I think there's a bit of a problem on both sides of this discussion in a way that is missing the forest for the trees. Then again, I'm only talking about the "finding happiness" angle of the discussion and not so much the question of aesthetics or design.
If your goal is to improve your quality of life, then there are two guidelines that I think are generally applicable. There are other ideas like "earn more money," but that's an external process and I wanted to focus on the internal processes:
1. Practice mindfulness, especially appreciation for both the big things and small things.
2. Learn not to depend on unimportant things for happiness (aka fear of missing out). These things are often possessions, activities, or even relationships.
Generally as you do both of those things more, you feel less of a desire for non-essential physical possessions. It shouldn't be about trying to see how minimal you can go. It should be about finding happiness internally, and as a consequence not depending on a cultural performance (gadgets and fashion are common examples) for validation or identity.
In that sense I think the decluttering movement (I'm aware the article isn't just about decluttering) has things kind of backwards. Removing distractions is good, but if you don't learn the underlying lesson about mindfulness, then you'll just end up emotionally dependent on something else, like seeing just how much you can throw away.
The broader point is that minimalism (in the lifestyle sense, not the product design sense) isn't an end. It should be a result of learning to appreciate what is essential, not a result of removing everything until you think you've found what is essential. Some people might learn the first from doing the second, but not everyone does. I've seen friends get lost in the act of trying to simplify their lives, only to not end up any happier because they forgot to learn to appreciate what was left.
If your goal is to improve your quality of life, then there are two guidelines that I think are generally applicable. There are other ideas like "earn more money," but that's an external process and I wanted to focus on the internal processes:
1. Practice mindfulness, especially appreciation for both the big things and small things.
2. Learn not to depend on unimportant things for happiness (aka fear of missing out). These things are often possessions, activities, or even relationships.
Generally as you do both of those things more, you feel less of a desire for non-essential physical possessions. It shouldn't be about trying to see how minimal you can go. It should be about finding happiness internally, and as a consequence not depending on a cultural performance (gadgets and fashion are common examples) for validation or identity.
In that sense I think the decluttering movement (I'm aware the article isn't just about decluttering) has things kind of backwards. Removing distractions is good, but if you don't learn the underlying lesson about mindfulness, then you'll just end up emotionally dependent on something else, like seeing just how much you can throw away.
The broader point is that minimalism (in the lifestyle sense, not the product design sense) isn't an end. It should be a result of learning to appreciate what is essential, not a result of removing everything until you think you've found what is essential. Some people might learn the first from doing the second, but not everyone does. I've seen friends get lost in the act of trying to simplify their lives, only to not end up any happier because they forgot to learn to appreciate what was left.