ERIC KIM

In Praise of Renting and Leasing

The more you own, the more owns you.

The consumerist dream

In America the propaganda is this:

You must own everything.

The American dream as owning your own car, owning your own home, and continually purchasing more shit.

My thought: perhaps it is better to lease, rent, or purchase refurbished whenever possible. Why? Let me outline some of my thoughts:

The upside of renting or leasing

For myself:

  1. I would never want to own a home. Why? The stress associated with paying taxes, fixing it, maintaining it. I would be a trillion times happier living in an Airbnb or hotel. Probably one of the best experiences of my life was living in a hotel for around 3 months while in Saigon— the ultimate zen living experience (no worries, no cares, no concerns, no stress).
  2. Anti car ownership: I haven’t bought a car since I was 19 years old (1990 Mazda Miata while in college). In today’s world, taking Uber/Lyft is a trillion times more convenient for transit (no dealing with parking, insurance, filling up gas, etc). I still appreciate cars for their design, but I enjoy them more like sculpture rather than something I really want to own. And for my future Lamborghini, perhaps I will just lease or rent it (I’m sure I will tire of it in about 3 months).

What is good to own?

Silhouette

Good to own your laptop (maxed out MacBook Pro, refurbished). Why? It’s probably the most important tool in your entrepreneurial arsenal. I love my iPad Pro, but ultimately the iPad isn’t as essential as a strong laptop.

You probably want to own the few clothes you wear everyday. But for superfluous dressy clothes, probably better to use a service like “Rent the runway”. Or if you need a tuxedo, just rent it for events.

Building Berlin

Our life is on lease

Nothing is meant to last forever, nor will it last forever. Our lives are the same — we are simply “leasing”our time here on planet earth. Realize that no matter how much gold, possessions, or fame you possess while you’re alive — you cannot take it with you once you die. Better to be poor while you’re still alive than to own all the gold in the world while in hades.

Berlin, 2019 #abstract
Berlin, 2019 #abstract

Ownership as a distraction

Berlin, 2019 #abstract

I think shopping and desiring to buy new stuff is a massive distraction. The ultimate goal is artistic creation. Buying new clothes won’t help you be more artistically motivated. Buying a new car won’t help you become more artistically creative. Having more money, power, or influence won’t inspire you to make more art.

E
my hand

My ideal life

  1. Living in Airbnb, fully furnished studio, or hotel. As little concern maintaining my living quarters.
  2. Living in a city which allows me to walk much, photograph much, and think much.

Ownership ties us down.

The more things we own, the more we are owned.

ERIC

ZEN

Less is better:

Philosophy >