Minimalist life orientations as a dialogical tool for happiness

an article by Jennifer E. Hausen (University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg) published in British Journal of Guidance & Counselling Volume 47 Issue 2 (2019)

Abstract

In contemporary culture, it is natural to think that purchasing and owning the “right” possessions results in happiness. This belief supports our loyalty to consumer society.

However, several lines of research demonstrate that high consumption lifestyles and materialistic values are not a trustworthy path to well-being. Instead, materially simpler lifestyles such as minimalism, with a focus on intrinsic values, have been suggested as contributing to happiness and fulfilment.

Thus, the present paper exemplifies how individuals adopt minimalism. I propose Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to explain the decision-making processes in the transition from a materialist to a minimalist lifestyle since DST provides a useful framework to explore multiplicity in an individual’s self-concept by recognising the self as moving between multiple and relatively autonomous I-positions.

Thus, DST can be used to understand how internal inconsistencies, for example between a materialistic and a minimalistic I, are resolved. My elaborations suggest that the dialogical relations of different I-positions serve as a form of self-guidance leading the self to transform into a minimalist. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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