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I am continuing to be inspired by Marie Kondo. I hadn't started with the intention of a psychological journey, but it really has turned into one: a home that makes me happier, hopefully coupled with a life that makes me happier.
I don't see any contradiction between doing things to improve my own life and doing things to improve the world. When I'm happier, I'm more energetic and more outward-looking, and that means I'm capable of doing more activism and volunteering than when my energy is sucked up by my own problems.
The idea that improving your life in ways that are meaningful and helpful for you, whether that's going into therapy, getting rid of canned pineapple from 20111 and gifts you hate, or anything else, is somehow making the world worse because it's not spending 100% of your time contemplating the abyss, is counterproductive to the real work of activism.
It's such a toxic idea that leads to so much burnout and thus less leftist activism that I sometimes wonder if it's being deliberately encouraged. I know that sounds paranoid but we now know that sort of subtle and targeted spreading of ideas actually happens. Who is it who wants leftists to believe that it's morally wrong to take care of themselves?
And no, I am not throwing out all my books or any items that I actually need. I'm not taking Marie Kondo as a guru, just as a person who has some advice that I find useful and some that I don't. That being said, she never said you should - that's all rumor by wrong osmosis. I like living in a library. I don't like living in a junkyard.
I spoke to some friends about the problem of getting stuff that's still useful or might be wanted by someone who's not me to those people, and discovered that this is something on a lot of people's minds. My solution turned out to be to make use of those social networks of friends-of-friends.
One person has friends and family in El Salvador who can either use stuff themselves, or are involved in charities that can pass it on to people who genuinely want/need it. However, the cost of shipping packages is prohibitive. Her solution was to purchase a shipping container and fill it full of stuff. That's expensive, but she can afford it and it's enough of a saving to make the process worthwhile. Another person has a church which collects and distributes clothing, etc, to people in need.
My stuff is all going to the church, the shipping container, or Goodwill, in that order.
Click on cut for photos of tidying in process, and also a cute cat. ( Read more... )
I don't see any contradiction between doing things to improve my own life and doing things to improve the world. When I'm happier, I'm more energetic and more outward-looking, and that means I'm capable of doing more activism and volunteering than when my energy is sucked up by my own problems.
The idea that improving your life in ways that are meaningful and helpful for you, whether that's going into therapy, getting rid of canned pineapple from 20111 and gifts you hate, or anything else, is somehow making the world worse because it's not spending 100% of your time contemplating the abyss, is counterproductive to the real work of activism.
It's such a toxic idea that leads to so much burnout and thus less leftist activism that I sometimes wonder if it's being deliberately encouraged. I know that sounds paranoid but we now know that sort of subtle and targeted spreading of ideas actually happens. Who is it who wants leftists to believe that it's morally wrong to take care of themselves?
And no, I am not throwing out all my books or any items that I actually need. I'm not taking Marie Kondo as a guru, just as a person who has some advice that I find useful and some that I don't. That being said, she never said you should - that's all rumor by wrong osmosis. I like living in a library. I don't like living in a junkyard.
I spoke to some friends about the problem of getting stuff that's still useful or might be wanted by someone who's not me to those people, and discovered that this is something on a lot of people's minds. My solution turned out to be to make use of those social networks of friends-of-friends.
One person has friends and family in El Salvador who can either use stuff themselves, or are involved in charities that can pass it on to people who genuinely want/need it. However, the cost of shipping packages is prohibitive. Her solution was to purchase a shipping container and fill it full of stuff. That's expensive, but she can afford it and it's enough of a saving to make the process worthwhile. Another person has a church which collects and distributes clothing, etc, to people in need.
My stuff is all going to the church, the shipping container, or Goodwill, in that order.
Click on cut for photos of tidying in process, and also a cute cat. ( Read more... )
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