极简主义
Steve Jobs: Simplify complexity
斯蒂夫·乔布斯：简化复杂
极简主义
Apple founder, Steve Jobs, was a firm believer in minimalism. The success of his products is attributed to beautifully simple design and user-friendliness of the software, but Jobs took it even to the higher level. “Simplify complexity” was the main lesson he taught businesses. This technique shows that the focal point is not the sophisticated product you sell, but the way you approach the customer and develop lead generation tactic.
作为苹果创始人的乔帮主，可是一名极简主义的坚定信徒。他的产品之所以成功，一是因为它们漂亮简单的设计，二是因为软件的用户友好性强，乔帮主把这些都提升到了一个较高的水准。“简化复杂”是他生意经中重要的一堂课。这一方法显示了成功的关键点不在于你卖的产品有多复杂，而是在于你是如何连接客户和发展潜在用户群的。
Not only did Jobs apply this philosophy to his business, but it was also very much a part of who he was. Former Apple CEO John Scully once said in an interview, “I remember going into Steve’s house and he had almost no furniture in it. He just had a picture of Einstein, whom he admired greatly, and he had a Tiffany lamp and a chair and a bed. He just didn’t believe in having lots of things around, but he was incredibly careful in what he selected…”
乔帮主的这一观点不只适用于工作，他自身也是如此。苹果前CEO约翰·斯库利在一次采访中说到，“我记得又一次去斯蒂夫的家里，他家几乎没什么家具。只有一副他非常崇拜的爱因斯坦的照片，一座蒂芙尼的台灯，一把椅子，一架床。他就是不喜欢有很多东西在身旁，但他对自己所挑选的东西都非常仔细.....”
其实我们从乔帮主的穿衣上就可见一斑，永远的黑色毛衣加蓝色牛仔裤，与此同理的还有扎克伯格，一直都穿同样的灰色体恤和灰色连帽衫，下面这张是他晒过的衣橱——
看着是不是还挺舒服的？
Albert Einstein: Lead a simple life
阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦：过简朴生活
上文中提到的乔帮主非常崇拜的爱因斯坦，也是一名极简主义者。
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist, best known for his theory of Relativity. However, according to the biography published by Walter Isaacson in 2008 (Einstein: His Life and Universe), he also led a simple life and embraced minimalism.
爱因斯坦是一名理论物理学家，以相对论而闻名。然而，沃尔特·艾森克森所写的传记Einstein: His Life and Universe（2008）中所写，他还过着一种极简主义般的简朴生活。
For Einstein that meant he owned very few pieces of clothing, gave away most of his money, and couch-surfed whenever he traveled somewhere. All of that doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy a few guilty pleasures here and there, however. He was known for splurging on cigars, coffee, and musical instruments.
对爱因斯坦来说，这意味着他拥有极少的衣服，把钱都赠送了出去，出去旅游也经常做沙发客。但这些并不意味着他不享受那些罪恶的快感。他极爱抽雪茄，爱喝咖啡，也喜欢乐器。
很多人可能会纳闷，那像爱因斯坦这样既节俭又挥霍还能算极简主义吗？
极简主义从来不是苦行僧主义，它从不否认物的作用；极简主义也不是禁欲主义，它不是要禁止我们的欲望，而是要把我们从各种物欲的压迫中解放出来。
物品是为我们服务的，只是我们一不小心就成了它们的奴隶。
我们并不是真的需要那些东西，我们只是以为我们需要而已。
Jane Siberry: Live life free
简·西博里：活得自由
Canadian singer and songwriter, Jane Siberry is a devout minimalist that lives on the road. She carries with her two bags, a guitar, and a laptop while she tours the world sharing her music. Not only that, but Siberry now has all of her records available on her website for free.
加拿大歌手、作曲者简·西博里就是一位生活在路上的虔诚的极简主义者。她周游世界分享自己的音乐，却只带着两个包，一把吉他，一个笔记本电脑。不只如此，西博里所有的专辑在她自己的网站上都可免费收听下载。
大概只有知道自己真正想要什么的人，才能活得如此洒脱吧。
Leonardo Da Vinci: Be generous and feed those in need
莱昂纳多·达·芬奇：慷慨，把食物给需要的人
没想到吧，大画家达芬奇也是一位极简主义者。
As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” His character was described as kind and appealing by his contemporaries, “…he was so generous that he fed all his friends, rich or poor….”
莱昂纳多·达·芬奇曾经说过：“简单，是终极的复杂。”他的性格曾被同时代人描述为温和且吸引人，“......他是如此的慷慨，经常接济他的朋友，不论富有还是贫穷......”
“La semplicita' è l'ultima sofisticazione”，简单是终极的复杂。为什么这么说呢？其实越简单的东西，往往越难把控，更需要千百次的锤炼才能造就。
Henry David Thoreau: Give up luxuries
亨利·大卫·梭罗：放弃奢侈品
American essayist, Henry David Thoreau, was also a poet, philosopher, and a minimalist. Thoreau often wrote about the benefits of living a simple life; giving up luxuries in order to quiet the mind.
梭罗不只是一位散文家，他还是一位诗人、哲学家，以及一位极简主义者。梭罗经常写到过简单生活的好处；放弃奢侈品以追求内心的平和。
“Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.” – 1817
“视贫穷如园中香草，像圣人一样去培植它吧。不要自找麻烦去获得新事物，无论是衣服还是朋友。事物是不变的，变的是我们。卖掉自己的衣服，保持自己的初心。”——1817
梭罗这种想法，让普特君想到了诸葛亮在《诫子书》中写到的，“俭以修身，静以养德。”
德国女建筑师伊娃·玛利亚·斯特德尔在东柏林赫尔曼双子塔的家，一眼看过去空空荡荡，一览无余，她说自己之所以这么设计的原因是“这种极度消减的方式，使人更容易将注意力集中在房间里那些为数不多的物件上。这种环境令人心绪平静，也使你的感官更敏锐。”
事实上，减少物品只是手段，通过减少生活中无益的事，腾出时间精力留给更有价值的事情，才是极简主义的核心。
丢掉的越多，我们才会知道什么才是自己真正在乎的。
