Posted May 21, 2016 Recently, I have been working pretty hard on improving my social skills, which requires a lot of interaction with others. In the Lifestyle Minimalism video, Leo advocates minimizing relationships and friendships. How do make the mindful, sagacious life compatible with getting better at interacting with people? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2016 Take baby steps, focus where you find you need improvement and once you're comfortable with your social skills don't let it trap you, move on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2016 I think the core point of the lifestyle minimalism is that there is enough room to breath in your life for contemplation, peace and awareness. The point is not to throw everything out of your life for the sake of it, it's not about becoming a social recluse. It's about becoming less dependent on the social programming and habits and living more true to your core values without external distractions which bring suffering in the long run of your life. Having a rich social life does not necessarily interfere with living a contemplative, peaceful and conscious life. In fact, you can bring these qualities in your relationships and they wil bring great benefit to both sides of the relationships. I think an important thing to keep in mind that becoming more social is not only about you, there is a bigger picture present. RIP Roe V Wade 1973-2022 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2016 Life has become constant stimulation, from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. We simply need to become aware of all of the useless things we do just to occupy time, and minimalize those. Going out and working on connecting better with others is time worth spent for you. Constantly spending time with friends that you don't really care for deep down just so you aren't alone for a few hours, is what needs to be ended! Its all about truth and balance. Be true to yourself and balance what you feel is necessary for your growth and peace. You're literally trying grow an area of yourself, there's not many better ways of spending your time! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2016 (edited) Minimizing your relationships does not mean you stop learning how to interact properly. It's about quitting useless monkey stuff. You can still improve your communication skills. This is what I do too. 2 years ago I couldn't stand being alone and I constantly thought about how to make more friends bla bla bla. Actually I realized and I'm now at this point where I don't feel the need to do so. Not because I gave up, but I feel the happiest when I have enough time to think, meditate and working on personal development. You can improve everything in your daily life. Improving social skills? No problem. I guess you cross enough people throughout your day. Edited May 24, 2016 by Anna Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 25, 2016 On 5/23/2016 at 1:30 PM, vizual said: I think the core point of the lifestyle minimalism is that there is enough room to breath in your life for contemplation, peace and awareness. The point is not to throw everything out of your life for the sake of it, it's not about becoming a social recluse. It's about becoming less dependent on the social programming and habits and living more true to your core values without external distractions which bring suffering in the long run of your life. Having a rich social life does not necessarily interfere with living a contemplative, peaceful and conscious life. In fact, you can bring these qualities in your relationships and they wil bring great benefit to both sides of the relationships. I think an important thing to keep in mind that becoming more social is not only about you, there is a bigger picture present. On 5/23/2016 at 4:36 PM, Corte said: Life has become constant stimulation, from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. We simply need to become aware of all of the useless things we do just to occupy time, and minimalize those. Going out and working on connecting better with others is time worth spent for you. Constantly spending time with friends that you don't really care for deep down just so you aren't alone for a few hours, is what needs to be ended! Its all about truth and balance. Be true to yourself and balance what you feel is necessary for your growth and peace. You're literally trying grow an area of yourself, there's not many better ways of spending your time! 18 hours ago, Anna said: Minimizing your relationships does not mean you stop learning how to interact properly. It's about quitting useless monkey stuff. You can still improve your communication skills. This is what I do too. 2 years ago I couldn't stand being alone and I constantly thought about how to make more friends bla bla bla. Actually I realized and I'm now at this point where I don't feel the need to do so. Not because I gave up, but I feel the happiest when I have enough time to think, meditate and working on personal development. You can improve everything in your daily life. Improving social skills? No problem. I guess you cross enough people throughout your day. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I feel like I have over looked an obvious point of the message, but I guess it's good that I asked to clarify! I'll keep working on my skills, but I won't forget the reality and fall into an unconscious. stimulus-junkie-esque grind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
