Less is More
“Less is more. It’s also less. That’s the point.”
I think I read this line in some comment section or as part of a review of some product online. I don’t remember exactly, it doesn’t matter really, but the words stuck with me.
Less is… less. And that’s not a bad thing.
I think it’s human nature to be curious and to seek growth and expansion. However, a constant pursuit to simply acquire and consume more can quickly become a constant pursuit of less in terms of quality of life, well-being, presence, etc.
Basically more doesn’t always equal more. More can actually sometimes be less.
We live in a world of abundance. You’ll never get through all of the videos out there, all of the books, the articles, even if you committed your entire life to it. We don’t face the same challenges as our ancestors, who lived in a far more zero-sum world. Instead of the scarcity that so many generations battled to overcome, we now face new obstacles like decision fatigue, information overload and burnout.
Sometimes that amount of choice, of stimulus and feedback that I face in my day to day life leads me to think… less is less and that’s not a bad thing.
What I am proposing is simple: you might already have more of what you need than you realize.
(Don’t tell the marketers that I told you that, they don’t want you to know.)
Something special happens when you don’t fill every last square inch of your life with stimulus. I can’t fully explain it, but it feels like I need time and space that is open & unscheduled to feel fully human.
I’m convinced now that breaks are the secret to performing at a high level over the longterm. Counter to the hustle culture that we now see pervading the 21st century, I don’t actually believe trying harder is always the way to get better results.
BONUS
→ I see life as a series of experiments, and the latest one I underwent was a month long digital detox. No social media, no more endless news cycle, less time on email. For once, I wanted less. I wanted my mental space back. Here’s the video that I made on that experience.
→ A beautiful video my friend Johnny Harris created on nostalgia.
→ A little trip I took with a friend, two mopeds and a paper map.
→ The Data-Driven Case For Vacation from the Harvard Business Review
→ I made a little video outlining my strategy to get through this winter, which can feel heavy considering the restrictive measures currently in place.
Thanks for reading!
Nathaniel Drew
