People that prepare automatically and perhaps subconsciously, have a get rid of this, and get rid of that mentality
At least it's true with me
As I developed my lifestyle ... even before I met my wife ... I forsaw the needlessness of a lot of materiel things which .... deciding to throw away you develop a thought process that ALLOWS you to throw it away
THAT process doesn't just disappear with the article thrown away ... it becomes a part of your general mental make-up
Pretty soon you find yourself aware of things you never knew or saw before ..... go look at your neighbor's trash ... or even your own
My comment about Sanders is in no way an endorsement of him or his socialist mindset
I think your original comment was sincere and that you mean no disrespect by it, but let me share where I'm coming from.
First of all, when I was in the military, I understood how to get by on very little. I lived it. Both my income and my lifestyle did not allow for much in the way of choice, nor much in the way of extravvagance. I found that I could live like that, simply, where one can be happy to just have a seat at the end of a long day.
That said, choosing to live simply, and being forced to do so by government edict are two different things. I have anticipated a SHTF scenario, and believe that I could return to more simplicity. But I would not want to live like that for the long term, because I know the taste of freedom.
It's not whether one can live in simplicity, it's a question of whether one should be forced to for an extended period of time.