That moment when praising a friend's minimalist home backfired
At a recent gathering, I complimented a friend on her intentionally bare living space, admiring the calm it brought. She quickly clarified it wasn't a choice but due to recent financial strain, which left the room uncomfortably quiet. It struck me how often minimalism gets conflated with aesthetic preference rather than personal circumstance. This encounter has me pondering if our societal push towards less stuff ignores the economic realities behind many empty shelves. I'm now more careful about assumptions when admiring someone's simplified environment...