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Why is minimalism desirable?

By pursuing minimalism, we sacrifice comfort but gain freedom and mental tranquility.

For people who do not have especially favorable material conditions, reconciling the satisfaction of basic needs with maintaining a fulfilling lifestyle ethic is not simple. Reducing one's needs to only what is truly important is therefore an excellent way to increase one's chances of achieving it.

For people living in material opulence, the danger is becoming accustomed to it. In doing so, what was once considered an accessory gradually becomes perceived as necessary, so that on one hand it no longer truly brings pleasure, and on the other, it increases anxiety regarding impermanence. This diffuse anxiety then fosters the adoption of dangerous conspiracy myths such as fear of the 'Great Replacement,' or simply the fear of social decline.

Taming minimalism

A good way to train in minimalism is to practice an activity such as multi-day hiking. Not only does this produce a highly appreciated physical effect, but it also allows one to become aware of the importance of the simplest pleasures, such as eating or admiring a beautiful landscape. And upon return, it allows one to fully appreciate the extraordinary comfort represented by, for example, access to a hot shower.

Limits of minimalism

The goal is not to go further and further in terms of minimalism, but to find one's personal comfort point—that is, the point below which, despite training, one does not adapt. This point varies from one individual to another, and over time for the same individual.

Let's revisit the example of hiking. Long-distance hikers will gradually lighten their backpack by discarding items that, through experience, prove not so necessary after all. This is a liberating process.
Conversely, once rid of what wasn't so useful, and having reached the point where the backpack weight is no longer a problem, there is little reason to go further, especially by adopting items that are slightly lighter but very expensive and not durable. Indeed, one would then fall back into a quest that is more about social ambition than necessity.

Importance of a minimalist approach

Consider the example of celibacy for priests in the Catholic Church. This is an issue from which the Church finds it difficult to extricate itself, simply because it is posed incorrectly.
By specifying that priests take a vow of celibacy, instead of specifying an approach toward minimizing private relationships in order to better devote themselves to their community, the Church rigidly sets the level to be reached, and thus fails to properly manage those who do not achieve it. Either hypocrisy on the part of the hierarchy and the community, or exclusion; there is no longer any satisfactory solution.
Conversely, if the Church simply allowed priests to marry, as in the Reformed Church, it would not entirely solve the problem by no longer emphasizing the goal of minimalism. What makes the priest a living example for his community is precisely the fact of having a personal approach toward minimalism.

Citations

Regarding the limits of the pursuit of minimalism, in reaction to Epicurean and Stoic philosophies that suggested we can master our physical and passionate self so as never to be dominated by it, Montaigne retorts that this is a noble counsel that flatters our highest aspirations. It is also impossible, and therefore counterproductive:
« Why make these elevated philosophical peaks upon which no human being can sit, and these rules that exceed our use and our strength? It is rarely wise to tailor one's obligation to the reason of another being other than one's own. »

Further reading

Consult the question 'What is impermanence?'.
Refer to the question 'How to succeed in life', and more particularly the paragraph 'The emotions dimension - Epicurus - domesticating pleasure'.
More generally, familiarize yourself with Epicureanism, being careful not to confuse the ataraxic approach of the Greek philosopher Epicurus with the aesthetic hedonism too often wrongly associated with the word Epicureanism.