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Downsizing: the movie

Yes! A movie about minimalism. Well, yes and no...

I was immediately interested by a movie called Downsizing. It's not exactly about reducing material possessions. At least not in the normal way.


Synopsis

In an attempt to solve the problems of population and global warming, a Norwegian scientist invents the process of downsizing - where humans are shrunk to a height of 13 cm. Paul Safranek (played by Matt Damon) and his wife have financial problems and look to downsize as a way to solve their financial problems. Obviously, life is cheaper when you can live in a doll's house and a biscuit could feed you for a month.



What interests me?

The movie received mixed reviews, based on performance, but the premise (described as "profound") is what interests me most. There is an obvious comparison to my type of downsizing - consuming less and having fewer possessions, both for the planet's sake and for my own.

Take the pressure down

At the school reunion Paul meets Dave, who has 'gone small' with his wife Carol. Dave says that saving the planet wasn't his reason.

"Downsizing is about saving yourself. It takes the pressure right off. Especially the money pressure."

When you don't have to spend so much on things, the pressure to earn heaps of money disappears and gives you more free time. After the reunion Paul's wife is telling him about Carol (Dave's wife).

"I like little Carol. She's got a lot on the ball. She's reading books she's always wanted to read. She's learning Italian and she's never been fitter."

The biggest challenge

"Who am I?" Paul asks rhetorically. This is the key question for downsizing - both in the movie and in real life.

In large-size life it was an easy question. Paul was an occupational therapist and husband. He'd have a few beers with his mates at the pub. His spare time was taken up by worrying about how he and his wife would make ends meet.

But what about now? He let his professional registration expire before downsizing - so that's out. Who is he going to be in this new life? What is his purpose? How does he want to spend his time? What are his priorities? What does he enjoy doing? What will his life be about?

I wonder if the challenge of confronting these questions is what prevents more people from downsizing. In the movie only 3% of people took up the option, and in real life it's not too different. Sometimes the default path is less confronting, so we go that way - even if it's also less satisfying or meaningful.

Negative Nellies

As in life, there are negative people in the movie. They are faced with the idea of having a better life and saving the planet at the same time, and see it as a threat.

On the TV at the pub, a commentator says that we're "losing billions of dollars in consumer spending" (another way of saying that people are saving billions of dollars). He presumably ignores the new high-tech industries of making miniature everything, from houses to TV-remotes, and all the savings in areas like fuel imports and waste disposal.

Paul's friend at the pub says that as his neighbours move out (to become small) the vacant houses are reducing property prices. Rather than see the new opportunity available he sees only the disadvantages.

At the pub after Paul's farewell party, a local drunk (not a guest) asks if small people should still be able to vote. His (drunk) logic is that they don't buy as many products or earn as much money. Obviously it makes no sense, as a vote is right of citizenship, not a consumer reward. But it comes out of a mindset where this guy equates spending all his money, and spending his hours to get it back again, as some sort of civic duty.

This insistence that getting into debt and spending every cent you have is good for society reminded me of the book Curing Affluenza.

Mindset is the hardest change

In the movie it's only a mere medical procedure. People still live in mansions, buy everything they could ever want and over-indulge. They're just the same as before, but mega-rich.

Real life downsizing is a lot harder for some folks as it requires a mental shift rather than a medical one. As we see in the movie, and in real life, changing our mindset can be difficult.

Related Reading:

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