Simple green…
Hiromi: I have to ask what’s with all your clothes being green? You have a desire to be a tree?
Jiro: Ha! No secret pact, simple strategy. Fewer choices in the morning means less time wasted deciding what to wear. I wake up, pull on my green gear, no hesitation, no second thoughts.
Hiromi: Is picking a shirt color really that stressful?
Jiro: It’s not about stress—it’s about efficiency. If my wardrobe is just green, there’s no room for unnecessary decisions.
Hiromi: But doesn’t that get a bit dull? A little variety wouldn’t hurt.
Jiro: Variety means deliberation. Deliberation means wasted time. Green works. Like in shopping. I walk into UNIQLO, I scan for green, grab it, and I’m out before the agony of choosing can set in.
Hiromi: Taking minimalism to the next level. Impressive… and alarming.
Jiro: It's just applied simplicity. Less decision fatigue, more mental energy for things that actually matter.
Hiromi: I feel like you’d wear green even if the only options were neon lime or mossy swamp.
Jiro: Within reason! I’m not going for any radioactive look.
Hiromi: Imagine if UNIQLO stopped selling green. Wouldn’t that be an existential crisis?
Jiro: I’d just find a new store—or stockpile enough green to last a lifetime.
Hiromi: If we ever go to a formal event, please don’t tell me you’ll just wear a green suit.
Jiro: I have limits. I can make exceptions for tuxedos.
____________
Voice-over
So Jiro’s system is based on eliminating unnecessary fashion choices, optimizing shopping efficiency, and avoiding daily wardrobe dilemmas. And green is a soothing color.
We all have books. Gabriel Zaid wrote a book about there
being too many books.
Don: Now you’re retired, what are you going to do with your books?
Carlo: My books, yes. Bit tricky that. Have to clear out my office. Don’t want
to throw them away. Don’t want to carry them with me. Dilemma.
Don: There are too many books in the world. Take up space. So said Zaid.
Carlo: Yes I even have his book. Bought it as a warning to myself. But my
books, they’re a map of what I’ve read, what I’ve thought.
Don: Why don’t do you something digital? Scan the ones you want keep, toss the
rest, and buy an e-book reader for books you buy from now on?
Carlo: I could do that. I might even do that. (burps)
__________
Voiceover
Carlo sounds willing but there is a concern about whether he is committed to Don's suggestion.
Carlo is 65 and likes to sit in the piazza drinking coffee with friends and passers-by.
A quiz to determine his commitment.
1. Are all your books worth reading?
A. None. B. A few. C. Many. D. Most. E. All.
2. Do you have books on your shelves you have bought but never opened?
A. All. B. Most. C. Many. D. A few.
E. None.
3. Do you judge people by the books they read?
A. Never. B. Occasionally. C. Sometimes. D. Frequently. E. Always.
4. What will you do with your books when you retire?
A. Throw all of them away.
B. Throw half, Keep half.
C. Dither.
D. Decide in principle but procrastinate.
E. Scan ones I want to keep, get an e-book reader.
Scoring for all questions:
A = 0; B = 1; C = 2; D = 3; E = 4
Scores:
0-5 A non-book, information person.
6-10 A bookish, information person.
11-15 A bookish, couldn’t care less about the delivery-medium, information-oriented
person.
16-20 A truly information-oriented person.
An extra question:
Do you turn off computer and TV and read A BOOK an hour before sleeping?
A. Never (Serious digital
dependency)
B. Occasionally (Sign of
digital dependency)
C. Sometimes (Avoidable
occasions are negotiated)
D. Frequently (Signs of a
mature skepticism about digital media)
E. Always (Congratulations!)
...
