser stresses that the enrichment of time will lead directly to happiness, while the enrichment of material objects will not.
Sounds more valid when a psychologist says it, he he
Minimalism is not a rite of penance, nor is it a competitive sport. It is simply a means to an end.
I think a minimalist is a person who knows what's truly necessary for them, a person who reduces so they can focus on what's really important.
At the end of the day, this is basically the only definition that matters.
Minimalism is not a competition. Don't boast about how little you have. Don't judge someone who has more than you.
With minimalism being a visible (visual?) trend, although I wouldn’t say it’s effectively adapted or executed as actual practice/action, so many people try to wave the flag of achievement by making sure they’re seen following the principles (i.e.: showing off how all of their belongings can fit in a duffel, for one). It’s easy to be self-righteous in following a movement that seems to be done only by a few people. It’s self-righteousness that makes people subconsciously think they’re in competition with others who don’t follow the principles of minimalism, to justify their own practice. This is one way to exercise self-validation. A horrible way at that.
I follow the example of Snufkin-one of the characters from Tove Jansson's Moomin-and only look at souvenirs, no matter how tempting they are. This has allowed me to focus more on the journey itself. And what is life if not a journey? Be brave and let go of things that spark joy-what you gain can be tremendous.
A potentially controversial claim on the Marie Kondo approach, but only if taken out of context. This bit places emphasis on the possibility of a person redirecting their focus on the process/journey being a source of joy and fulfillment more than a thing. In this case, the core advice is to stick with a process that sparks joy, and not hinge on objects as a potential source for this feeling/state. Still the same mindset as Kondo’s, but redirected to something else, instead of a tangible item.
…people tend to see variances as stimulation
Hah! It me. :/
When you think about it, it's experience that builds our unique characteristics, not material objects. So maybe it's natural that we find our own originality when we strip away all the things that distract us.
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
The American poet Allen Ginsberg once observed that if you pay twice as much attention to your rug, it'll mean the same thing as owning two rugs. The number of possessions you have has no relevance to the level of satisfaction that you'll get from them.
“Look at your fish,” as said in that old anecdote.
The things we say goodbye to are the things we'll remember forever.
*mindfully say goodbye to
It's hard to part with your possessions if you confuse their current values with their original prices.
The more we accumulate and the harder we work to build a collection that communicates our qualities, the more our possessions themselves will start to become the qualities that we embrace. In other words, what we own equals who we are.
👏👏👏👏👏