Minimalism vs Ambition

I used to be a big fan of minimalism as a lifestyle and practiced it religiously for years. Even though I learned great lessons from it, there's a significant downside: it stunted my ambition.

The Complacency behind Minimalism

Minimalism led me to complacency, influencing me to think that living a good life was simple. All I needed to do, it seemed, was to consume less and be more mindful. But I no longer believe that's the full picture.

"Wake Up You Need To Make Money" - Lyrics By Twenty One Pilots

Minimalism didn't acknowledge the brutal truths of life: to lead an exceptional life, a substantial amount of money is necessary. For instance, one of my life's purposes is to fully provide for my entire family, and to achieve this goal, a lot of ambition is needed.

On the positive side, minimalism helps you notice the dangers of mindless consumerism. But on the negative side, it encourages you to relinquish your ambition and live a normal life.

Rejecting The Average Life

Minimalism acts as an essential remedy to the average life, but do we really want to be average? A normal, average life is not a good life. The average person is out of shape, broke, and depressed. Minimalism is essential for the average person, but when I fully decided I didn't want to be average, it started conflicting with my goals.

The Minimalist Path to Wealth is Incomplete

According to the minimalist philosophy, the path towards a "wealthy" life is based on penny-pinching and frugality. This doesn't align with my purpose of becoming a provider, which can only be achieved through extraordinary ambition and the drive to amass a significant amount of money. And sadly, minimalism doesn't lead you there.

Philosophical Aspects of Minimalism

I still genuinely enjoy some of the philosophical aspects of minimalism, especially for internal well-being. However, we live in an external world, and I'm no longer convinced that minimalism greatly benefits those of us who aspire to live extraordinary lives.

The Consequences of Reducing Needs

Unfortunately, the idea of reducing my needs bears consequences: it destroys my ambition and results in complacency in life. Minimalism is a great starting point, but for those of us who want an extraordinary life, we need to push further.