From a consumer, and even from a GDP standpoint, having a large number of products or items can indicate success. But, from a financially free/independent or ecological/sustainable perspective, having many products means only one thing: failure.
Instead, friends and family are likely to doubt a skill-based lifestyle. They will wonder why you don't have a complete tool, mixer, juicer, food processor, (larger) car, better furniture or a walk-in closet full of suits and shoes. They also have a hard time understanding why you don't want these things.
This is something you need to get used to when breaking the norm. What must be learned is different from 95-99% of the population. Of course, this is the struggle of a few people every day: religion and ethnic minorities, vegetarians, gays, highly intelligent people, and those who choose not to have children.
I only recommend diplomacy about it and say things like “I will consider it” or “maybe someday”. On the other hand, if you want to get even, try the reverse trick. When stepping into someone’s house, you say in surprise, “Wow! Do you have a lot of stuff?! How much time does it take to accumulate all of this? Imagine what you should do if you don’t have to take care of it. You can go to Europe or Asia, or quit, or quit, write a book or write a book or go back to college,…If you didn’t buy it, I dare you retire now.
Maybe they will understand this.
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Jacob comments: This question is very similar to the introvert (another minority) problem in the extrovert world. I'm not sure if it can be dying by objecting to the question, because the way we use language is straightforward to make most people's perspectives seem neutral. Maybe the idea is just shut up and write an angry blog rant
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Originally published 2010-05-21 15:05:11.
