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Why is minimalism desirable?

By pursuing minimalism, one loses comfort but gains freedom and inner peace.

For people who do not have especially favorable material conditions, reconciling the satisfaction of basic needs with maintaining a satisfying ethical way of life 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 this.

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

Taming minimalism

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

The 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 cannot become accustomed. This point varies from person to person, and over time for the same individual.

Let us return to the example of hiking. Those who practice long-distance trekking will gradually lighten their backpacks by discarding items that, with experience, prove not to be so necessary after all. This is a liberating approach.
However, once rid of what was not so useful and having reached the point where the weight of the backpack is no longer a problem, there is little reason to go further, especially by adopting objects that are slightly lighter but very expensive and not very durable. In fact, one would then fall back into a pursuit that is more about social ambition.

The importance of pursuing minimalism

Consider the example of celibacy for priests in the Catholic Church. This is an issue from which the Church cannot free itself, simply because it is framed incorrectly.
By specifying that priests take a vow of celibacy, rather than specifying a pursuit of minimalism in private relationships to better devote themselves to their community, the Church rigidly sets a fixed level to reach, and thus fails to properly manage those who do not succeed in achieving it. Hypocrisy from the hierarchy and the community, or exclusion; there is no longer a satisfactory solution.
On the contrary, if the Church were to simply allow priests to marry, as in the Reformed Church, it would not fully resolve the problem by removing the emphasis on the goal of minimalism. Rather, it is the personal pursuit of minimalism that makes the priest a living example for his community.

Citations

Regarding the limits of the search for minimalism, in response to Epicurean and Stoic philosophies that suggested we can achieve mastery over our physical and passionate selves, so as never to be dominated by them, Montaigne retorts that this is a noble counsel that flatters our highest aspirations. It is also impossible, and therefore counterproductive:
'What purpose do these lofty peaks of philosophy serve, upon which no human being can sit, and these rules that exceed our use and our strength? There is little point in tailoring one's obligations to the reason of another being than one's own.'

Further reading

Consult the question 'What is impermanence?'.
Refer to the question 'How to succeed in life', and particularly the paragraph 'The dimension of feelings - 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'.