Justifying Simplicity | The Simplicity Collective

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Dec 6, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Step Out of the Rush…

Here is a wonderful story that has been floating around in cyberspace. THE SITUATION In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a... read more

Oct 19, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Take Back Your Time Day: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty

In a few days – on 24 October – a growing number of people will acknowledge, ‘Take Back Your Time Day,’ an initiative established in 2001 by world leaders in the Voluntary Simplicity Movement, most notably, John de Graaf. This initiative falls on 24 October because that is the day many North Americans and Australians would finish work for the year if they worked the same hours per year as the... read more

Sep 2, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Audio Lecture on Voluntary Simplicity

Dear Simplicity Collective, Just a short note to bring your attention to a free, audio lecture by leading ‘simple living’ advocate, Mark Burch, which is available for download here. It is an insightful and eloquent overview of the idea of voluntary simplicity, particularly useful because of the thoughtful questions posed by members of audience at the end of the lecture, to which Mark responds.... read more

Jun 29, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

A Brief History of Voluntary Simplicity

The celebration of the simple life is about as old as human history itself; so too are warnings about the dangers of greed and materialism. The story could begin with Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – who at the age of 29 gave up the superficial luxuries of a royal existence to seek spiritual truth in a life of extreme asceticism. After nearly starving himself to death through his practice of... read more

Apr 30, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

What Does the Simple Life Mean to You?

Here is an opportunity to share your ideas, perspectives, and insights on simplicity of living. One of the paradoxes of ‘simple living’ is that it is complex. Nobody has all the answers. The simple life is not so much a destination as it is an on-going creative process, and one way to creatively explore your own understanding of simplicity is to put it into words. What does the simple life mean... read more

Mar 30, 2010 Posted by Samuel Alexander

The Social Significance of Voluntary Simplicity – Sustainability Week Presentation

There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. – Victor Hugo THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY Samuel Alexander (Speech made for Sustainability Week, Melbourne University, 22nd March 2010) Hello everyone, good to be with you today to recognize and celebrate Sustainability Week. What strikes me most about Sustainability Week is how bluntly it reminds us what the other 51... read more

Invitation / Incitation

The Simplicity Collective is founded upon the idea that a 'simpler life' of reduced resource and energy consumption is a viable and desirable alternative to consumer culture.

Our position is that simple living will improve not only our own lives, but the lives of others, as well as help save our planet from the environmental catastrophe towards which we are so enthusiastically marching.

We must not just fall in line, then, and continue the march ‘business as usual.’ We must explore alternative ways to live. We must experiment creatively, like the artist. We must be the poets of our own lives and of a new generation.