{"id":36603,"date":"2024-10-09T12:25:38","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T03:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shomei-tanteidan.org\/?p=36603"},"modified":"2024-10-09T12:25:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T03:25:40","slug":"coffeebreak-078","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shomei-tanteidan.org\/en\/coffeebreak-078\/","title":{"rendered":"Vol.078 -Minimalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interviewer: Linxi Chen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chen:\u00a0 <\/strong>Today I’d like to talk about minimalism.\u00a0 Minimalism started as an art movement in the realm of western art after the end of World War II.\u00a0 This movement dramatically affected later generations.
When you hear the word \u201cminimalism\u201d, what do you think of?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mende:\u00a0<\/strong> Minimalism is also used in the world of music.\u00a0 Well, I picture minimalists who prefer things simple or straightforward.\u00a0 Are you a minimalist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen:<\/strong>\u00a0 Technically speaking, I am not a minimalist right now, but I would like to become a minimalist.
The term “minimalist,” refers to someone who practices minimalism\u2014a lifestyle centered on living with the bare essentials. In Japanese, it’s also expressed as “\u6700\u5c0f\u9650\u4e3b\u7fa9\u8005” (saishougen shugi sha), which translates directly to “minimalist.” This concept involves simplifying one’s life by reducing material possessions.\u00a0 My understanding of a minimalist is “someone who simplifies complex things, seeking a better way of being while maintaining a comfortable state both materially and mentally, and continues this lifestyle keeping themselves simple.”
In the real world, the ideal scenario would be being light enough to carry all your essentials in just one suitcase and a bag, with the freedom to always be ready to do whatever you want. I think the reason this kind of thinking emerged is the result of experiences throughout my life.\u00a0 When I was a child, I was often told at home and school that ‘frugality is a virtue.’\u00a0 Growing up,\u00a0 we lived in a large house and the number of things just kept increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mende<\/strong>:\u00a0 Is that right?\u00a0 I thought, “frugality is a virtue” was a concept unique to Japan, but it is also valued in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen:\u00a0<\/strong> “Yes, even in elementary school textbooks, there were poems and writings about saving resources. Later in life I have encountered various things, gained knowledge, and developed many of my own ideas. For example, when I worked part-time at a funeral home, seeing death up close made me start thinking about planning my own end-of-life.\u00a0 Additionally, things like the high cost of living in big cities, incredibly tiny homes that challenge human limits, and the influence of Japanese aesthetics and design on the world, all had a significant impact on me, especially after moving to Japan.
It is because of relationships like this between humans and their environment that I decided to become a minimalist. Although I’m still exploring minimalism now, my thoughts and ideas may change in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mende:\u00a0<\/strong> Your ideas touch on some important aspects of minimalism.\u00a0 Now, to make things clear, Do you want to live in a tiny or cramped room? or a larger space, but keep it uncluttered?\u00a0 Do you not want any possessions?\u00a0 What about money?\u00a0 You don’t need a lot of money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen:<\/strong>\u00a0 Personally, ‘small’ is a relative concept. Even if a house is large, if there are many things in it, people won\u2019t feel that the house is big. On the other hand, if a house is small with few possessions, it can\u2019t necessarily be called ‘cramped.’ I believe the most important thing is comfort and balance of space. The same goes for money\u2014probably no one dislikes having money. What\u2019s important is whether the amount of money you have can support your ideal lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Shakers interior design
(Source: Shaker Retiring Room | The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mende:<\/strong>\u00a0 Interesting. I feel like I’m getting to know the philosophical side of you for the first time today.
Speaking of design, the idea in Japanese design of removing unnecessary elements aligns with the notion that minimalism is superior. It\u2019s about eliminating unnecessary ornamentation. ‘Ornamentation’ refers to needless decoration.\u00a0 So for a designer, it\u2019s about avoiding unnecessary embellishments.
In terms of interior design, I have always been impressed with the Shakers. The Shakers are a religious group and their interior design is incredibly simple and incredibly beautiful\u2014whether it\u2019s chairs or anything. The Shakers have influenced a lot of Japanese people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen:\u00a0<\/strong> I see. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of The Shakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mende:\u00a0<\/strong> As for my own lifestyle, I aim to be humble rather than minimal.\u00a0 When I hear the word ‘minimalist’, it somehow sounds a bit lofty. In terms of design, I align more with the spirit of simplicity.
I also think it would be good for you not to become too conceptual. Designers should first think about the happiness of others before themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen:\u00a0<\/strong> Our environment has a significant impact on each one of us. It\u2019s difficult to capture true minimalism in a single word, but this applies to other philosophies as well. The most important thing is to appreciate and question the various definitions of the same philosophy.\u00a0 Rather than pursuing a strict definition, I think it\u2019s better to combine one`s ideas based on that philosophy to create something new. In other words, innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, have you heard of the term ‘self-serving bias’? To put it simply, it refers to the tendency to attribute good things to oneself and bad things to environmental factors.
I believe that becoming a minimalist can change one’s personal and work life to some extent, but it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean things will get better.
Now, I really don\u2019t know what the right answer is. In the first place, what is the definition of ‘right answer’?\u00a0 So many questions are racing through my mind.\u00a0 Humans are an interesting bunch!
Thank you for today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interviewer: Linxi Chen Chen:\u00a0 Today I’d like to talk about minimalism.\u00a0 Minimalism started as an art movement in the realm of western art after the end of World War II.\u00a0 This movement dramatically affected later generations.When you …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":36455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"http:\/\/shomei-tanteidan.org\/?p=36361","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coffeebreak","category-note","en-US"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVol.078 -Minimalism - \u7167\u660e\u63a2\u5075\u56e3.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shomei-tanteidan.org\/en\/coffeebreak-078\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vol.078 -Minimalism - 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