I think we’re “lazy” and have no urge to nest and generally have a utilitarian sensibility.

Lazy in the sense that we only think of bare essentials for most things, especially something like jogging. We don’t want to create more work for ourselves by dirtying more clothes than necessary, accessorizing, etc. We also generally just care a lot less about fashion and how people perceive us. Probably because we hardly even get noticed compared to women. It’s not like people are gawking if we wear the wrong bra. Women are more self conscious and care more in general about how they’re perceived.

The apartment comes with bare walls. Inertia is bare walls.

My wife likes putting everything on display. Like if there’s any surface, her urge is to cover it with what I call knickknacks, trinkets, and probably a dozen pictures. For me, it’s all clutter. Collects dust, creating a chore. If there’s an open wall she wants to hang stuff on it. She likes a wall of 100 small pictures, I’d prefer 1 large framed art. To me her way makes me feel things are chaotic. My way makes her feel it’s clinical and uninviting. We’ve found a balance that works for both of us. But I think if I were to psychoanalyze it, it’s rooted in the same thing that makes women’s brains always running/worrying and not understanding what men mean when they say “nothing” when asked “what are you thinking about?”

> What is it that appeals so much to young men about minimalism?

It's hard to generalize, and I myself am probably atypical here, but I suspect that most young men have their own 'little homely touches'. They might be less likely to run out and buy curtains or hang up pictures but I've seen things like random sports stuff (team merch or equipment that hasn't seen use in ages), old bear cans, action figures, books, guns, guitars, and the occasional dead animal displayed (or at least constantly left out and in view).

You're probably seeing utilitarianism in young men more than minimalism, however they do look very similar. The minimalism throughout the home of (many) single men quite often orients around one "high spec item", like a TV, PC, workspace, exercise setup.

I think in contrast (most) young women's homes have more social signalling in them, homely touches, which has its own benefit equal to or most likely greater than minimalism.

I can say myself that I've always been minimalistic. My flat was bare bones because I treat the place mostly as a place to eat and sleep between spending most of my time outdoors or away from home. As soon as my girlfriend moved in a few years back the flat went from everything white and minimalistic to being colourful. I'm glad there is more colour to the place and that somebody with an eye for it has taken charge of it, but I know if I went back to being single again tommorow I'd go back to not having much around the place.

At least for me, housing wasn't exactly stable in my early 20s. Flaky methhead roommates. Lease terminations. Getting laid off from an hourly wage job while living paycheck to paycheck. I've got a life of great privilege now but it wasn't always like that. I had to move frequently and even straight live out of my car a few times. I intentionally owned nothing more than I could pack inside of an hour and fit in the backseat of a '94 Civic because I actually had to pack up my life and fit it in the backseat of a '94 Civic more than once.

I figured some of it was socialization - women are often socialized to be mindful of our own comfort and aware of our emotional nerds. Men are socialized to ignore comfort.

One thing that's been wonderful to see has been men online sharing their living spaces and being told to get a plant and make their spaces homey. Guys should be encouraged to care for themselves and be happy and comfortable in their homes, regardless of the presence of women. It's really nice to see men actually taking care of themselves instead of living in sad helpless little minimalist hovels.