Walmart took off in part because it gave us access to everything in one place. More choices. More stuff. The pursuit of which is exceptionally American. It’s instilled in us from a very young age. What you have now is great but do you know what’s better? More of it, of course!
Humans today are the same humans that existed 1,000 years ago. We’re made up of the same stuff. Our brains work the same way. Yet psychological research suggests we’re the unhappiest living generation yet. (I saw the world from my couch and all I got were these lousy anti-depression pills.)
Cause, meet effect.
The disconnect exists between a culture that suggests more is better and its people that instinctively prefer less. Despite what we’ve been told, having more choices actually has a negative effect on our happiness. It’s because the thought of what you didn’t choose often causes stress that outweighs the delight from what you did choose.
We’re supposed to have all these things and know all these things and be good at all these things. But we’re humans, not machines.
No wonder we’re so overwhelmed.
Elaborate ideas with more attributes don’t spread. Billions of dollars in technological advancement aren’t being made to make our lives more complex. It’s simplicity we’re after. The road to clarity, happiness and connection is paved with less.
We need nothing more today than we needed 1,000 years ago. More is a distraction. Your goals, your ideas, your work and your life are too important to surrender to distractions.
May we all be so fortunate to spend more time on fewer (most important) things in life.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Perhaps sometimes it’s just that simple.
Photo courtesy: The Minimum
