“But I can see today that we feel all the freer and lighter for having cast off the tinsel of ‘civilization’.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi's Life in His Own Words (compilation) — the trailing '70' is a footnote marker; the line is Gandhi's on simple living / shedding 'civilization'.
About this quote
Much of what modern life treats as essential is decorative weight — possessions, habits, and comforts that quietly demand upkeep and worry. Setting them down usually costs little and returns a lot: fewer things to guard and maintain leaves a person moving through the day lighter and less encumbered.
When to use it
- A family downsizes to a smaller home and finds weekends freed from maintenance they never enjoyed.
- Someone deletes most of their apps and notices the mental quiet settle in within a week.
- A traveler switches to a single carry-on bag and stops dreading airports altogether.