Sharing is caring
At the Berlin Fashion Week earlier this year, I heard a panel discussion about the sharing economy. There were different people from different clothing companies who said some interesting things. I found Patrick Duffy from @globalfashionexchange to be pretty extraordinary. He said that at some point he started to live his whole life only by “sharing” in a broader sense. That he gave up all of his possessions and has since lived only by borrowing things, changing clothes, subletting others, etc. – in every aspect of his life. He said that at first he was rather insecure, since he now had practically nothing left, but it quickly became clear to him that his radical lifestyle suddenly gave him access to everything. The intention behind this life model is clear: use resources in such a way that they are really used sensibly, because only when a piece of clothing, a car or an electronic device is in use, the effort involved in manufacturing these things makes the biggest sense.
I remember an campaign where you could put stickers on your mailbox with pictograms of things you could borrow from these neighbors. I also like to lend and borrow things that I only need irregularly. Unfortunately, the campaign with the stickers did not really hit, which is mainly because we are (excuse my french) germans.;) In this country, security is still very important and in many eyes it means ownership. You can't eat my house, my car, my boat when the going gets tough, but when in doubt, you can show it to the bank to get a loan. Accumulation of values as security. Absurd! The rise of the sharing economy in recent years is all the more surprising. At this point I would like to repeat a not entirely new thesis:
In the future we will only be able to populate the world in peace, if we share more. That everyone has a car or bike is so 2018 anyways. Whether it is necessary to have a cordless screwdriver, a kitchen machine and a guest bed at home is also questionable and whether you need a permanent job or even living space will change in the future.
Not as radical as Patrick Duffy did, but we'll still experience it. This leads me to the point at which I discussed this topic with my colleague Nina, who then sang me an ode to her home and the associated secureness. Well... of course I understand this need and I enjoy to come home to a familiar place as well. Perhaps one should differentiate in how one defines a home and question the emotionalization of objects in another context. Because if you break everything down, what is really important? Family, friends, security and contentment, you actually don't need anything for that. You can also create a home that is based on deeper values than a Vitra chair. Maybe we have also forgotten a little bit how to recognize this with all the things that surround us. The sharing economy will lead us back to ourselves, that's good news! 😉