Voluntary Simplicity does not mean indiscriminately renouncing all the advantages of science and technology. It does not mean living in a cave, giving up electricity, rejecting modern medicine and modern ways to communicate. But it does question the assumption that more expansive goods are the only paths to health, happiness and freedom.

To live simply is to put one’s mind to the question of whether some new technology actually improves our lives, or whether, on the contrary, it ultimately costs us more than it comes to, in terms of ‘life.’

There are more values only than money and social position which could improve the wellness of our lives. A Voluntary Simplicity way of life means to expand your range of what possibly could be valuable for your life. Free time is one of these values. To truly have time to pursue your own aspiration is one of the rarest resources of western people. To enjoy health, healthy relations and quality time with your friends and family is, again, very rare in our western world. To be passionate, enthusiastic or compassionate is more valuable than to be high-ranked in a world without passion, compassion or enthusiasm. Probably more important than anything in life is to have a meaning to live. Voluntary Simplicity helps us to orient our resources and energy in the correct direction.

When you decide to live with less money, you start to make a place for other values in your life. Needing less money, choosing to work in a friendly and meaningful way, you start to build a more autonomous, meaningful and joyful life.

Autonomy is the real base for the freedom and dignity of human beings. Autonomy – as an interdependent network of healthy relations – is the starting point of a real happy, healthy and free life in communion and partnership with humans and Nature. And all starts with this simple, but a courageous choice for an ageless way of living – (we name it now) “Voluntary Simplicity”.