Resistance and Simplicity from wess on Vimeo.
In this video I discuss some of the questions I have around using words like “simplicity” when it comes to living out the Gospel in a consumer culture. With a nod to early Friends history, John Woolman, and some contemporary examples of the greening of capitalism, I argue that we need to form practices of resistance to these influences rather than assume there is any neutral space we can stand outside its influence. This is a call to swim upstream, rather than get out of the water. At the end I share one practice my wife and I have been working to do this year, we have decided to not buy new things. I’d love to hear your ideas and your own practices of resistance.
Other posts in this series:
Related posts:
- The Kingdom Call and Practice of Resistance
- Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls: The Church in 25 years
- What is a Quaker? Reflections on What We Might Become
- Reflections From The Convergent Retreat 2009
- Practicing Re-Collection (or Centering) Prayer
Really, really enjoyed this. Something I've been thinking about a lot. Not sure I'm totally on board with not buying anything new, but I see the heart behind why you are doing that and it makes a lot of sense.
Thanks Tyler,Yeah – I was just giving an example so what I was talking about wasn't all just talk. Do what seems right to you.
Great stuff. Glad we could hear you this time since the Oregon Coast winds weren't blowing in the mic.
I was especially drawn to you discussion at the beginning on plainness vs. simplicity. As a Friend, I've obviously taken both of those terms for granted over the years. I've never been forced to rethink the idea of simplicity though. Our tradition has focused on simplicity much more than plainness, they haven't been synonymous in the way that you offer in the video. They have been disctinctly different, and plainness was something "they" did. Growing up, simplicity seemed to be approached in a way that allowed you to acknowledge that you are part of a co-opted consumer culture, but that you can work within that, in small ways, to subvert it.
So, by reframing it with some different language, you will cause me to have something to chew on for a while.
As I've contemplated not buying anything new, I've also begun to explore loopholes. As my emusic subscription was just recharged a day or two ago, and as I was thinking about what albums to download, my thoughts turned to your struggle with what to do about buying new music. It made me think of a friend of mine from undergrad. He's an agnostic, but is very dedicated to living simply. As far as I know, he hasn't bought anything new for the past 10 years. However, he has one loophole/exception: art–he is willing to buy something new if he considers it art. He finds art to be categorically different from other consumables. Debates about what is and is not art aside, I think this is an appropriate loophole, giving him breadth to buy literature and music.
Thanks for the tip on the art comment. I am going to think through this. I agree that art is different, but I also know the satisfaction I get from identifying with music, etc. How to curb this and still have new music is my internal debate.
I do the same thing with not buying new stuff. Craigslist is definitely your friend. The hardest things to find used are items of small monetary value that people wouldn't waste the time to sell or even give away — I've had to buy things like screwdrivers several times. Complicating the issue is that I also try really hard not to buy anything made in China! Also, things like cell phones that you get "free" with your contract can be hard to get used, since you end up paying a lot more for the "privilege."
Things like screwdrivers are good to borrow.
For me, one of the serious tradeoffs is how much time it takes to procure things used – you never know when you'll find something in the right size, etc. I have basically decided that my best option is to purchase what I need from the most ethical suppliers I can find, and to buy as many things as possible from a very short list of suppliers – less time shopping is worth the potential trade off in price.