Why Earlham's Principles + Practices lend themselves to the EEAP Project
the following is an excerpt from the main text of Earlham College's Principles and Practices document which was revised in 2005 and approved by the student body, faculty, president, and the Board of Trustees
Article IV. Simplicity
The Quaker testimony of simplicity may be the least well-understood tenet. Simplicity implies clarity, calm, and focus, rather than distraction, stress, and excess. Lacking simplicity, our lives begin to lack integrity, and we become “not a single self, but a whole committee of selves,”1 pulled in many different directions by so many needs, wants, and desires.
Simplicity allows us to make right and appropriate use of all our resources, whether human or environmental. It enables us to discern what is really necessary and essential for our happiness and the well-being of others, and to seek a life that is whole and sustainable.
Practicing Simplicity
Living simply “cannot by reduced to lists of what is permitted or proscribed.” In a culture that has made a virtue of consumption and overcommitment, the principle of simplicity challenges us to use and choose with care. We are led by this principle to be good stewards of all our resources, including our own time, energy, and talents, as well as the human and natural resources so unequally distributed throughout the world. We strive to make only just and reasonable demands on the time and resources of others, and to model balanced lives for those around us. Quakers often refer to the notion of centering as an intentional focus on both our inner spiritual life and regular examining of our priorities.
Queries
Do I make thoughtful and intentional choices, considering what is important to my well-being and to those around me?
Do I try to keep my commitments in a healthy balance?
Do I find joy in a clear and focused inner life?
Am I careful about how I use both human and environmental resources?
Do I consider what the “right amount” is in whatever I use?
Do we as a community work for an environmentally responsible and sustainable future?
