minimalism

[jetboots]

minimalism doesn't get enough credit these days. the best is subtle minimalism of sorts that walks such a fine line. It's the intuitve vibe that it creates that i am forever after.

clean, cool and collected, minimalism puts me into a frame of mind that i enjoy. weather it be music, interior design, or poetry, it's all my style.

[file cabinet]

minimalism in certain music can be quite horrible.. example.. a minimalist electronica artist who repeats the same beat over and over again.. stuff by Phillip Glass is less annoying though..

[jetboots]

well, i agree with you, however anything of any kind can be quite annoying if not done well:P if done right, minimalist music can be one of the most beutiful though. also, im talking of minimalism more as a concept here rather than a category. for instance there are minimalistic components to many songs that arent classified as minimal music, thats what i mean by sublte minimalism.

[Miss Anthropic]

I am desperately trying to establish minimalism in my possessions. I am in the process of getting rid of a lot of "stuff" that I've collected over the years that for some odd reason I have some irrational attachment to. My first step is not to acquire any more crap. (I've been very successful at that.) The second step is to lighten my load, empty my house.....believe me, you guys who think moving stuff in and out of a dorm room is bad, acquire for about 20 years and see how burdened you feel then. Ebay is my friend. I am amazed at how I can sell my junk on Ebay and the stuff I get the most money for is the stuff I'd least expect. Does anyone else have the terrible habit of purchasing plastic bins and containers to organize with and then ending up with a bunch of empty plastic bins and containers?

[garak]

Does anyone else have the terrible habit of purchasing plastic bins and containers to organize with and then ending up with a bunch of empty plastic bins and containers?
Nah, actually, a large portion of everything I own is sitting in huge tupperware containers.

Seen here partially covered up:

http://incise.org:82/newpics/img_1262.jpg

[Miss Anthropic]

Wow, macstann, just like home...except I have extra containers laying around and more stuff not in them!

[euterpenc]

...puts my room to shame, at least as far as cleanliness goes.

[MacGuffin]

It is funny, INTPs like functunality, so we can be attracted to minimalism. Yet, we also collect and horde junk so we bury minimalism in our crap.

[Johnny]

Philip Glass is a big Ravi Shankar fan, big into Buddhism. But because he's Western, his work reflects it and speaks to me more deeply.

[mgb]

I try to be a little more minimalistic as well. It might be a result of moving 4 times in two years and getting tired of lifting heavy boxes filled with my grade 3 report cards and other assorted crap. I find that I just break down one day and throw all that crap out.

I only "collect" a few things now. Books, DVDs, and hiking gear. And plastic bins have recently become a great friend of mine.

[Star]

It is funny, INTPs like functunality, so we can be attracted to minimalism. Yet, we also collect and horde junk so we bury minimalism in our crap.

I've read a lot of INTP descriptions and don't seem to remember anything about aquisitiveness or materialism. I for one don't collect or horde any junk at all; in fact I make a great effort to keep my possessions down to the bare minimum, owning only those books that I need to check often for reference, keeping all of my music on a hard disk, hell when I live alone I usually only have one plate, fork, knife and cup! All my worldly goods fit into my (small) car.

This, to me, just makes sense.. it is logical. I feel responsible for every piece of junk that I come to own and try to make that as few pieces as possible. One of my recurring daydreams is that in a few hundred years, the earth has become so filled with trash that we'll all be up to our armpits in disposable diapers, plastic tampon applicators and plastic water bottles.

So I guess I am minimalist in that way.

[MacGuffin]

I've read a lot of INTP descriptions and don't seem to remember anything about aquisitiveness or materialism. I for one don't collect or horde any junk at all; in fact I make a great effort to keep my possessions down to the bare minimum
You obviously missed the most detailed INTP description of all, and is linked on the front page of intpcentral.com:


Because the present is inextricably linked to a sense of the past, INTPs tend to hoard items which help solidify the connection to the past. They find it very difficult to let go of anything they have collected (or indeed created) and which may have a nostalgic meaning. They assume that any object which is of interest now is bound to remain of interest for the rest of their lives. This emphasizes a strong sense of universality in the progression of time, just as it emphasizes the seriousness with which INTPs approach their interests. Frivolity is not in their vocabulary. INTPs often love keeping lists and databases in areas of interest, especially when the lists are associated with things of the past. Collecting periodical magazines or other media of interest is also a very common INTP trait. Such a collection is usually taken very seriously. Yet the collective whole, considered as a temporal rather than spatial object, always assumes more importance in the mind of the INTP than the objects forming the collection themselves. Hence, INTPs are collectors, but they are collecters for whom the objects themselves are only important in so far as they evoke a connection to past events, in so far as they yield a nostalgic mood. The curious problem with any collection of an INTP is that he typically fails to enjoy it in the here and now. Items are stored away so that they can evoke this time at some point in the future, but such a point often never occurs. It may never occur because INTPs are always so mentally active that they continually delve into new interests, and continue to hoard items relating to these, so that they rarely allow themselves enough time to reflect on the ever expanding library of their past. The interests of an INTP would be enough to occupy him for several lifetimes if that were possible.
http://intpcentral.com/intp/profile/

Aw crap, I just noticed I misspelled hoard!

[Star]

Wow. Maybe I overlooked that on purpose. I am absolutely nothing like that at all. Maybe I'm not even INTP.
:huh:

[mgb]

Wow. Maybe I overlooked that on purpose. I am absolutely nothing like that at all. Maybe I'm not even INTP.
:huh:

Your "unspecified" sexuality is a dead give away, on so many levels.

[MacGuffin]

Wow. Maybe I overlooked that on purpose. I am absolutely nothing like that at all. Maybe I'm not even INTP.
:huh:
Personality isn't exact. You don't have to follow every single point.

In fact, refering to that same profile, I don't give a crap about modern classical music or jazz. I love simplistic music. 3 chords and a backbeat get me going!

[MjrMarshmellows]

I have trouble throwing anything away.... well.. anything I could EVER use again.
Sometimes I find nifty ways to recycle things. for example, an old manilla cd mailer in which my favorite cd of all time came in is now a wall decoration. Old mother board.. er.. not so old.. just not working, becomes wall decoration also. Broken logitec... err.. one of those companies anyways, cd case, gets struing out, fixed up, and hung from my wall becomes a sweet cd holder that hangs from my wall. (its art like)
Well.. my discriptions suck, it just sounds like alot of shit hanging from my walls, but really now, its pretty sweet art.
my current project is modifying my OLD 500 mhz computer into a working piece of art.
that is going to get hung from the cealing... think decorative light fixture with 500 mhz of processing power!!!

[euterpenc]

I have trouble throwing anything away.... well.. anything I could EVER use again.
Sometimes I find nifty ways to recycle things. for example, an old manilla cd mailer in which my favorite cd of all time came in is now a wall decoration. Old mother board.. er.. not so old.. just not working, becomes wall decoration also. Broken logitec... err.. one of those companies anyways, cd case, gets struing out, fixed up, and hung from my wall becomes a sweet cd holder that hangs from my wall. (its art like)
Well.. my discriptions suck, it just sounds like alot of shit hanging from my walls, but really now, its pretty sweet art.
my current project is modifying my OLD 500 mhz computer into a working piece of art.
that is going to get hung from the cealing... think decorative light fixture with 500 mhz of processing power!!!

wow. that sounds like something my INFP friend would do. I'd much rather use those computer parts for, well, a computer lol.

edit: i missed the INFP tendencies thing in your sig. sry :blush:

[jetboots]

its funny that this topic basically turned into the minimalism of items we own. i was just thinking of minimalism as a style, art, and philosophy, but i guess perhaps what the conversation turned into is a sign of the times? or maybe cause its just cause it got mentioned near the start and its much easier and more concrete to reply to minimalism as in less material wealth as opposed to the art etc. ? who knows, at least the world is still spinnin'

[raincrow007]

Well, even a minimalist painting on your wall is a THING you own. ;) How minimal can a minimalist be? The world may never know....

[MacGuffin]

its funny that this topic basically turned into the minimalism of items we own. i was just thinking of minimalism as a style, art, and philosophy, but i guess perhaps what the conversation turned into is a sign of the times? or maybe cause its just cause it got mentioned near the start and its much easier and more concrete to reply to minimalism as in less material wealth as opposed to the art etc. ? who knows, at least the world is still spinnin'
Hmmm. I think that NTs are attracted to complex systems, so I'd guess that minimalist music, art, etc. can only sustain our interest for a temporary time.

[cjs55]

Hmm...sorta. I listen to minamlist music almost exclusively (metal). All it does is take your attention and direct to a very focused energy, but it doesn't necessarly make the music less complex. There is complexity in almost everything...

[s0978]

I make a great effort to keep my possessions down to the bare minimum.

I'm totally with you, deepsky. I'm in love with the concept of not needing much in terms of material goods. Having a lot of stuff makes me feel tied down, and I need to feel like I can take off whenever. One of my proudest moments was when I gave up a large apartment to move overseas, and I sold most of my stuff, and everything I needed to keep actually fit in one closet at my mom's, or I could take with me on the plane (and not exceed my baggage allowance). So I actually would have thought this kind of behavior was more INTPish. (Guess not.)


i was just thinking of minimalism as a style, art, and philosophy

Yup, I'm obsessed with minimalism as an aesthetic in general. I'm thinking it might have to do with the INTP distate-for-redundancy thing. In writing, the more concise, the better. In painting, the fewer the brush strokes, the better. In architecture, the more efficient, the better. With gadgets, the smaller the better. For me, I like everything to be as distilled as possible, and still retain its essentialist nature. Minimalism, whether we're talking about physical or abstract things, abets clarity of purpose and nature.

[tragula]

Beethoven's 5th was based on just four notes right? That's minimalistic in a way. Even if it takes a whole symphony to play it. Personally I think a quartet is just as good for most classical peices, not that I am that into classical.

I think all art should strive for simplicity! All the extraneous stuff is just jarring or superfluous "noise". And should be done away with. I feel very strongly about this actually, but I can't explain it well.

[Polystom]

Steve Reich's "phase" minimalism's always left me lost for words. Music for 18 Musicians, Six Marimbas and Drumming are fantastic.

Those turned off by repetition in the movmement might like Icarus, Susumu Yokota and Mum. Bona fide artists, all of them.

[Miss Anthropic]

I've read a lot of INTP descriptions and don't seem to remember anything about aquisitiveness or materialism. I for one don't collect or horde any junk at all; in fact I make a great effort to keep my possessions down to the bare minimum, owning only those books that I need to check often for reference, keeping all of my music on a hard disk, hell when I live alone I usually only have one plate, fork, knife and cup! All my worldly goods fit into my (small) car.

This, to me, just makes sense.. it is logical. I feel responsible for every piece of junk that I come to own and try to make that as few pieces as possible. One of my recurring daydreams is that in a few hundred years, the earth has become so filled with trash that we'll all be up to our armpits in disposable diapers, plastic tampon applicators and plastic water bottles.

So I guess I am minimalist in that way.

Maybe you are to the left of P and more J......that's what I aspire to--more structure, less stuff..but its just an uphill battle. Thank God for Ebay, people are willing to pay $$ for the crap I have hoarded since my college days. The collecting stuff doesn't really have an impact until you lived in the same place for a decade or so...

[jjt]

I love minimalism as an idea, and sometimes fantisise about getting rid of all my hoarded stuff that I am deeply sentimental about and attached to, even though it is in the basement and I haven't looked at it for years. Like my grandmothers bridal wax flowers that topped her veil (1928) and my dad's high school tie and numerous bits and pieces from past obsessions. But I can't bear the thought of getting rid of them. Just the thought of sorting stuff out makes me feel grumpy.

Now, I hate buying new stuff, 'cause I hate that I get attached to everything and dont get rid of it, so it's easy for me not to spend money on new things.

I am so like that description of an INTP.

[n0mad]

I like minimalism too. Its something about its orderliness though I can't seem to put my finger on it though.
My stuff usually gets messy but it doesn't mean that I like it like that. When I actually do the clean-up everything looks pretty minimalistic and elegant.
I hate neon lights and rooms that are over lit-up.

[waxwing]

Minimilistic music interests me. I like to hear a one-line melody fleshed out and expanded upon. Some of the instrumentation in Indian melodies....a lot of contemporary very dissonant sounding lines (even though they lack complicated harmonies). Add in some counterpoint and it's even better. I like the idea of breaking music down to separate lines. That may be one of the reasons that my second choice for a major was music composition.

In visual art, I think I like minimilism. I am sure I almost always like minimilistic films. The low-budget almost utilitatian looking ones. I'm drawn to them. In fact, while I can appreciate an epic like "The Lord of the Rings," I had trouble seeing it as a movie for the longest time. There was the music, the acting, the plot, the cinemetography....very well done, but almost too much for my taste.

Lifestyle...I like minimalism, but I also realize that I have many unnecessary "toys." I don't have a cell phone, a clock (except the one in my car), or a credit card though. So it's a wierd dichotomy.

[Star]

Maybe you are to the left of P and more J......that's what I aspire to--more structure, less stuff..but its just an uphill battle. Thank God for Ebay, people are willing to pay $$ for the crap I have hoarded since my college days. The collecting stuff doesn't really have an impact until you lived in the same place for a decade or so...

Haha, I would think that your ability to live in one place for a decade is shockingly J. How do you do it? :)

The main reason I have so few possessions is so that I can run away at a moment's notice. Even a one-year lease scares the hell out of me. There's no structure here at all--if P can be compared to flakiness then this minimalist lifestyle is actually a P thing, I think.

A little on topic: As for minimalism in art... I appreciate it in film (2001: A Space Odyssey comes to mind, one of my favorites) but music usually has to be extremely energetic and aggressive to drown out my own mind noise.

[Little Miss Krahka]

I adore minimalistic art, when it's something besides the cliched white canvas that wasn't that good in the first place. When done creatively, it's the most beautiful art there is.
It amazes me that one can evoke so many different emotions with a few simple colors on a square. Absolutely beautiful. Sadly it's difficult to find very many good pieces of minimalism, which is too bad. I keep on planning to make something, but I never do. *shrugs*

In music I generally don't like minimalistic stuff. I like stuff that's rediculously complicated. However, I won't say no to a nice piano piece. But that's mostly me and my enternal love affair with the piano.

I like miminalism in web design. I hate web pages with music (I HATE MUSIC ON WEBSITES! ARGH!), Flash layouts, frames, too many images, too many colors, too much of anything that's not absolutely nessesary. My ideal website would be pure ASCII. Sure, I have broadband, and sure, I know that most people these days have it too, but that's not the point. The issue is not speed, but astetics.

Yeah, I like minimalism, in certain places. I love it when you can strip it down to the bare essentials and see something become more than what it was with so many things that were meant to add to it weighing it down.

[C.J.Woolf]

I'm a horrible pack rat. I keep intending to throw stuff out and organize the rest but I dread doing it. But I know that one day I will be in the mood and I'll just do it -- if I'm not forced to do it grudgingly before the mood strikes, because of moving or something. :whistle: