Duan She Li: 50 Principles to Make Your Life Minimalist
Basic Principles
1Avoid going off-track is more important than striving.
2Clear out unimportant things to allow valuable people and things to come in.
3Your value lies not in how much you consume, but in what you contribute to society.
4Don’t choose to be a screw in a high-level place; you’ll be replaced eventually.
5Many people need destructive change, such as destroying a concept and rebuilding it, but they often lack courage.
02
People Section
6Entangled social relationships are unnecessary; genuine networks depend on who gathers around you.
7There’s no need to connect with everyone, even family, relatives, classmates, or colleagues.
8When many people give you opinions, listen to yourself.
9Don’t be afraid of silence. If you don't want to talk, don't say anything.
10Don’t dislike, avoid, and don’t offend others.
11As long as you’re alive, someone will be unhappy.
12Good interpersonal relationships have no presence.
13When you’re with the right person, every pore feels comfortable.
14Keep a certain distance from people who claim to be elites.
15Don't blindly worship.
03
Emotion Section
16If someone hasn’t been with you for a long time, they don’t like you. Empty talk won’t help.
17The people who ask you ‘What is our relationship’ don’t value you; they’ll treat you as a temporary companion.
18If you can’t contact someone, they want to sever ties; don’t contact them.
19If you can’t invite someone out, it’s not because they’re busy, but because you’re a burden, not an enjoyable pastime.
20If you’re back and forth debating whether to break up, you’ll eventually delete them.
21Anyone who belongs to you will be difficult to lose.
04
Fun Section
22Change the mindset that ‘not going out equals a loss’; if there are no projects you’re looking forward to, don’t go.
23If ordinary hobbies make you feel good, they are valuable.
24If high art makes you feel bad, there’s no need for imitation.
25Cherish sudden excitement.
26If you don’t want to continue playing midway, don’t force yourself.
05
Work Section
27Switch tracks, damage efficiency.
28Don’t blindly view ‘side hustle’ as a target.
29Don’t overestimate yourself in the future, and underestimate yourself in the present.
30Where you focus your thoughts, that’s where your achievements will come from.
31Using money as a goal to motivate yourself doesn’t need to feel guilty.
06
Consumption Section
32If you’re hesitant to ‘buy’ a product, don’t buy it.
33Don’t look for substitutes. If you don’t have enough money, save money.
34Buy things you like, not things others strongly demand.
35Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean good; expensive can help you find good things more efficiently.
36The money you spend should be roughly proportional to the time and effort invested.
07
Clothing Section
37If you only wear 10% of your clothes well, wear those 10%. Even girls don’t need to control all styles.
38If you don’t make a living from your face, buying clothes and accessories isn’t an ‘investment’; it’s just ‘consumption’.
39The beauty of matching lies in balance.
08
Diet Section
40Don’t be a slave to leftover food.
41 Cooking isn’t a compulsory life skill, unless it makes you happy.
42Your taste will become increasingly narrow and limited, so try new foods when you’re young.
09
Storage Section
43The less cluttered the things, the more discretionary space you have.
44Buy one, discard one.
45Most packaging and manuals are unnecessary.
10
Reading Section
46Reading doesn’t necessarily make you smarter; reading the books that truly help you will.
47If you don’t have a special obsession, you don’t need to obsess over paper books.
48You can do well without reading.
11
Writing Section
49If you can’t write, don’t write.
50You must write down the things you firmly believe are good, otherwise you’ll have confidence when facing others’ doubts.
