You don't have to live that way. There are plenty of wide-open places around where you can just spend your time surviving. No electric lights, no running water, no toilets, no showers, etc. where you can build your own shelter from the elements, shoot/gather your food, shit in the woods and wipe your ass with whatever you can find, wash yourself and your clothes in cold creek water, and you won't have to work for "the man." Let me know how you like it.
I am here to consume resources, process them then paint my toilet at least twice a day. I am also here to drive my fast car very fast.
You may be right. Our purpose is to discover our purpose. To make our lives real by following what excites us, with integrity, being the best we can be. As for the monks, well, in a way they have opted out of all this, and yet they still make use of what they feel makes things easier for them. Perhaps it is nice not to have to concern yourself with the usual daily grind, but I suspect that for most, giving up what has become 'essential' would be almost impossible. Many of the monks live in areas where it is traditional, and where often the young are raised to be monks, and reveal that in many ways it is simply a learned behaviour, and better to learn it when young. Not all feel called to live the simple life, but many come out of poor families who know they will always have a roof and never go hungry. It is considered the highest path by many. While I doubt we will all choose this type of life, many do later on, once they become dissatisfied with what they have. To truly let go of the need for more, the latest, the shiniest, is a good thing. Most will never know what it means to do so.
What you described is the current accepted model of American society. Obviously your frame of reference is off, it is built by routine and systematic programming of citizens. That's what they call them citizens, obviously you are not one. A citizen has become an autonomous cell in an economic super organism. If you haven't realized your individual is transcended by larger societal constructs such as families, towns, and countries. Here comes the fun part ! No matter how little you depend on the system, such as you posting on this here internet thingy, yes this website you like grass city don't you? It's very existence depends on this big intricate organism thriving. Computers wouldn't exist without this system spawning into being. Hehehe, where are we at now, well it brings us to you can say "ahh fuckin paper mulah maynne" but it is just a system of facilitating exchange of goods and services. Without that god damned paper money your post and the internet wouldn't exist ! and there would be no way for a country to thrive and advance ! Fuckin mental.
The monkey climbs down out of the tree to contemplate his own navel. After a few thousand years of this he gets pretty good at it; so much so that he fails to see that he is standing on railroad tracks and there is a commuter train speeding toward him. Keep it simple; we are here for each other, to perpetuate the species. Toward what end? That is another question entirely.
What kids like you -- and a lot of older Americans need -- is a reality check. Americans are so spoiled, so over-fed, have so much spendable income that they bitch about things that most people in the world can't relate to. Let's suppose someday a foreign power invades ("It can't happen here! We have the most powerful military in the world!" -- yeah well, so did Britain, so did Rome, so did Spain, etc.) and destroys the infrastructure. You have no running water, no showers, no toilet, no drinking water. No electricity, no lights, no phones. Gas stations have no gas, and even if they did, they have no electric so they can't pump it. So somebody hooks a generator up to their pumps. The line to get gas would be miles long, and before your turn came up they would be out of gas anyway. The supermarkets are closed; they have no power. Meat, milk, produce has all been thrown out and dogs, cats, rats, and other vermin are crawling through it. You have to spend every waking hour getting potable water and food. And because your house was blown up you have to find shelter somehow. Hopefully you are not in the north in the middle of winter. If even a fraction of the above happened, Americans would suddenly realize what life is really about, what is important and what isn't. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, they're clueless.
All you're saying is that life is about survival. And btw I'm not American. I don't care that that is your understanding of life, that we must survive and be grateful. Tbh I don't care if people are dying and hungry, it does not affect me; however supposing that it did, my life's purpose would be to solve that problem and help people in that situation. But what I'm talking about is the purpose that we serve: survival is biological, but everything else is mental, it can be anything, as of right now the whole western world is caught up in the philosophy of futility; because no one can find a purpose or a need they fill the void with wanting tangible things and consumption goods which forces people to work. And what you say is true, to some extent, life is about survival, but only physically... The rest is mental satisfaction... What satisfies you, me and everyone else?
So do you or do you not like the advances that came about with the current structure? Don't go hypocrite on me now. There are problems with the humans performing the functions of the society, problems can be examined and fixed.
I can't say that I do. Of course I like being able to use the Internet and have ease of access to a lot of things but I've never been able to experience anything other than that. There is this aboriginal guy that hates the fact that he has ready meat, running water, electricity and stuff because he found that more fulfilling, he had the opportunity to experience both. And as I'm writing this I'm realizing I won't be able to have the opportunity without disappointing people around me and also giving up this opportunity. Explain in laymen's terms brotha
Imho, this is almost completely wrong. Commodities, items, and tangible instruments, contrived and, disseminated, in order to benefit man, in what every kind of way (personal, social, universal, etc.,), are not a consequence of paper money (are you kidding me?); seeing as there is a much more fundamental ground in which human organization, cooperation, comradery, etc., remains based -- which is, human NEED. So computers, radios, telephones, or whatever modern device you can think of, etc., are not actually a production stemming from our love for money [the incentive of money itself is subordinate to other, more, fundamental incentives], but our love for our selves and our lives; yet that is not to say some people, or some class of people, do not take it upon themselves to systematically regulate, and govern, human affairs, and the objects or the things of such affairs (such as trade, communication, schooling, religion, banking institutions, etc.,), in perpetuity.
You obviously do not understand the perspective I convey. Time. Paper Money. Today. Without having paper currency come about in the past, I would not be typing on this non-existent Internet. I am honoring it's cause in the grand scheme. You are conjecture from an odd frame of reference. How can you not see your hypocrisy, is it hatred that blinds you?
I think our reason for living is to experience. I believe we all have souls (most of us anyways), that are from other worlds. I think of the body as a portal, or a tool. All of our senses make us able to experience this world in all ways. Life is crazy, and doesn't make sense. I don't understand why anything is here, or how it came to be. But we are here, for some reason I suppose. Or none at all. But I agree, the life that humans think they should be living isn't very fulfilling. It makes me sad. There's so much to experience and we're all so held back by materials and money. I am amazed everyday of how the hell this life thing really exists. It's so complex, and hurts my brain to think about. But what I've learnt since I've graduated high school (8 months ago), is its all about the experience. I don't have a job yet. I'm so sickened by this machine we live in that I've made myself unable to. But it hasn't stopped me from living at all. Actually, I think I've learnt more in these months then I ever did in school. I don't want to be apart of society, it's a trap. So much is lies and corruption. We're such a destructive species, but we have the ability to connect with the world and see everything as it is.. But most people don't. I don't know, just my thoughts. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
to experience happiness and the instinct to live. sometimes the lack of happiness outweighs the instinct to live tho and we get suicides. however we have to be unhappy (important to note by unhappy im not saying sad) in order to appreciate the times when you are happy. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
The simplest answer I can give is based on the 8 necessities of life. 1)Maintain boundaries. 2) Movement. 3) Respond to the environment. 4) Digest. 5) Excrete. 6) Metabolism-speed-time-experience the passage of time. 7)Reproduce. 8) Grow. That's all I've got for you. That's all life is.
"we turned more of our time to work rather than enjoyment of life" so houses,cars,good food,internet,tv,dirtbikes etc is not enjoyment? i think we have it much better than cave men who had to spend all day looking for food when we can just go to the fridge and get it out.... also if you invest your time in school so you can have a good job which makes lots of money your slave days will end much sooner