3 Lessons from The Great Urban Irony
Urban spaces are the epitome of consumerism — whether it’s consumption of a service, a tangible good or an intangible product. They are also home to the homeless community and street dwellers. It’s an irony that they are the best examples we have so far for holding a zero-waste and minimalist lifestyle. It is also the exact lifestyle that is looked down upon and considered to be eradicated. While of course there are undeniable difficulties amongst such communities there are valuable lessons to be learnt too.
1. Food is precious
Any eatable can be thrown away only when it really cannot be consumed. While tossing something into the trash just because it doesn’t taste as good as we expected or because we are full or we can’t eat the same food twice is easy, producing it was most definitely not easy. It takes water, energy, human labour and much more to produce food. Every last rice grain count!
2. Possess only what is required
Materialism by making social class manifest through lifestyle rather than wealth, holds society in a never-ending loop of purchasing and showcasing products. When material possessions become building block of one’s status, we should question if it really does have utility.
For instance, clothes are for modest and to keep ourselves safe from extreme weather conditions. Adding brands and labels to it makes it a marker of status identity and removes it further away from its utilitarian purpose.
3. Be Grateful
As they say only miss the sun when it starts to snow, we appreciate what we have only when it’s taken away. A community living on nearly nothing and lacking several safety nets of family, a roof above the head, physical security, dignity etc. can help us realise the things we take for granted every single day. It’s a constant reminder of our needless abundance and extravagance.
While all these are lessons from new age anti-consumerist movements, there are living examples in every corner of cities. Let’s not forget learning can happen in the most unusual of places.
