When change comes too fast, the human instinct is to rebel. To fight back. To go against the change. The same thing happens on a much larger scale as well. Even on the scale of entire human societies.
For example, when location services like foursquare came out, I was (and still am) paranoid about letting people know where I am. My privacy is gold to me and I was ready to Alt+F4 the whole thing if I could. I couldn’t stand the way all these online companies know so much about me. Many others in the online community felt that way too. There was a backlash. This backlash was fast and more of a reflex.
But I think there’s a weird version of backlash that has come at a much slower pace. So slow that we didn’t even notice it. We had a backlash against owning too much.
Should I have more stuff?
I’m thinking, actually, of how 50 years ago we had very little stuff. Then the Industrial Revolution came along and now we have a lot of stuff. But we’re slowly starting to realize that a lot of this stuff is holding us down and making us unhappy. We now have to care for and maintain a lot.
I see many who rent apartments, order food, cater at parties, hire tax people, and generally outsource as many things as they can. Heck we even keep our photos online and videos on youtube instead of in our own computer. We’ve found that owning something (which is something we are instinctively proud of) also means caring for it (which is not so much fun).
The thing is that, 30 years ago, you would care for what you had at the time. But that same Industrial Revolution made everything so cheap that it wasn’t worth it to repair your old stuff no more. It was cheaper to throw it away and buy a new shirt instead. And so we keep getting new things and having backlogs of old things.
Predicting the future
Two generations from now, we’ll probably have societies who only rent apartments so that they don’t have to worry about maintaining their gardens or hiring security or having to clean out the pool. Oh wait! That’s already happening. I meant that 2 generations later we’ll have societies that don’t use a kitchen but instead eat out all the time. Oops too late. I meant societies that would put all their information and photos and videos online on computers they don’t own so th—
Hmm…. I guess I’m a bit too late.
What about this: some won’t even own furniture but will rent it instead. *sees the ad: Furnished Apartment for rent* Darn it!
But what is true is that these trends will become even more pronounced over the next few decades. As much as possible, people will want to own less so that they have to care for less. We’ll want to use public services if we can, or rent if we can’t. We’ll outsource as much as possible so that we have more free time (that will be used to finish up more work).
“Please sir…”
If Oliver Twist were here in this day and age, we’d probably hear:
Please sir, I don’t want some more.
–
Great perspective in this article
I probably belong to that futuristic group you speak of: hate owning some things like a house or a car, definitely. But not indiscriminately.
I think another way of looking at things is that people no longer can afford some basic yet longterm ownership commitments–s uch as a house. So they rent. Or a car. So they take public transport. Also coupled with an attitude that prefers mobility over commitment, today over tomorrow– there's really no sense in owning anything that will in the end own you correct? However, if I was filthy rich– sure I'd buy a house. Because I'd buy a house in every different place I like living in. I don't want to be stuck in the same place.
What the house-owning generation our parents were, they were partly because their generation accepted that after a certain age, you settle down somewhere and grow roots. Our generation is starting to accept that we aren't trees, and we don't need to settle in one place if we don't want to. However to achieve that certain sacrifices need to be made– mainly demanded of other people. We choose not to have kids, or delay having them. We keep more of our junk in our parents place until we 'find our own place' though we technically don't want one. And etc.
(That said, my husband is very much from his parents' generation, so he wants the house and the yard and the whole shebang. And because I want to be part of his house and yard, I've started thinking okay, that kind of commitment isn't so bad… as long as the loan is in his name. Haha. But I've become excited about accumulating kitchenware and house miscellanies. Something very new for me– since I hated buying things before.)
Thanks.
Oh interesting, I hadn't thought that one of the reasons could be because we resist settling down now. I'm sure that effect extends elsewhere too. Hmm, lemme think on that.
Hahaha, I'm pretty sure it's in the XX chromosome to want to decorate a house/room. I'm glad that you haven't proven me wrong yet.
great article lutfi. cudnt agree more on most of it hehe.
Thanks Murni.
Hahaha, but you're buying a house! So this totally doesn't include you I guess?
Newsflash: i'm STALKING u, umm, not u per say but ur blog =)
Im *loving* all the articles here, this one in particular, cause of the content and the timing of me discovering it.. been engrossed in reading about minimalism and simple living, and people finding contentment in it, contrary to the popular belief of 'hoard your way to happiness'.
It's just so liberating to be able to get up and step out of my house with nothing more than my wallet, phone and keys, and knowing I'm good for the whole day. I can only imagine that the feeling is magnified when you stop having to worry about the tiny details in life like mowing the lawn, and house security.
When I own less, and carry less, I have to maintain less. And I love that feeling.