Less Is More -- Do You Agree?

Christmas Boy loves new books and he just picked up The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Ferriss is a 29-year old wonder boy who's managed to create a deafening buzz in the marketplace with his new book and his unconventional, rule-breaking philosophies. He's also apparently Champion of the Universe at everything he attempts, not unlike 70's series super-couple Jonathon and Jennifer Hart (come on, you remember Hart to Hart, don'tcha??)

Television acting? He can do it. Tango? He can do it. Chinese kick-boxing? He can do it. Do you speak four languages? He speaks SIX! Oh ye mere mortals, I warn you...

do NOT try to outdo this young feller!

Now I know I'm being a bit irreverent and I'm (mostly) teasing, and I admit I haven't read the book and I don't know if I will, but so far, Christmas Boy digs it. And typically, if he digs it, I know I will too, because I trust his judgment.

Anyway, this blog entry came about as we were having some lovely quality spouse time together last evening.  (Ok, I was on one couch with my laptop listening to the new Bon Jovi album and he was on the other couch reading). He said to me, "Hey, here's something in this book that's right up your alley."  So, like Gretchen Rubin or any other good wife would, I stopped what I was doing and tuned in.

In chapter 2 of the book (pages 34 and 35) Ferriss shares the insight that things in excess become their opposite. He writes:

It is possible to have too much of  a good thing. In excess, most endeavors and possessions take on the characteristics of their opposite. Thus:

(the following is taken directly from Less Is More, the book by Goldian VandenBroeck)

Pacifists become militants.
Freedom become tyrants.
Blessings become curses.
Help becomes hindrance.
More becomes less.

Too much, too many and too often of what you want becomes what you don't want. This is true of possessions and even time. Lifestyle design is thus, not interested in creating an excess of idle time, which is poisonous, but the positive use of free time, defined simply as doing what you want as opposed to what you feel obligated to do.

I gotta say, I have no official opinion of the book or of Ferriss himself yet, but I do agree with this piece of wisdom. It goes hand in hand with my own theory of "less is more". For example, sometimes too much organizing causes chaos because we're focused on creating perfectly, ultimately, UBER-organized systems, the maintenance of which creates an even bigger time suck than we had before we got organized in the first place. What do you think? Check out Ferriss' blog, but before you do, tell me... do you subscribe to the theory of less is more in your life? And if so, how do you do it?

Comments

[Ariane Benefit]

Absolutely I believe in this. The 7 deadly sins are all excesses of good things. Mental illnesses and diseases are all a result of excesses of things that are good when in check. Thanks for the intro to Ferris! He has some great ideas!

[Monica Ricci]

Ariane, thanks for your comment. I should add that my husband is way into Ferriss' book and is LOVING it. I guess that means I get it next!
~Monica

[gayle]

I can't agree more. That is part of the problem with Duality: there is always a flip side. Things that bring Pleasure become Painful (think of Stuff, or Love, or Expectations); and things that cause Pain can ultimately bring Pleasure when you learn the lesson and avoid it the next time.