Life Simple
I've been spending a lot of time with a friendly Brazilian called Edwardo, who's been traveling for 8 years. Something that came up was that traveling shows you how simple life actually is. What do we really need to be able to live?
Life is simple. So far, it seems that human life is the same wherever you are. Everybody wants friends, to be healthy, and to have fun, and money to enable things to happen. Gross simplification, but conceding big cultural differences, the basics don't really seem to change.
And so mortages and life insurance and DVDs and too much food and drink and new things and too many cars and faster broadband ETC may be nice, but they are certainly not necessary.
The simple life is good.
- warmth: clothes and shelter
- nutrition: food and drink
- healthcare
- friendship
Life is simple. So far, it seems that human life is the same wherever you are. Everybody wants friends, to be healthy, and to have fun, and money to enable things to happen. Gross simplification, but conceding big cultural differences, the basics don't really seem to change.
And so mortages and life insurance and DVDs and too much food and drink and new things and too many cars and faster broadband ETC may be nice, but they are certainly not necessary.
The simple life is good.
posted by kit at 12:14
7 Comments:
Interesting stuff. I'd like to do the simple life thing - but temporarily, I think...
Why only temporarily?
This is something I'm wrestling with.
Because I think I like my comforts too much...!
I suspect if I were to do without them I'd feel differently.
yo k... spent most of the summer thinking about a 'lifestyle of simplicity'... but guess what happened? got caught up in life again.. sigh.. how i long for a simplistic life. sounds lie you are havin an awesome time.. so jealous but so glad for you at the same time! enjoy, and be safe and healthy.. love fellow k
Hey! I think the simple ife is the way forward - but I couldn' do it forever - there are important things to be done! Living simply is quality BUT chances are travelling around forever isn't going to help others, diminish the effects of poverty or bring hope to people (this is an assumption...). Unless you figure out something remarkable. That said it still appeals greatly!
K, so good to hear from you! What are you donig now? I think Dave has got a point about impacting the world. I thought about getting married to a girl in Laos and thereby getting Lao citizenship, and living off nuts and berries until the end. But, and this is related to the discussion on buddhism, something in me wants to engage with normal people in the West, my home, to make a difference there that will benefit people all over the world.
So maybe the challenge is to live more simply in the context of our everyday lives, as opposed to ejecting ourselves from society altogether (almost).
Hey bro,
I have to say, having just decided to go backpacking for 30 days I'm actually with Dave on this one. I think life would be great if I could just slip away into a far off country and live simply, and the western life at times sickens me. But, I think that to spend a lifetime travelling, thinking and chilling if marginally self-centered, regardless of how ground-breaking your thoughts may be. For myself the challenge is to utilise these thoughts and live alongside the people who may be suffering as a result of all kinds of poverty (ovbiously not just financial), and only then will I gain respect and love for the attitudes I have towards life, and may be have a little impact upon my world. I dunno, I'm on nights again so may just be wittering!
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home