So, my room looks pretty much like this. Replace the tv/console with a pc and monitor, and add two paintings to the wall and you've got my apartment for the most part. My bedroom is empty, the kitchen only has what I need, and the bathroom is a bathroom.
The issue is that whenever my family, namely my mom, sister, and younger brother, come over to visit, invariably they complain about how "boring" and "sad" my apartment is. They say it's "depressing" and that I should make it more "interesting."
My usual response is to ask them what I should do and they usually scratch their heads like dummies. I then tell them I don't like having useless shit everywhere and that what I have is only what I need to make me happy. My dad's the only one who doesn't say anything or apologizes for the rest of their behavior. He says he'd do this to their house if he could.
Anyhow, I think part of their problem is that I'm not poor. I make good money and living in this cheap apartment let's me save even more. I could afford a pretty big house if I felt like it and I think this alone makes my mom specifically pretty mad.
I don't know. I honestly have no desire to put more things on my wall or random furniture in my apartment. Even if I did, I would have no idea what to do that would appease them.
I guess my question is: how to respond to materialistic family members and get them to stop questioning my minimalism?
Help
You can't stop people from disliking stuff and talking about it, user, that's silly. Deal with it like everybody else does.
Well, how do they do it? Mine talk about it literally every time they are at the apartment. At least they shut up about it when we go out in public. I just want to talk about other things or maybe not feel like some sort of status symbol for my family. That's all I feel like when they start
At a wedding, no matter how happy the guests, there's ALWAYS some fuck that complains about the food.
Goes to show you can literally never satisfy everyone and that someone will always bitch about anything you do.
Simple as.
"Absolutely, and when you get your own place you can decorate it however you want too! Isn't it nice to have complete control over the things you own?"
That should do it quite well. Or, if that's too subtle, tell them that it's your place and you aren't looking for input on how to decorate it.
Just ignore them. Minimalism is nice, but try to at least make it comfortable for guests. Not saying have shit all over the place, but a simple seating arrangement and a place to eat is kinda required if you want to be respectful to the people you welcome into your home.
I have some folding tables and chairs I bring out when they come over. And we don't usually eat in my place when they visit
I've said similar things in the past and they don't listen. Maybe if I'm more upfront about it and sterner they'll listen
True, it's just gone on for years. Granted, I don't see them that often but it's at least 4x a year
>Can't handle his mom complaining a bit once every three months
Why are you such a whiny bitch, user?
I can, I'd just like to talk with my family about other things after five years of this.
You can be minimalist and still have an appealing and clean room
That looks like a sex dungeon with kidnapped people locked in it
i don't really see any problem if you are keeping it clean
why do you care?
Dudw, my mother-in-law calls every other day just to complain about stuff. 50% of thr words that come out of her mouth are complaints about stuff in his daughter's house/clothes/habits not being exactly and perfectly how she likes it. One day she invited us to a restaurant just so she could read to us a comprehensive list of things un our house that were not as clean as they should and how to fix it. This took two straight hours.
Just deal with it, that's how family works.
This whole thread is stealth brag by the faggot OP
>hurrr I am living in >poverty but my family can't understand even though I make money
>"but why do you even give a fuck retard if you see them maybe every 3 months?"
>I SAID. MY FAMILY. DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. MY RICH PERSON SENSIBILITIES!!!!
Simply say "I like it this way" and change the subject
Lol. You're clearly an illiterate brainlet. No bookshelf. Jesus christ. Read a book user. Your place makes you look literally retarded.
Also, get more than one chair. At least pretend that you're not such a loser that no one ever hangs out with you at your place.
Who's to say he doesn't have thousands of e-books stored on his computer or phone? Also he can just offer friends to sit on his lap or the floor, fuck your social norms chode sucker.
If you're not creating any unreasonable hardship for your guests, like lack of proper seating, then I wouldn't put up with the complaining. If someone comes into your home and insults you by calling it sad, then they should leave.
FWIW, minimalist life is awesome. You get to save lots of money not buying useless shit you know you won't enjoy. Not to mention it makes moving easier.
Do you move a lot/not care for things? If not you should make your space less soul sucking.
No its not. Being related by blood does not earn them the right to be pieces of shit. I cut my mother out of my life and more people should he unafraid of this.
I can't cut somebody else's mother out of their life, though. As long as the wife puts up with it, it eventually splashes onto me.
Thanks for all the replies, guys. The only reason I brough this up is because they're coming into to town and I figured I'd see what others would say.
I have several hundred of my books on an e-reader and a bookcase in my bedroom.
As for everything else, I think I'm going to just buy two cheap recliners I saw on Craigslist and hope that appeases them. If they still complain I'm going to be tell them to fuck off, forever if necessary
ebooks
Do you fuck your mother with that mouth?
Dubs checked.
Maybe stop having them visit?
>your dad envies you
Be happy