“If you don’t have many possessions, then you don’t need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself.”
- May 20, 1935 – May 13, 2025
- Uruguayan
- Politician, Former President of Uruguay, Former Guerrilla Fighter, Advocate for Simple Living
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Quote
“If you don’t have many possessions, then you don’t need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself.”
Explanation
In this quote, José Mujica presents a powerful critique of consumerism and the modern work-life imbalance, suggesting that true freedom lies in simplicity. He argues that accumulating possessions often leads to a lifetime of labor and stress to maintain them, which paradoxically limits the very freedom and happiness people seek through wealth. By choosing to own less, one regains time—life’s most precious resource.
The phrase “like a slave to sustain them” is especially striking. It portrays the modern economic model not as a path to liberation but as a form of self-imposed servitude, where people become trapped by mortgages, debts, and jobs they dislike, all to preserve lifestyles shaped by societal pressure rather than personal fulfillment. Mujica offers an alternative: living modestly to live more fully, with time for relationships, reflection, and joy.
This philosophy echoes across minimalist and degrowth movements, resonating with those seeking a life of balance over excess. In an age where burnout and anxiety are widespread, Mujica’s words serve as a reminder that wealth is not just measured in money, but in time, peace, and freedom. His own life—a former president who lived in a humble farmhouse—gives authenticity to the idea that less can truly mean more.
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