| "Dealing with stuff" (From about 32 min into Bruce's[1] talk) - Pay most attention to your "common everyday objects". Ie. anything that takes up your immediate space (eg. on your body, in the room with you) or your time - Buy the best possible common everyday objects you can. Most importantly: -- your bed: you spend a third of your life in it. Consider per-hour cost -- your chair: stop whining about your wrists and back hurting and buy a really good chair - Ditch anything you haven't used in the last 12 months. eg: wedding china, tuxedo, everything in your storage locker - Only buy real things you will really use --------- Getting rid of stuff is HARD but doable. Do not start on impulse. Think hard about it and make sure you're morally prepared. For each item in your life: 1) Is it beautiful? Test: You have it on display. You share its beauty with the people in your life. If yes then keep it, otherwise... 2) Is it emotionally important? Test: It has a narrative. You tell its story to other people. If yes then keep it, otherwise... 3a) Is it a useful tool, piece of equipment, or appliance? Test: It efficiently performs some useful function. It actually works. It is the best possible tool. (Do not put up with broken or shoddy stuff) Note: There's nothing more materialistic than doing the same job 5 times because your tools are inferior. 3b) Are you experimenting on it? Test: You methodically work on it and you publish your results. Note: Beware brand-new time-sucking beta-rollout crap. If yes to either then keep it, otherwise... 4) It's unworthy of taking your space or time. Virtualize it (take its picture; record the barcode; record any anecdotes about it) then get RID of it. If you ever need it again, get another one from eBay. --------- [1] http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11 |