Minimalism.. this might seem completely at odds with Keeping.
And yet, there is certain commonality in spirit, even if the practice looks to be a polar oppposite.
Let's take a look -
1. The Good -
What I like about Minimalism is that they question the need to buy, they try to make do with what one already has ; this is a good thing - avoidance of unnecessary purchases.
This also makes them crafty, in a way - how to best leverage the least amount of possessions they do have.
2. The Bad -
This is not for everyone. I really dislike the concept of getting rid of things, only to repurchase it later. The "Under 20 minutes, under $20" - try to apply that a million times.. I don't have enough millions. Or generally disposing of perfectly good things. They really took that to an extreme. I personally like my things stable and available, I like to be able to count on them. Minimalists also over-rely on being able to purchase anything at any time - what if the item needed simply cannot be found, it's not in stock, there isn't a suitable store nearby, etc. ? Also, I like to keep my tools and materials, a lot of them - I thinker, all the time - even if I were to let go of all the "iffy" materials ( held-up recycling, scrap, etc. ) - just the tools that I have would be a whole room worth.
3. The Ugly -
Presumptive Valuation. How they declare other people's things Junk, and make pronouncements that You Don't Need it. So many Militant Minimalist Infuencers shouting from the rooftops, projecting their own preferences ( if indeed these are genuine ) onto others.. The Minimalists themselves - just listen to them - they have become Gurus and they think they have the ultimate wisdom, and are in a position to dish out judgement. They have become arrogant more recently. I watched their movie - I liked it - but I think they have since become significantly more prescriptive, if their recent speaking bits are anything to judge by.
They solved a problem - they pushed back against the prevailing imperatives, they moved the needle, they solved a problem - but, now, out of problems, they are going too far, solving non-problems.. What happens when you've already gotten rid of everything reasonable and unreasonable ? You spend time looking for what else to dispose of, how to take it to an even more absolute extreme. A Runaway Mental Process, no different than any "Hoarder" engaging in RMP, as described in the book "Stuff". The solution that outstrips its usefulness. I mean, it's fine as a challenge for oneself - I'm also doing challenges, in the opposite direction ( "Keep Everything" ) - just don't go around making pronouncments about other people's possessions, that's just rude and irritating.
So much for Minimalism.