what is voluntary simplicity?

Duane Elgin, Wharton MBA and leader in the VS movement, describes Voluntary Simplicity as, "living in a way that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich."

Today is the first time I have thought about "simplicity" or "mindful living" as a movement. My professor has referred me to some excellent articles and research by Elgin and his peers, which I am looking forward to reviewing, but I feel I should use my current perspective as a layperson/newbie/outsider to all this and tell you my assumptions about VS. Topics that come to mind are:

Sustainability: I think that striving to live simply must accomplish many of the goals of living sustainably. For example, when I pack my lunch for school in reusable containers, I get the simple pleasure of preparing my own food the way I like it and anticipating lunchtime, I minimize my contribution to the trashcans which are always full of the packaging from the food bought in and around the school, and I sustain the balance in my bank account :)

Scandinavian Style: I mean this in a very broad way. My interest in the art, design, cultural traditions, and business practices from the region stems from my own Scandinavian-Canadian heritage, and the uniting theme always seems to be simplicity. Think of the clean lines of Swedish Ikea's product offerings, or the fact that Finland's Nokia was named the "world's most sustainable technology company" by the Dow Jones sustainability index. The Danes have a word, Hygge, which I understand to be a philosophy for living simply and well. The Hygge House blog has a great definition of the idea. I couldn't help but notice that the films we watched in class (The 11th Hour and Who Killed the Electric Car) were targeted to an American audience and highlighted the overwhelming resource consumption and waste creation of the United States. I wonder how much your ability to live simply is dicatated by the country you're in? Or by your culture's attitude towards nature and possessions?

Tree Hugging: I confess, when I think about Voluntary Simplicity I think about Tree Hugging. We use the words "tree hugger" when creating a consumer profile in a marketing course or describing the typical opposing voice to the interests of "big business". But who is really a tree-hugger? How often do people describe themselves as such? Am I a tree hugger? What does a tree hugger look like?

Simpleton: A "fool" or "stupid person", according to the definition on Dictionary.com. If Elgin's use of the term "outwardly simple" triggers negative connotations for me, perhaps it does for others as well? From a brand management perspective, I would perhaps prefer to be perceived as outwardly classic, straighforward, elegant, pure, or unaffected than just simple.

It will be interesting to revisit these topics at the end of the process and see if and how my perspective changes.