Happiness is Simple (2)

An old professor once invited his students to his house. They found him sipping tea from a chipped cup while expensive porcelain was neatly displayed on the shelf. When one student asked why he used the broken cup, the professor smiled and said, “Because it still holds tea. Happiness does not come from the cup, but from the warmth of what it carries.”

From a philosophical perspective, simplicity is often seen as a virtue, a way of stripping away distractions in order to grasp what is essential. The Stoics, Epicurus, and later thinkers such as Henry David Thoreau in Walden (1854, Ticknor and Fields) argued that by living simply, one frees the soul from unnecessary desires and discovers a deeper form of freedom. Simplicity here is not poverty, but clarity — a refusal to be enslaved by excess.

Thoreau presents simplicity not as a deprivation but as a conscious choice to live more fully. He argues that most people are enslaved by unnecessary possessions, social expectations, and the constant pursuit of wealth, which ultimately distract them from the essence of life. For Thoreau, to live simply means to strip existence down to its essentials, to cut away what is superfluous and rediscover a more authentic relationship with nature, thought, and self. He believed that true richness lies not in accumulation but in awareness, in the quiet moments of reflection, in the ability to be satisfied with little. By retreating to Walden Pond, he enacted this philosophy, showing that one can live with dignity, clarity, and even joy when one resists the noisy seductions of society. Simplicity, in his view, is both an ethical stance and a form of resistance: to live deliberately rather than blindly follow the crowd, to measure life not by possessions but by depth of experience.

In A Philosophy of Simple Living (2020), Jérôme Brillaud presents simplicity not as a checklist of minimal possessions or a romanticised escape from modernity, but as a quiet discipline of the heart and mind. He writes of simplicity as the art of muting the endless noise that surrounds us so that one may finally hear the subtle activity of life itself. It is not about deprivation or renunciation, but about cultivating a gentle attentiveness to the present moment, unburdened by the tyranny of ambition, vanity, or restless desire. For Brillaud, the truly simple life begins with a simple heart: one that gives without calculation, without preoccupation with outcomes, and without the anxious desire to be recognised for its generosity. To live simply, then, is to loosen the grip of the ego and to allow existence to unfold with grace, humility, and readiness.

Brillaud also insists that simplicity is not simplistic. It is a complex philosophical and historical tradition, stretching from the cynicism of Diogenes and the monastic experiments of early Christianity to the reflections of Henry David Thoreau and the contemporary slow living movement. What unites these diverse voices is the conviction that life, when stripped of excess and unnecessary complication, becomes more luminous, more truthful, and more open to the divine. Simplicity, he suggests, is less a technique of lifestyle management than a moral and spiritual vigilance: it is the silence of self-consciousness when it ceases to be a tyrant and becomes instead a companion to life.

In this sense, Brillaud describes the simple person not as one who has prepared meticulously for every contingency, but as one who is prepared for anything because they are prepared for nothing in particular. Simplicity is readiness without rigidity, a posture of freedom rather than control. It allows one to inhabit the world with equanimity, to give with joy, to dwell in humility, and to listen to the faint whisper of existence beyond the clamour of modern distraction.

In short, here is the manifesto of simple living according to Jérôme Brillaud,

To live simply is not to own less, but to desire less.

It is to silence the restless ego and let life breathe through you.

A simple heart gives with joy and without calculation.

Simplicity is not emptiness, but fullness without excess.

It is readiness without rigidity, freedom without control.

In simplicity, one hears the faint whisper of existence,

clearer than the clamour of ambition.

In the economic sense, simplicity has been understood as an alternative to unchecked consumerism. Duane Elgin’s Voluntary Simplicity (1981, Harper & Row) proposes that economic well-being is not solely measured by material accumulation but by the ability to live sustainably and meaningfully with fewer possessions. The idea is that wealth without restraint leads to exhaustion, whereas simplicity allows for balance between resources and human flourishing.

Duane Elgin’s Voluntary Simplicity describes voluntary simplicity as a conscious and deliberate choice to live with less material consumption while cultivating greater inner richness, community connection, and ecological awareness. For Elgin, simplicity is not about deprivation or forced austerity, but about aligning one’s lifestyle with deeper values that give life a sense of purpose and authenticity. He argues that modern consumer culture, with its emphasis on endless accumulation, distracts human beings from genuine fulfilment and undermines the ecological balance upon which all life depends. In this sense, voluntary simplicity is an act of freedom: it is choosing to step away from the treadmill of consumerism and to live in a manner that honours both personal well-being and planetary limits.

The relationship between voluntary simplicity and global challenges is fundamental to Elgin’s thesis. He suggests that issues such as environmental degradation, climate change, resource depletion, and global inequality cannot be addressed merely through technological innovations or political reforms. Instead, they demand a transformation in human consciousness and behaviour. Voluntary simplicity, therefore, becomes not only a personal practice of living more meaningfully but also a collective response to the urgent crises facing humanity. By consuming less, cooperating more, and grounding life in sufficiency rather than excess, individuals contribute to easing the strain on ecosystems and fostering a more just and sustainable world order. In short, Elgin’s vision positions voluntary simplicity as both a personal liberation and a moral imperative in the face of global challenges.

Elgin presents what he calls the philosophy of simplicity as a conscious reorientation of life away from the compulsions of excess and towards the depth of sufficiency. For Elgin, simplicity is not a denial of life’s pleasures nor a retreat into asceticism, but rather a deliberate attempt to harmonise one’s inner values with one’s outward actions. It is a philosophy that sees fulfilment not in accumulation but in alignment, not in the sheer volume of possessions but in the clarity of purpose. He argues that true wealth lies in the quality of one’s relationships, the vitality of one’s community, and the integrity of one’s connection with the natural world.

This philosophy of simplicity is rooted in the belief that human beings can live more meaningful lives when they step away from the frenzy of consumerism and rediscover balance. Elgin emphasises that simplicity should be voluntary, emerging from an inner awakening rather than external compulsion. It is, in his words, “an expression of wholeness” — a way of living that integrates body, mind, and spirit while respecting the ecological boundaries of the Earth. In practice, the philosophy of simplicity is not about choosing less for its own sake, but about choosing in accordance with what genuinely sustains life, creativity, and connection. In this sense, simplicity is not impoverishment but liberation: freedom from distraction, freedom from waste, and freedom to live authentically in a world facing profound global challenges.

Elgin explains that the idea of voluntary simplicity, or voluntary living, emerged because many people had grown weary of a consumerist lifestyle that devoured resources, distanced individuals from the meaning of life, and inflicted damage upon the Earth. Elgin observed that even as material goods became more abundant, increasing numbers of people were left feeling empty, isolated, and confronted by the ever more visible signs of environmental destruction.

Several major factors lay behind this emergence. First, the energy and environmental crises of the 1970s—particularly the oil shocks—made it clear that wasteful patterns of energy use and consumption could not continue indefinitely without devastating consequences. Second, the countercultural and spiritual movements of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States inspired many to seek alternatives: meditation, closeness to nature, and simpler ways of living. Third, sweeping socio-economic changes—including industrialisation, urbanisation, and the explosive growth of consumer capitalism—produced a sense of disillusionment, driving people to long for a more authentic existence.

Elgin emphasised that voluntary simplicity was not born out of desperation but out of awareness. He described it as “the outward expression of inner transformation” — a shift in consciousness that eventually manifests in everyday choices. In essence, voluntary living arose from the convergence of global crises, discontent with consumer culture, and the awakening of a new understanding that happiness lies not in “more” but in “enough,” lived with depth and meaning.

From a social perspective, simplicity can function as a leveller, a practice that reduces the distance between rich and poor by revaluing what truly matters. Richard Gregg in The Value of Voluntary Simplicity (1936, Pendle Hill Publications) suggested that choosing a simpler way of life nurtures empathy and community, making societies less hierarchical and more compassionate. Simplicity here becomes an ethic of solidarity.

Gregg framed simplicity not merely as a moral or spiritual preference but also as an economic necessity. He argued that voluntary simplicity enables individuals to reduce their dependence upon exploitative economic systems, thereby freeing themselves from the compulsive cycle of overproduction and overconsumption. By choosing to consume less and live more modestly, people could resist the wastefulness and artificial desires cultivated by industrial capitalism, which often leads to economic instability and social inequality. Gregg also suggested that simplicity redirects resources away from the excesses of luxury and towards the essentials of life, allowing wealth and goods to be distributed more justly within society. In his view, simplicity was not a rejection of progress but a conscious alignment of human needs with sustainable economic practices, where sufficiency replaced greed, and dignity took precedence over display. Ultimately, he regarded simplicity as a pathway to economic independence, resilience, and collective well-being, countering the volatility and spiritual emptiness that modern consumerism tended to produce.

In a modern context, the economic wisdom of Richard Gregg’s argument for voluntary simplicity becomes strikingly clear when applied to everyday life. If one considers the contemporary obsession with constantly upgrading to the newest smartphone or maintaining an endless cycle of online shopping, one quickly realises that this pattern reflects precisely the consumerist trap Gregg warned against. The more individuals surrender to manufactured desires, the more they chain themselves to debt, instability, and an anxious pursuit of status symbols. By contrast, the choice to live simply—to resist unnecessary consumption, to embrace the “no buy challenge,” or to invest in quality rather than quantity—frees people from the relentless treadmill of financial pressure. In this way, simplicity becomes a form of quiet rebellion against the economic machinery that thrives upon waste and inequality. It allows people to redirect their money towards long-term security, shared welfare, and experiences that genuinely enrich life rather than clutter it. Thus, Gregg’s vision resonates today as both an economic survival strategy and a cultural counter-movement, showing that true wealth lies in sufficiency, balance, and freedom from the tyranny of endless desire.

Gregg highlighted the social aspects of simplicity as central to creating a healthier, more humane society. He believed that the pursuit of endless consumption and luxury fostered envy, competition, and division between people, while simplicity nurtured fellowship, trust, and genuine cooperation. To Gregg, the act of voluntarily reducing one’s wants was not an isolated moral gesture but a social practice that allowed resources to be more fairly shared, thereby reducing class antagonisms and social unrest. Simplicity encouraged people to relate to one another not through possessions or status, but through shared values and mutual respect, which strengthened communities. Moreover, he viewed the deliberate choice to live simply as a way of resisting the dehumanising effects of modern industrial society, where relationships were increasingly mediated by money and goods. In this sense, simplicity acted as a bridge to social harmony, offering a form of solidarity that could counter the alienation, competition, and loneliness that consumerism so often produced. For Gregg, simplicity was thus not only about personal peace, but about weaving stronger, more compassionate bonds within society at large.

Within a cultural frame, simplicity is often embedded in traditions that prize humility and balance. In Japanese aesthetics, for example, wabi-sabi celebrates imperfection and plainness as paths to beauty, while in The Art of Simple Living (2019, Penguin Books), Shunmyo Masuno brings Zen practices into everyday routines, teaching that cultural expressions of simplicity are not rejections of life’s richness but deeper affirmations of it. Culture thus turns simplicity into a shared language of harmony.

Taken together, these perspectives suggest that simplicity is not merely an individual preference but a profound orientation toward life. It is philosophical clarity, economic restraint, social empathy, and cultural humility, woven together into a practice of living well.

In truth, happiness often wears the most unassuming of garments, appearing not in extravagant triumphs but in the quiet rhythms of daily life. To say that happiness is simple is to recognise that it resides in moments we are prone to overlook: a shared meal with loved ones, the warmth of morning sunlight spilling into a room, or the laughter that arises without reason. It does not demand wealth, grandeur, or possession, but rather a readiness to savour what already exists before us. Philosophers from Epicurus to Thoreau have reminded us that joy is less about acquisition and more about appreciation, less about chasing what lies beyond reach and more about noticing what rests within one’s grasp. In this way, simplicity and happiness are companions, each giving the other meaning, as the soul finds peace not in the complexity of endless striving but in the serenity of enough.

Ultimately, to affirm that happiness is simple is to embrace life without ornament, to recognise that contentment springs not from chasing what dazzles but from resting in what endures. It is the art of finding wonder in the ordinary, of letting gratitude soften the edges of longing, and of trusting that sufficiency is not a compromise but a treasure. In its most profound sense, simplicity teaches us that joy is never far away; it dwells in the gentle cadence of our days, waiting only for us to notice and to welcome it.

[Part 1]

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