Benefits of Minimalism

Throughout Chris' Journey around the American West, he continuously shows how a minimalist lifestyle is often the most rewarding.  He places a lack of importance on many objects, like his Datsun, canoe, and money, insisting that traveling economically makes his experience more rewarding?  But how does this minimalism make life more rewarding?  Perhaps it puts happiness in perspective, and accentuates the fact that material possessions cannot make life enjoyable.  Maybe the denying of certain things makes having them periodically so much more enjoyable.  Westerberg repeatedly said that Chris always cleared his plate when he ate.  This suggests that Chris was either extremely hungry, savored the food immensely, or both.  This denial of certain things puts the focus of life on a different plane of existence.  Instead of taking the objects he denies for granted, denying those objects makes them so much more beautiful and precious.  Maybe this is one of the reasons that Chris is so critical of his family, and society in general.  Chris chose to deny materials as much as possible because that made him see life though a different, more distinct view.  In the previous pictures I posted, Chris is seen with a recently shot porcupine.  The look of euphoria on his face shows how much he appreciated and revered the gift of the porcupine.  Why would Chris so vehemently oppose materialistic society then? Is it because materials become the focus of life in our society, because we judge each other's worth by their materials, or because these materials bring the true beauty of life so far out of focus that people go there whole lives without any glimpse of the joy that Chris loved so much.  Though I agree with Chris' about minimalism, I don't think he tried very hard to convince others to follow his own righteous path.  He reached out to Franz, but expressed that he was skeptical that Franz would follow.  He never revealed to Westerberg or Jan Burres his ideals, and he was a stone wall when it came to his family.  I would like to read more into Chris' life with his family.  What exactly caused his change in demeanor after high school and during college.  Does he blame his parents for this?  Does he see his parents as the embodiment of the materialism he hates?  That shall be the topic of my next post. Lots to think about...