A couple weeks ago I was browsing the /r/minimalism subreddit, and I saw a post from a user asking whether or not other people try to stick to a “only one of a particular item” rule. I wish I could link to it here, but now that I have a moment to sit down and write I discovered that the original post was deleted, along with the user account of the person who posted it.
In any case, it’s an interesting question that gets at something that I’ve been doing for a while without stopping to consider why, or to put a name to it.
Despite a fair amount of negative feedback from users in the thread suggesting that this kind of question points more to something akin to obsessive compulsive behavior rather than minimalism (and perhaps it does), to me it really points to two important aspects of living with less: necessity and capacity.
For necessity, I typically find I don’t need more than one of most items. I have one water bottle because I can’t drink out of more than one vessel at a time. The same logic goes for a coffee cup. I have one backpack because I can only carry on thing on my back at once. I have one coat because that’s all I need to get through the winter. And so on, you get the idea. For pretty much everything, I only have one.
I admit, sometimes I take this too far. For example, I sleep with just one blanket now. It’s thick and heavy, and more importantly, sufficient. I could probably do with more, but if it gets the job done, why bother?
Of course, there are things I need multiple of. I can’t do laundry every day, so I have multiple shirts, socks, and underwear. Jeans require fewer swaps so I have fewer of those, but even then, I keep multiple pairs to swap between as needed. I have more than one fork, and more than one plate, because I share meals with my wife, and even the occasional house guest.
But where possible, I like to stick to one item. I simply don’t need more. I will treasure a thing until it wears out, and then replace it if needed. There are only so many things a person really needs. Everything else weighs you down.
That’s the necessity part. Here’s the capacity part: back when I used to have more than I do now, I was always overwhelmed. I couldn’t stay on top of the dishes because all the mugs, cups, and bottles that I didn’t need would just pile up. The more stuff you have, the more you have to work to do to maintain it. There are only so many hours in the day, and while I enjoy most household chores, there are so many others things I’d like to fill those hours with.
Every item you bring into your home is kind of like adopting a new pet. You might love them all, but how many can you truly take care of and give the attention they need?
Of course, there are other aspects of the “one item” thing that I haven’t mentioned, like requiring less money and being more environmentally sustainable. Ultimately, the core of this practice is about finding the right balance. But then again, what isn’t?