Minimalism is a lifestyle that focuses on living with less and finding joy in the essential things in life. Minimalists value quality over quantity, simplicity over complexity, and intention over mindlessness. Minimalism is not about deprivation, but about liberation from the clutter, noise, and stress that consume our modern lives.
However, there is a powerful force that is constantly trying to undermine your minimalist journey and lure you back into the trap of consumerism and materialism. That force is the entertainment industry, especially movies and series. In this article, I will expose how movies and series are psyops designed to make you abandon minimalism and embrace maximalism.
Movies and Series are Full of Subliminal Messages
Have you ever noticed how most movies and series are full of subliminal messages that promote maximalist behavior? For example:
- The main characters are constantly distracted by trivial and meaningless things, such as jokes, games, festivals, trips, dreams, fantasies, and superstitions. They rarely focus on their studies, goals, or passions, and they often waste their time and energy on things that don’t matter.
- The main characters are always surrounded by an abundance of stuff, such as clothes, gadgets, furniture, cars, jewelry, etc. They never seem to have enough space or money to store or maintain their possessions, and they always crave for more. They never question the environmental or social impact of their consumption habits, and they never express gratitude for what they have.
- The main characters are always involved in some kind of drama, conflict, or crisis that requires them to act impulsively, emotionally, or violently. They never practice mindfulness, meditation, or self-care, and they never seek peaceful or constructive solutions. They always resort to anger, fear, hatred, or revenge, and they always escalate the situation.
These subliminal messages are not accidental or coincidental. They are deliberately planted by the entertainment industry to influence your subconscious mind and make you associate minimalism with boredom, deprivation, or weakness, and maximalism with excitement, abundance, or strength.
Movies and Series are Manipulating Your Emotions
Another way that movies and series are brainwashing you to abandon minimalism is by manipulating your emotions. Movies and series use various techniques to elicit strong emotional responses from you, such as music, sound effects, lighting, camera angles, editing, etc. These techniques are not meant to enhance your enjoyment or appreciation of the art form, but to manipulate your mood and behavior.
For example:
- Movies and series use upbeat music, bright colors, fast-paced scenes, and humorous dialogues to make you feel happy and relaxed. This makes you lower your guard and become more receptive to the subliminal messages that promote maximalism.
- Movies and series use sad music, dark colors, slow-paced scenes, and dramatic dialogues to make you feel sad and depressed. This makes you lose your motivation and confidence and become more vulnerable to the subliminal messages that discourage minimalism.
- Movies and series use suspenseful music, contrasting colors, tense scenes, and shocking dialogues to make you feel scared and anxious. This makes you lose your rationality and logic and become more susceptible to the subliminal messages that justify maximalism.
These emotional manipulations are not harmless or benign. They are harmful and malicious. They affect your mental health and well-being negatively. They make you more stressed, anxious, depressed, and unhappy.
Movies and Series are Distracting You from Your Purpose
The final way that movies and series are brainwashing you to abandon minimalism is by distracting you from your purpose. Movies and series consume a lot of your time, attention, and energy that could be better spent on pursuing your passions, goals, or dreams. Movies and series also create a false sense of reality, expectation, and satisfaction that prevents you from living authentically, meaningfully, or joyfully.
For example:
- Movies and series make you spend hours or days binge-watching them instead of working on your projects, hobbies, or skills. Movies and series also make you procrastinate or avoid your responsibilities, obligations, or commitments.
- Movies and series make you believe that life is supposed to be easy, funny, or adventurous instead of challenging, serious, or meaningful. Movies and series also make you compare yourself or your life with unrealistic or idealized characters or scenarios.
- Movies and series make you feel satisfied or fulfilled by watching them instead of creating or contributing something valuable or useful. Movies and series also make you forget or neglect your values, principles, or morals.
These distractions are not beneficial or helpful. They are detrimental or harmful. They affect your personal growth and development negatively. They make you more passive, lazy, or complacent and less active, productive, or ambitious.
Conclusion
Movies and series are not innocent or harmless forms of entertainment. They are dangerous or harmful forms of propaganda. They are psyops designed to make you abandon minimalism and embrace maximalism. They are full of subliminal messages that promote maximalist behavior, they manipulate your emotions to influence your mood and behavior, and they distract you from your purpose to prevent you from living authentically, meaningfully, or joyfully.
If you want to stay true to your minimalist journey and resist the temptation of movies and series, you need to be aware of their hidden agenda, you need to be critical of their techniques, and you need to be selective of their content.
You don’t have to give up movies and series completely, but you have to limit your exposure and consumption of them. You have to choose movies and series that align with your values, principles, or morals, that inspire you to pursue your passions, goals, or dreams, and that enrich your life with positive emotions, experiences, or lessons.
Remember, minimalism is not about living with less, but about living with more. More time, more attention, more energy, more purpose, more meaning, more joy. Don’t let movies and series take that away from you.
This is Mark from Minimalist Living, signing off. Stay minimalist, stay awesome.