Can I Get Something

Can I Get Something As you leave a museum, youre often forced to exit through the gift shop. Its consumerisms last gasp. And, sadly, it works. Every time my daughter, Ella, bounds through the knickknacks, tchotchkes, and souvenirs, she begs to bring one home: Can I get something? Please! What do you want? I dont knowâ€"anything! Thats what consumerism does to everyone. We dont know what we want, but we know we want more, and we want it now! We dont even stop to think about itâ€"to question what might add value to our lives, to question what might get in the way. But if we dont question everything we bring into our lives, well allow anything in. The message of minimalism, then, is simple: If you didnt need it five minutes ago, you probably dont need it now. And even if you do, it wouldnt hurt to wait. If I tell Ella to ask me tomorrow whether she can buy that useless widget, she almost always forgets. Thats because we remember only that which is meaningful, and all the ephemera dissipates into the ether. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.