• Enough by Blinkist is a book that explores ways to create a balanced lifestyle, with a focus on avoiding overconsumption.
• The key learnings of Enough are to focus on joy, prioritize experiences over possessions, and stop wasteful spending of both money and energy.
• As a UX designer, you should read this book to gain insight into resourceful ways to declutter and simplify your life, enabling you to focus on experiences,and become more calmer and content.
• Books that delve further into this concept are The Joy of Less by Francine Jay and Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus.
🎀 Highlights
This constant striving for more – information, food, happiness, etc. – causes problems: more and more people are overweight, depressed or in debt, and the ecological system of the earth is out of balance because of human behavior.
many household appliances that you’ve only used once:
the average citizen in Western societies owns or consumes an astonishing amount of stuff.
in order to survive and develop as a species, human beings had to be eager to try out new things. Throughout most of human history food was scarce,
in order to survive and develop as a species, human beings had to be eager to try out new things.
we learned that collecting and hoarding vast quantities of resources, like food, clothing or tools, would further help us survive times of scarcity.
exploit our fear of scarcity by creating "limited editions,”
undeserving amount of our time is squandered sifting through these unwanted nuisances.
An important milestone in our understanding of information overload dates back to 1996 with the discovery of information fatigue syndrome by British neuroscientist Dr. David Lewis. He observed that information overload can lead to exhaustion, insomnia, poorer decision-making skills and can even temporarily lower your IQ!
It’s easier to send an email than discuss something face-to-face. Likewise, it’s easier to play videogames than play sports, or watch sitcoms instead of finding stimulation with friends and family.
Fortunately, there are simple ways to avoid the siren song of online data: the data diet.
intentional break from the virtual world in order to keep your sanity. Even Bill Gates does it on a regular basis!
the brain is more effective at solving problems when it gets a break from its usual routine.
eat as much as possible for the smallest amount of money.
availability of food has led to problematic eating habits and a number of health problems.
Today, however, the same mechanisms that caused us to take advantage of these opportunities now pose serious health risks.
When we eat high-energy foods, we are rewarded with a jolt of hormones, endogenous opioids, which then encourage us to eat more.
these factors become a dangerous mix when food is both available and cheap. The availability of fatty foods means we eat more than we should, which gets stored as fat in our bodies.
One easy strategy is to simply use smaller plates!
most people rely on visual cues to decide when it’s time to put down the knife and fork.
Studies have shown that people eat less from smaller plates, as their portions appear larger in relation to the plate, thus making them feel as if they’ve eaten more.
We’re genetically predisposed to consume as much as possible. Indeed, collecting and hoarding are as old as humankind. Just look at the millions of hand-axes discovered by archaeologists in neolithic caves. They weren’t just tools, but also the status symbols of our ancestors!
We’re genetically predisposed to consume as much as possible.
Studies have shown that when we’re "on the hunt" for something – whether it’s a deer or a new pair of shoes – our brains are flooded with the hormone dopamine, which causes us to feel excited.
There are even programs to treat workaholism, such as Workaholics Anonymous, which regards workaholism as a serious condition and has grown in popularity in Britain in recent years.
overworking can’t save a collapsing marriage! Unfortunately,
hungry donkey stands between two equally large piles of delicious hay. Unable to decide which pile to choose, it eventually dies of hunger.
A hungry donkey stands between two equally large piles of delicious hay. Unable to decide which pile to choose, it eventually dies of hunger.
overabundance of options can be exhausting, because we feel that with every choice we might miss another, possibly better, option.
full of products which differentiate themselves with small added features and extras.
people nowadays rarely keep long commitments – we changes job and apartments like the wind.
people nowadays rarely keep long commitments – we changes job and apartments like the wind. When it comes to personal relationships, people are more likely now to not want to bind themselves to a single partner exclusively for a long period of time.
In the USA, more and more marrying couples don’t use the traditional vow “till death do us part.” Instead they want to stay together for “as long as our marriage shall serve the common good.”
throughout history, people who demonstrate caution lived longer than those who didn’t worry at all.
Everybody is born with her own unique happiness threshold, which remains quite constant throughout life. In essence, you are born an optimist or a pessimist.
after the age of 25, there are hardly ever major changes in a person’s personality, habits or attitude.
We’ve been told for decades that the solution to all the world’s problems lies in economic growth.
how far this is from the truth:
economist John Maynard put forth the idea that economic growth would help to end starvation and allow everybody to satisfy their basic needs.
The Club of Rome published a book that grabbed international attention: it demonstrated that the earth’s ecosystem was unable to cope with our rapidly growing population and our subsequent need for more resources.
if we all consumed less, the economic system would collapse. Despite its environmental consequences, businesses continue spending enormous resources to encourage people to consume more, not less.
when prices for a certain stock rise, the demand for it likewise increases
we believe that what the majority of people do or believe is right,
we believe that what the majority of people do or believe is right, a phenomenon scientists call herd behavior.
by giving something to others, you indirectly increase your own happiness.
the happiest people are those who spend the most time socializing.
One way we can increase our awareness of these nonmaterial things is by keeping our focus on the present, rather than on the past or future.
people always considered their past situation worse than they had when they were actually experiencing them. Moreover, they always considered their future situations would be better than they actually ended up being.
Finally, we grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
we grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
We live in a world of excess: we’re overworked, overfed, we buy too much junk
We live in a world of excess: we’re overworked, overfed, we buy too much junk and believe that the “grass is always greener on the other side.” As a result of this excess, we’ve become mentally and physically unhealthy and severely damage the environment.
How Much is Enough? sets out to critically inform the reader about the moral, historical and economical backgrounds of modern day capitalism, its obsession with accumulating more and more
This constant striving for more – information, food, happiness, etc. – causes problems: more and more people are overweight, depressed or in debt, and the ecological system of the earth is out of balance because of human behavior.
many household appliances that you’ve only used once:
the average citizen in Western societies owns or consumes an astonishing amount of stuff.
in order to survive and develop as a species, human beings had to be eager to try out new things. Throughout most of human history food was scarce,
in order to survive and develop as a species, human beings had to be eager to try out new things.
we learned that collecting and hoarding vast quantities of resources, like food, clothing or tools, would further help us survive times of scarcity.
exploit our fear of scarcity by creating "limited editions,”
undeserving amount of our time is squandered sifting through these unwanted nuisances.
An important milestone in our understanding of information overload dates back to 1996 with the discovery of information fatigue syndrome by British neuroscientist Dr. David Lewis. He observed that information overload can lead to exhaustion, insomnia, poorer decision-making skills and can even temporarily lower your IQ!
It’s easier to send an email than discuss something face-to-face. Likewise, it’s easier to play videogames than play sports, or watch sitcoms instead of finding stimulation with friends and family.
Fortunately, there are simple ways to avoid the siren song of online data: the data diet.
intentional break from the virtual world in order to keep your sanity. Even Bill Gates does it on a regular basis!
the brain is more effective at solving problems when it gets a break from its usual routine.
eat as much as possible for the smallest amount of money.
availability of food has led to problematic eating habits and a number of health problems.
Replace Food with internet
Today, however, the same mechanisms that caused us to take advantage of these opportunities now pose serious health risks.
When we eat high-energy foods, we are rewarded with a jolt of hormones, endogenous opioids, which then encourage us to eat more.
these factors become a dangerous mix when food is both available and cheap. The availability of fatty foods means we eat more than we should, which gets stored as fat in our bodies.
One easy strategy is to simply use smaller plates!
Or smaller screens
most people rely on visual cues to decide when it’s time to put down the knife and fork.
Studies have shown that people eat less from smaller plates, as their portions appear larger in relation to the plate, thus making them feel as if they’ve eaten more.
We’re genetically predisposed to consume as much as possible. Indeed, collecting and hoarding are as old as humankind. Just look at the millions of hand-axes discovered by archaeologists in neolithic caves. They weren’t just tools, but also the status symbols of our ancestors!
We’re genetically predisposed to consume as much as possible.
Studies have shown that when we’re "on the hunt" for something – whether it’s a deer or a new pair of shoes – our brains are flooded with the hormone dopamine, which causes us to feel excited.
There are even programs to treat workaholism, such as Workaholics Anonymous, which regards workaholism as a serious condition and has grown in popularity in Britain in recent years.
overworking can’t save a collapsing marriage! Unfortunately,
hungry donkey stands between two equally large piles of delicious hay. Unable to decide which pile to choose, it eventually dies of hunger.
A hungry donkey stands between two equally large piles of delicious hay. Unable to decide which pile to choose, it eventually dies of hunger.
Tinder
overabundance of options can be exhausting, because we feel that with every choice we might miss another, possibly better, option.
full of products which differentiate themselves with small added features and extras.
people nowadays rarely keep long commitments – we changes job and apartments like the wind.
people nowadays rarely keep long commitments – we changes job and apartments like the wind. When it comes to personal relationships, people are more likely now to not want to bind themselves to a single partner exclusively for a long period of time.
In the USA, more and more marrying couples don’t use the traditional vow “till death do us part.” Instead they want to stay together for “as long as our marriage shall serve the common good.”
throughout history, people who demonstrate caution lived longer than those who didn’t worry at all.
Everybody is born with her own unique happiness threshold, which remains quite constant throughout life. In essence, you are born an optimist or a pessimist.
after the age of 25, there are hardly ever major changes in a person’s personality, habits or attitude.
We’ve been told for decades that the solution to all the world’s problems lies in economic growth.
how far this is from the truth:
economist John Maynard put forth the idea that economic growth would help to end starvation and allow everybody to satisfy their basic needs.
The Club of Rome published a book that grabbed international attention: it demonstrated that the earth’s ecosystem was unable to cope with our rapidly growing population and our subsequent need for more resources.
if we all consumed less, the economic system would collapse. Despite its environmental consequences, businesses continue spending enormous resources to encourage people to consume more, not less.
when prices for a certain stock rise, the demand for it likewise increases
we believe that what the majority of people do or believe is right,
we believe that what the majority of people do or believe is right, a phenomenon scientists call herd behavior.
by giving something to others, you indirectly increase your own happiness.
the happiest people are those who spend the most time socializing.
One way we can increase our awareness of these nonmaterial things is by keeping our focus on the present, rather than on the past or future.
people always considered their past situation worse than they had when they were actually experiencing them. Moreover, they always considered their future situations would be better than they actually ended up being.
Finally, we grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
we grow up with a materialist paradigm that tells us to value material possessions over spiritual or intellectual enrichment.
We live in a world of excess: we’re overworked, overfed, we buy too much junk
We live in a world of excess: we’re overworked, overfed, we buy too much junk and believe that the “grass is always greener on the other side.” As a result of this excess, we’ve become mentally and physically unhealthy and severely damage the environment.
How Much is Enough? sets out to critically inform the reader about the moral, historical and economical backgrounds of modern day capitalism, its obsession with accumulating more and more
