Published on 12, July, 2020
Work, consume, die and never question why
I believe this is what we are being taught every day. Children at school are not taught to learn, develop, think for themselves and have enquiring minds. They are taught to become part of the system, good little cogs in the wheel, and never question why. Im a teacher so I know this first hand
In adulthood we are taught that the only way to happiness is by acquiring posessions. We are taught we need big houses, nice cars, designer clothes and endless updated technology to be happy. The I phone 14 will soon be out and no doubt Apple will be convincing all the millions that it has technology that wasn't in the first 13 phones, your old phone is now completely inferior and you really need this new one and the £50 a month direct debit contract to be happy! We always need bigger TVs and faster broadband. I find it interesting that in this cost of living crisis (which I am suffering from myself, having lost my job and had my energy bills tripled) the one thing people cannot live without is their smartphones. I honestly think people would rather starve or freeze than give up their phones. Some I think would rather not be able to feed their kids properly than give up their phone. I have just bought a £6 basic LG texting and calling phone from Oxfam and I couldn't be happier with it. We dont need this stuff, its just a marketing trick! I have an old iphone that I dont pay a penny for and just connect to the wi fi to reply to whats app messages but I am thinking of selling it.
Social media deadens the human mind. Endless scrolling has a numbing, almost hypnotising effect and reduces human intelligence. We numb ourselves with social media and endless expensive subscriptions to streaming services where we "consume content"
If you support a football team you have to buy a £70 piece of cheap polyester every few months to show you support them. You have to pay a £120 for a pair of shoes worth £20 just cos it has a tick on the side.
You are bombarded with adds for deliveroo and uber eats to buy endless takeaways and then bombarded with further adds to pay £50 a month to join a gym to get fit again afterwards. Gyms are the biggest con of all. £50 direct debit to do the same exercises indoors that you can do outdoors in the fresh air for free
The only way to acquire all this stuff you "need to be happy" is to work every hour under the sun at a job you hate and never leave it for your whole life. Of course even then you still cant afford everything so you will need the greatest con of all, credit cards, to buy this stuff. You then get into debt and become even more enslaved to the system as then you can never leave your job or you wont be able to pay your debts.
Guess what....... Its all a con! You dont need any of this stuff to be happy and the human race has survived for thousands of years living a simple life without any of it. None of this stuff brings happiness and the more you chase it the more unhappy you will get.
I am trying to change my life and escape the system. Once you see through it all you can never view life the same again
I'd really love to escape the system but I often feel my hands are tied. I don't need the latest gadgets or regular holidays or a new car, that much is true. But I do value having the resources - and let's face it these are very often financial - to access the things I believe will be helpful or genuinely improve our lives in sme way.E.g. I find gardening really therapeutic. I'm sure I could go forage for a few bits and pieces or it might be possible, especially if I were a younger or healthier person (I'm getting further and further away from being that!), to live in a caravan, camper van or small hut somewhere, alongside nature, join a commune or even do a bit of a "Good Life" makeover on our situation. In gardening groups, every so often someone will comment on how cheap gardening is, usually on the basis that you just need to buy a few packets of seeds and off you go. But really, land ownership is instantly a problem, either acquiring it or gaining access rights when someone else has already acquired it. Even when I watch Gardeners' World (which I know probably isn't the best programme as it's too mainstream) there often seems to be a lot of classism, inequality and privilege lurking not so far in the background. So Charles is praised for all his "work" at Highgrove, Heseltine proudly shows the audience around his ample garden and Monty himself can do an awful lot of self sufficient stuff at Longmeadow while most of us have to make do with our "shortmeadow" version, if we have access at all. The presenters often tell us that we can go to big gardens or estates for ideas to use on a smaller scale (for our window box, presumably?) but it's really not as easy as that. The best, most exiting self sufficiency projects need space. And, although I loved the Good Life and would want to emulate that in whatever ways I can, I'd need more information on how to acquire that property with a sizeable garden in the first place. It seems to me that Tom first of all had to toe the line and take a conventional job for them to get into that position. And likewise I'd need some serious money to buy my first smallholding. Another example: I'd also like to be able to help my family (some of them are really struggling). But even when it comes to basic mental health care and indeed an autism diagnosis, if that is felt to be helpful, the NHS waits are often far too long. I really appreciate the NHS and will use that first. It also aligns with my principles and going privately sticks in my throat. But when my family are suffering, I do the best I can. And I was really glad to be able to afford a private assessment for one family member. Time, in this case, was of the essence. My principles went down the drain and what we needed was money.
It's all wrong, utterly wrong, I know. The game is rigged. But sadly I've found that when I opt out things get worse for me and mine. Low income = fewer choices = reduced happiness. :(
I tend not to chase happiness per se. And I'm not an adman's dream. I think I recognise the con and yet I'm still bound by it in many ways. All I'm left with is my voting rights (Bye bye Heseltine and your ilk!) and a bit of protesting/activism (joined Republic and a few other groups that align with my beliefs) plus a few local acts of defiance - I have my seed bombs ready for appropriate areas plus do a bit of phantom planting when I can (fruit trees usually).
The latest iphone, concert tickets or clothes might as well not exist for me. But one day I might save enough to buy a field and create a community orchard. :)
What a thoughtful and interesting reply. I really get what you are saying about gardening. I spend a few years watching The Good Life and dreaming of living that way. However, at the time me and my wife were living in my parents house, unable to afford to even rent a flat of our own so the idea of your own house and garden that you could do all that with seemed a distant dream. I was able to grow a few potatotes and carrots in my parents garden however.
I think it is a very good point you make that Tom had to tow the line for a long time to get into a position to do what he did. I dont think the self sufficent life is something you can go out and live at 18 and less you are extremely fortunate in your background or life circumstances.
We have now been blessed enough to have a council house and a small garden so I am hoping next year I can do a bit more.
I agree with you about not being able to opt out completely. For instance I dont want to have home internet or sky TV but since me and my wife both work from home and couldnt do our jobs without the internet it is unavoidable and, as a sports writer, it would be pretty difficult for me to write about sports if I didnt have sky TV to watch them.
I have managed to make small steps like getting rid of my smartphone contract and things like taht. Im doing it a bit at a time and certainly feeling a lot freer.
I think the most important thing though isnt necessarily a complete change of life but instead a change of mindset. Once you mentally step outside the system and realise that none of the things you are being told matter actually matter and that you dont need all the stuff society tells you you need you can feel freer in your mind and change your life even if you cannot completely change your way of life if that makes sense
I like your idea of a community orchard, that sounds lovely and I hope you achieve your dream someday
Yes, for me it has been a rather painful process of adjusting and compromising. Now, nearing 60, I'm very weary of it and I'd really like to make the "field dream" a reality. Or maybe my phantom planting will take off as people benefit from the free fruit. And yes again. The mindset needs to change. It doesn't alter the fact that I'm living in a small semi in a suburban area with minimal space for gardening. But my dwarf potted fruit trees (on the smallest rootstock I could find) are loaded with fruit this year. :)