Myth and Meaning - Definitions of Voluntary Simplicity

Written by Tammie Byram Fowles, PhD, LISW-CP

Eventually, most of us learn all too well that having more does not translate into greater health or happiness. A glaring example of this fact can be taken from the status of the United States. We 're one of the most powerful and richest nations in the world, and number one on so many fronts including:

• We have the highest homicide rate
• We have more billionaires and more children and elderly living in poverty
• We die younger (on the average) than citizens of other industrial countries
• We have the highest incarceration rate in the world
• We have the largest number of big homes as well as the largest number of homeless
• We rank first in private consumption and last in savings.

Our children are more likely than those in any other affluent nation to:

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• Live in poverty
• Die before their first birthday
• Be abandoned by their fathers
• Die before they reach their 25th birthday.

And in this land of "Plenty" so much is on the rise:

• Teenage Suicide
• Teenage pregnancy
• The use of antidepressant medications

More of one thing that is desirable can sometimes lead to more of something else that is far less appealing. For example, the more square footage in a house -- the more maintenance required. Also, sometimes more brings less. That same house that requires more maintenance leaves the owner with less free time and money.

One bright and brisk December afternoon, I was visiting Ellen. She was showing me some of the wonderful quilts that she makes. I was particularly taken by a colorful patchwork that had a boat with some words that I didn't understand stitched beneath it. Ellen shared with me that the words in Hebrew meant, "It is enough." She explained that the boat on the quilt represented her husband's boat. "He's always tempted to buy a bigger boat." She hoped that the quilt would remind him that the modest and sea-worthy craft that he possessed was sufficient. I sadly thought about how much suffering could be prevented if only we all knew in our hearts and souls that what we have --"It is enough."

"Who is wealthy? He who is content with what he has." - The Talmud

With few exceptions, my generation was raised on television, and many of us were programmed to believe that the 'most' and the 'biggest' is the best. In fact, one of my favorite songs as a child was, "My Dog's Bigger than your Dog." I learned it from a pet food commercial. Not too long ago, PBS aired a program called "Afflunza" which proposed that Americans are suffering from an epidemic of raging consumerism and materialism, leading to symptoms such as record levels of personal debt and bankruptcy, chronic stress, overwork, and broken families. Despite several indicators that Americans are wealthier than ever, (comprising only 5% of the world's population, while consuming 30% of its' resources) our wealth has appeared to have had relatively little impact on our overall well-being. For instance, it's been calculated that while the average American spends six hours a week shopping, the typical American parent spends only 40 minutes per week playing with his or her children. One study found that we spend 40% less time playing with our kids than we did in 1965, and 163 more hours a year working. Also, according to the "index of social health," there's been a 51% decrease in American's overall quality of life.

"It seems all too clear to me that having 'more' materially doesn't necessarily translate into greater happiness or satisfaction. In fact, I whole - heartedly agree with Tom Bender who observed that, "after a point, more becomes a heavy load."

Duane Elgin, in his landmark book, "Voluntary Simplicity," wrote, "Here is a sampling of the definitions of voluntary simplicity that strike a resonant chord with me: a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich; . . . a deliberate choice to live with less in the belief that more of life will be returned to us in the process; a path toward consciously learning that enable us to touch the world ever more lightly and gently; a paring back of the superficial aspects of our lives so as to allow more time and energy to develop the heartfelt aspects of our lives."

Cecile Andrews, an active player in the voluntary simplicity movement and author of "Circle of Simplicity,"describes voluntary simplicity as: "the examined life. It is looking closely at our lives and asking if they are going in the direction that we choose. It's asking, 'What's important?' When we begin to examine our lives, we see that things are often out of our control, with depression, illness, and violence sky high. Further, the environment is in dire shape. As we continue our examination, we see that things are often out of control, with depression, illness, and violence sky high. Further, the environment is in dire shape. As we continue our examination, we see that the well being of people and the planet are linked. The lifestyles that are harming us are also harming the planet -- we are working too much, consuming too much, and rushing too much. In many cases, we have lost touch with the things that are important - things like community and a connection to nature."