50 Minimalism Quotes And Sayings About Consumption

Are you looking for Minimalism Quotes against excessive consumption? Then you'll find a cornucopia of consumer-critical sayings here to help the Disposable society to work against it. Use them as inspiration and motivation - for yourself or to educate our society. A minimalist life creates clarity and reduces the unnecessary waste of natural resources.

In this article, you can now see exactly the consumer-critical sayings about minimalism that motivate me and many other sustainable-minded people every day. Let's go!

My please: Keep in mind that many of the quotes about minimalism have been translated into English from other languages. I cannot guarantee that it is the original quote in each case. Therefore, double check them before you share them. If you like and share any of the quotes in the internet, please link this elaborately created collection. Thank you for your support!

The Best Minimalism Quotes Against Consumption And Capitalism

Personally, I love having an overview of the things I own. And I also like to spend my money only on the things that really help me. If you also make sure that you only consume the things that you really need, then some of the following minimalist sayings and quotes may already sound familiar to you.

Minimalism Quotes #1-10

1. "Think not so much of what you lack as of what you have." (Marcus Aurelius)
2. "It is not the man who has little, but he who desires more, that is poor." (Peter Rosegger)
3. "To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To throw away what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful." (Marie Kondō)
4. "If each individual stops accumulating possessions, then all will have enough." (Francis of Assisi)
5. "Rich is he who has much, richer is he who needs little, richest is he who gives much." (Gerhard Tersteegen)
6. "Those who place a great value on gardens, buildings, clothes, jewelry, or any possession are less sociable and pleasing; they lose sight of the people." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
7. "Minimalism is not about having nothing, it's about having no burden." (Unknown)
8. "It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." (Seneca)
9. "Find happiness where you don't expect it: within yourself." (Unknown)
10. "In a materialistic society, being poor but happy is a political statement." (Mokokoma Mokhonoana)

Minimalism Quotes #11-20

11. "Serenity is gained by letting go without hating." (Gerhard Uhlenbruck)
12. "You are not sovereign if you have a lot, but need little." (Nico Paech)
13. "We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind." (Martin Luther King)
14. "If property had simply pleasures, we could stand it; but its duties make it unbearable." (Oscar Wilde)
15. "Life is too short to be little." (Dale Carnegie)
16. "There is only one way to feel good: One must learn to be content with what is given and not always demand what is lacking." (Theodor Fontane)
17. "Simplicity is the key note of all true elegance." (Coco Chanel)
18. "How many things there are that I don't need." (Socrates)
19. "Whenever we buy something we do not need, we waste not only money but also time." (Mokokoma Mokhonoana)
20. "After consumption vouchers, there can actually only be ration cards, care packages and raisin bombers." (Guido Westerwelle)

Minimalism Quotes #21-30

21. "Every man is looking for a hold. But the only hold lies in letting go." (Hape Kerkeling)
22. "He is not a free man who cannot indulge in idleness once in a while." (Cicero)
23. "Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer." (Adam Smith)
24. "Simplicity is the result of maturity." (Friedrich Schiller)
25. "If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough." (Vicki Robin)
26. "Part yourself with anything that slows you down." (Unknown)
27. "All you need is less." (Unknown)
28. "Less is more." (Robert Browning)
29. "We don't buy what we want to have. We consume what we want to be." (John Hegarty)
30. "Capitalism has an inherent vice: the unequal distribution of goods. Socialism, on the other hand, has an inherent virtue: the equal distribution of misery." (Winston Churchill)

Minimalism Quotes #31-40

31. "Thrift is good revenue." (Cicero)
32. "We underestimate what we have and overestimate what we are." (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach)
33. "Man will never find outside what he does not have inside." (Alexandra Herdth)
34. "When you buy something, you are not paying for it with money. You’re paying with the hours of life you had to spend earning that money. The difference is that life is one thing money can’t buy." (Jose Mujica)
35. "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone." (Henry David Thoreau)
36. "Love people, use things. The opposite doesn’t work." (Joshua Fields Millburn)
37. "Capitalism is selfishness elevated to a system." (Gerald Dunkl)
38. "Many would like to live a simpler life if the way to get there wasn't too complicated." (Justus Jonas)
39. "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." (William Morris)
40. "Greed is always the result of an inner void." (Erich Fromm)

Minimalism Quotes #41-51

41. "The unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates)
42. "The poor lack much, the greedy everything." (Publilius Syrus)
43. "Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose." (C. S. Lewis)
44. "Sorting out the unessential is the core of all wisdom in life." (Laozi)
45. "Formula of my happiness: one yes, one no, one straight line, one goal." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
46. "The secret of happiness lies in the mind's release from worldly ties." (Buddha)
47. "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own." (Bruce Lee)
48. "It strikes man more what he lacks than what he owns." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
49. "If you separate yourself from everything, the important things will follow you." (Ryan Nicodemus) 
50. "One interesting thing about greed is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire you are still not satisfied. The true antidote of greed is contentment." (Dalai Lama)

Tip: If you still want to learn from more Quotes about sustainability inspiration, then also take a look at the Climate protection quotes and the best slogans for animal welfare.

Frequently asked questions about a minimalist lifestyle

Using sayings about minimalism and consumer criticism

Use the quotes primarily to enlighten our fast-paced society. Mass consumption of actually useless things basically only brings a smile to the industry's face. Consuming less, on the other hand, has so many incredible benefits for each and every one of us. For example, we can Save money sustainably and get rid of burdensome, superfluous things. Let these minimalism quotes be a source of inspiration for you and other people for a more clearly structured life. Because in the end, less is more.

Do you have any questions about the consumer-critical sayings or other minimalism quotes that are still missing here? Then just write me a comment.

Stay minimalist,

PS.: In the consumption-critical minimalism blog you will find lots of motivating tips & tricks! Learn, for example, what exactly is meant by a frugal lifestyle understands.