{"id":3240,"key":"Voluntary_simplicity","title":"Voluntary simplicity","latest":{"id":1208500,"timestamp":"2025-11-28T00:16:30Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"== Simplicity can be complex ==\n\nThe '''simple life''' can be an appealing idea, especially to those living in a [[city]] or suburb, detached from nature.\n\nThe reality is that living in a traditional way, close to nature, can be extremely complex. Consider [http://vasco-pyjama.livejournal.com/179007.html this description of how to make a cup of tea in rural Afghanistan].\n\n== Labor-saving and time-saving technologies ==\n\nTechnology can save time and effort, and yet technology has not meant simplicity and leisure for modern city-dwellers. A useful perspective is that of \"[[intermediate technology]]\" - this has almost the same meaning as [[appropriate technology]] as appropriate technology, with an emphasis on using some technological advancement, but not too much.\n\nFor example, having a series of devices or a service that provides clean water to a tap in your house is great and makes life simpler, in practice, and could be considered intermediate technology. Buying small bottles of water for a dollar or more each gives no greater benefit but involves greater consumption, [[waste]] of valuable resources and [[pollution]].\n\nIn a rural context, threshers, tractors (or [[chicken tractors]]), deep wells and [[water filters]] could be considered intermediate technologies - all improving the quality of life, and reducing both the tedious simplicity (or monotony) of [[poor]] rural life, and reducing the complexity involved in getting the necessities and basic luxuries of life.\n\n== Comfortable country living ==\n\nObservations on simple living, from ''Rural Architecture'' by Lewis Falley Allen, 1852:\n\n:A servant admitted us; and leaving overcoat and hat in the hall, we entered a lone room, with an \"air-tight\" stove, looking as black and solemn as a Turkish eunuch upon us, and giving out about the same degree of genial warmth as the said eunuch would have expressed had he been there--an emasculated warming machine truly! On the floor was a Wilton carpet, too fine to stand on; around the room were mahogany sofas and mahogany chairs, all too fine to sit on--at all events to _rest_ one upon if he were fatigued. The blessed light of day was shut out by crimson and white curtains, held up by gilded arrows; and upon the mantle piece, and on the center and side tables were all sorts of gimcracks, costly and worthless. In short, there was no _comfort_ about the whole concern...\n\n:We listened to his story. His good wife came in, and all together, we had a long talk of their family and farming arrangements; how they had furnished their house; and how they proposed to live; but wound up with a sad story, that their good farming neighbors didn't call on them the _second_ time--kind, civil people they appeared, too--and while they were in, acted as though afraid to sit down, and afraid to stand up;--in short, they were dreadfully embarrassed; for why, our friends couldn't tell, but now began to understand it.\n\nSee [[Simple living/Rural Architecture]] for a more complete extract and link to the full text on Project Gutenberg.\n\n== External links ==\n\n* [[Wikipedia:Voluntary simplicity]]\n\n[http://web.archive.org/web/20160326140434/http://blogs.theage.com.au/lifestyle/allmenareliars/archives/2006/09/crap_you_do_not.html Crap you do not need] - from the Age/SMH (Australian newpaper) blog ''All Men Are Liars''\n\n[http://web.archive.org/web/20210211065311/http://www.self-sufficiency-guide.com/ Self Sufficiency Guide] to living more sustainably.\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| description = Appropedia explores how living simply can support a better life and a sustainable future using practical skills and intermediate technology.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Voluntary simplicity]]"}