Martha Beck of O Magazine had an interesting article on the CNN website related to our penchant for collecting clutter. Her theory is that most people live with a “Just In Case” mindset, believing that all good things are scarce. For most of human history, this mindset made sense.
But now, we live in a time and place where all good things are not scarce. Nevertheless, we still are ingrained with our JIC mindset, which leads us to hoard food, stuff and love.
By contrast, she advocates the adoption of the “Just In Time” mindset, which means we buy things only when we run out. With this mindset, we don’t stockpile for an imaginary future. We use what we have until it runs out. Then we buy more. We have faith that our needs will be met, letting go of the anxiety and fear that compels us to buy more and more.
You can read the rest of the article here. Do you agree with her theory? Which mindset do you operate under?
