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Comment by parl_match | Hacker News Reader

There's a certain emphasis, by people of a certain type of religiousness, on focusing heavily on the base needs of a person instead of "worldly" desires. I don't mean this in a condescending way, I'm having trouble expressing how it manifests. It's sort of a focus on the gifts God gave us and the way he wants us to live. I'm not religious btw, but I think I understand the mindset.

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I don't think religiousness is a prerequisite or an indicator for the mindset of enjoying the simple things in life or quality craftsmanship. Perhaps religious people are more likely to use religion to rationalize these proclivities.

Well said - I think of Quaker (edit: I meant Shaker) furniture as a great example of this.

In areas that have them, Amish roofers are known for top-quality workmanship, period dot.

As a Quaker I appreciate the callout, but you probably mean Shaker furniture. The Religious Society of Friends isn't known for their carpentry.

Known for something even better though; banning a certain practice from their society more than a decade before the Constitution was ratified.

Since my kitchen cabinets are "modified Shaker," I appreciate this.

There's something about simple design that you can appreciate without being in any way religious. Christopher Alexander tries to get at it.

D'oh - thank you, you are correct. I was thinking of Shaker furniture.

That said, I also admire the Quakers for their values.

It sounds like by "base needs", you mean basic, or foundational needs. Like, making sure that people have food, water and shelter. Which makes sense, if the foundation is strong, you can build a lot on top of it.

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