Minimalism -- Extreme vs Casual Styles

Exploring Minimalism: Defining My Approach

I’ve delved into various minimalist blogs and videos and noticed recurring themes that characterize different types of minimalism, often categorized by three main characteristics: Quantity, Quality, and Variety.

Types of Minimalism

Extreme Minimalist = Survivalist

Extreme Minimalists live with just a few unique items, often in tiny homes or even out of their cars. They can fit their entire life into a single backpack, embodying the nomadic spirit of modern times.

Quantity: LOW
Quality: HIGH (ideally)
Variety: LOW

Casual Minimalist

Casual Minimalists maintain a greater quantity than Extreme Minimalists and often fluctuate between quantity and variety. For instance, they may own multiple versions of the same item, like five white T-shirts or five T-shirts of different colors. I consider myself a Casual Minimalist, as I limit my T-shirts to three colors (white, grey, and black) with a total of seven.

Quantity: MEDIUM*
Quality: HIGH (ideally)
Variety: MEDIUM*

My Minimalism Journey

After assessing my personal inventory, I find that I prefer the Casual Minimalist approach. Currently, I'm maintaining a 'loose' inventory of about 75 items:

Clothing: 41
Headphones: 11
Technology: 9
Watches: 10
Fountain Pens: 4

For now, I’m excluding everything else in my life, from kitchen items to furniture, but I estimate that I have around 300 unique household items.

Closing Thoughts

After making these inventory lists, it’s clear that I could never fully embrace the Extreme Minimalist lifestyle; I appreciate having a variety of items in my life. While I could gradually reduce some of these lists, I don’t feel the need to do so since I can fit everything into two large suitcases. Embracing Casual Minimalism suits me well, allowing for a balance between simplicity and variety.

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