Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are.

Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. – Seneca

When your toaster has a 'cancel' button, it may be time to simplify.

When your toaster has a ‘cancel’ button, it may be time to simplify.

What does that mean?
This is a great minimalist quote. Not in that it is as brief as some of the famous ancient quotes, but because of what it implies. So much of what we have, we don’t really need.

This is explained in the slightly longer version of the quote :

Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.

Think about that for a moment. How many things have you misplaced, and somehow managed to get along without? And then when you found it again, had some of the ‘shiny’ or gotta-have-it had worn off?

It is my belief that this quote implies that we might want to consider what we really need before we go out and more stuff.

Why is asking if you really have a need important?  
This is the battle of the advertisers, who try to get us to buy things we don’t really need. We might have a desire, and they will do what they can to peak our interest in their product. But, in theory, we are supposed to make sure we really have a need for the product.

There is also the issue of the cost of the items, and whether they are worth the price, but I consider that to be outside the scope of this discussion. We are primarily concerned with things we may have purchased which are not indispensable, and often quite superfluous.

Do we need a super pen that costs hundreds of dollars just to take notes? Not really. Nobody does, really. That is where want and self-image come into play. A cheap pen or even a yellow pencil will do what needs to be done. The fancy pen can sit in a drawer for years, and you will still manage to write things down.

The question that is usually missing is the utility of the item in question. Is there anything else you already have which can do what this new item purports to do? Can you get by without the new item, or will you find it is absolutely necessary?

Where can I apply this in my life?
Man, am I guilty of this. I have a whole workbench full of nifty toys, some of which are still in their wrappers. I even built a little oscilloscope, but still have yet to use it to debug a circuit. The garage is full of nifty tools, and more than just a few have yet to be used in a project.

Yes, self-discipline is a big part of the issue. Lifestyle and self-image are a big part as well. Do you need to have the fanciest or newest thing because you’re an early adopter, and appreciate the finer things? Do you need the fastest PC, because, um, well, you know, right? 8)

Yet for writing a blog, how powerful a computer do you need? But I got an i7 based laptop. Yes, I got a screaming deal, but it was way more than I needed. And that is what the quote is about. If my laptop had a problem and I had to go back to the 6 year old laptop, it would still work.

What about all the gadgets in the kitchen? We have knifes we have never used, glassware we haven’t used, and plates that may have been used once. Why do we have all this stuff? Perhaps it seemed like a good idea at the time, but we could get along quite nicely without most of it, right?

It might be a new kind of non-stick frying pan, but my grandmother cooked eggs just fine on a cast iron skillet. It might take a bit more practice and might require you to watch it like a hawk, but the old cast iron behemoth still works quite well. Do you really need another new fry-pan?

If we focus on what is actually necessary, you can start to see what falls outside that circle of need. Is a slotted serving spoon necessary, or just a fancy thing to have? What about a toaster that does 4 bagels at a time? These, again, are as much about self-image as they are about utility.

Everyone has different needs, based on their unique situation. But I bet all of us have a few things we really don’t need. And, if we aren’t careful, we may actually buy something unnecessary in the next few months! It’s not that bad, but what else could you do with that money? Your cash, your choice, right?

Next time, simply ask yourself, “What do I really need?”

From: Twitter, @stoicrevival
confirmed at : http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/93900-epistulae-morales-ad-lucilium – Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
Photo by Larry & Teddy Page

About philosiblog

I am a thinker, who is spending some time examining those short twitter quotes in greater detail on my blog.
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2 Responses to Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are.

  1. Charity aideyan says:

    I really needed this at this time, thanks alot

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