#scupulosity tw

[star-anise]

I just need to be cranky about a theme I see in philosophy/self-help spaces. There is a related discussion going on elsewhere about consumerism, environmentalism, and economics, but that's not the one I'm talking about right now. I'm talking about the advice given to people who are seeking to make their lives less better, less stressful, or healthier.

Anyway! My opinion:

A fundamental issue with ascetic self-improvement schemes like "Humans should just stop needing or relying on Stuff" is that we actually tend to be made of Stuff. Our fundamental experiences are mediated by Stuff. We live on a Stuff operating system, and the things we need often have to be in a compatible format. if you are getting rid of Stuff, then you're actually just trading it with the Stuff of absence and workarounds!

This isn't physics. We don't live in an infinite plane without mass or wind resistance. There is not actually One Fundamental Principle that will lead all humans to happiness, the same way there isn't One Fundamental Animal Food Recipe that will nourish all animals sufficiently.

I have just seen so many traps to toxic relationships and systems laid with the "no Stuff" philosophy. "Oh, you're not happy after getting rid of Stuff? Clearly you still have too much Stuff left!" and "I just think your reliance on that Thing that makes you feel happier and less stressful is unhealthy, so give it here, the only solution is for you to lose access to it forever"

Of course there's a baby in that bathwater; managing our relationships with Stuff is a constant struggle for all humans everywhere. But the absolutism without any nuance about how and why this issue actually functions really gets to me.