A good test for getting rid of anything is: if we didn't have this, would we need it?

To eliminate non-essentials means saying no to someone. Often. It means pushing against social expectations. To do it well takes courage and compassion. So eliminating the non-essentials isn’t just about mental discipline. It’s about the emotional discipline necessary to say no to social pressure.

How many things can I do without?

Things you don't need in your life targets you the most.

we live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities;

Often when looking at a mass of things for sale, he would say to himself, "How many things I have no need of!"

We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can’t do without.

We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can't do without.

The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” — Lin Yutang

We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can’t do without.” George

We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.

We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have.

There are tons of things in your home and life that you don't use, need, or even particularly want. They just came into your life as impulsive flotsam and jetsam and never found a good exit. Whether you're aware of it or not, this clutter creates indecision and distractions, consuming attention and making unfettered happiness a real chore. It is impossible to realize how distracting all the crap is - whether porcelain dolls, sports cars, or ragged T-shirts - until you get rid of it.

Have nothing in your house you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.