The Need to Complete the Cycle
In prehistoric times—science is finding—affluence was abundant. Affluence was not in the way we think of it today—with an almost compulsive need to have many things either because we “like” them or because we fear we may need them. The paleolithic human didn’t need to have everything, or even less, duplicates of things. There was confidence in the ability to borrow from another (social relationships) or make something on the spot as necessary (self-sufficiency). In modern times, we have lost the ability to have either one of those conditions met. We are increasingly isolated from intimate relationships upon which we can rely on in times of need. And in a world with a store on every corner selling everything from furniture to trinkets, we are no longer capable of making just about anything.
Why do we buy things we don’t need?
We actually don’t buy things, we buy the feeling that we have when we own those things. Every purchase we’re making is emotional. We buy a birthday cake because we like the feeling while sharing it with our loved ones, for example. We never really buy what we believe we’re buying! And being aware of this, trying to be conscious about every purchase we make, could be the first step towards freeing ourselves from this compulsive need to have so many things without any real connection to the self!
So where does that leave us?
Should we go back in time and live like our prehistoric kin? Do we give up all our material possessions and live like monks? Isn't evolution about moving forward?
The more I read, the more I realize that the first humans may have had a better quality of life. Their weakness was a lack of awareness of this quality. They were so far into it, that I don't think they could not see it. When other types of technology arrived, such as agriculture, this is why they were easily tempted away from their lives of leisure and contemplation in harmony with nature.
The modern world has lost the connection to nature, and as such our biophilic needs are no longer met. And yet, there is a growing movement of awareness of the need to reacquire our Stone Age Economics. We do this not by limiting what we have, but by no longer wanting what we don’t need. I believe we have the ability today to look at the different options of life and consciously choose which ones we want, something our primitive cousins lacked. Once that choice is made—effectively balancing conscious awareness and connection to nature—no amount of temptation will take us out of that blissful lifestyle.
Could this be enlightenment? Could it be when you consciously choose your priorities in such a way that you want for very little material needs and can spend a large portion of your time in social, artistic, and intellectual pursuits? Maybe reconnecting with our inner selves and with nature around us is the solution?
What do you think, Stone Age Economics or Modern Economics?
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://tigrillagardenia.com/2018/06/need-to-complete-cycle/
I agree completely. It has been my dream for some time (and crypto gives me hope it may come true) of buying some land away from the city, ditch most of the technology and relearn what it is to be a man in nature again. Working the soil while I reconnect with the trees and bushes.
This technology is killing our health and killing our souls. EMF poisoning, pesticide poisoning, I could just keep filling in all the unnatural ways we have been led to that has caused the world to be in a state of dis-ease.
I wonder if getting out of the city is the answer or would it be better to transform our cities? I tried to get out, but there are many things a city affords that I really miss, which is why I started working on projects that bring nature back into the city in a substantial way.
Technology can be wonderful, but we have to find the balance. Cities with lots of green spaces, community gardens, time for reflection and contemplation... that is my dream. I want to see us bring back the feeling that we have everything or can make anything we need, therefore we can sit back and enjoy everything we have, instead of feeling like we have to run to "get more".
What do you think?
My vision can no longer include the cities. Those who own them and view their fellow humans as cattle have created zones called cities that purposely create dis-ease and illness of body and mind alike. I can no longer view what they sell us as food, the harmful EMF pollution they force upon us as being the actions of ignorance. Everywhere they control becomes polluted as they try to now even dictate in some areas ones ability to capture rainwater, produce their own electricity, even sell ones own belongings without permission (permit).
I want to find some semblance of balance and believe the only way this will be accomplished for myself and those immediately within my sphere of influence will be to leave the cancerous areas and rediscover what it is to be a man free of those impediments. A man relearning to live with the world away from its concrete jungles and poisons foisted as advancement.
You speak of balance which I am after. The rulers of the farm are insistent that there is to be no balance. The sweat of the livestock can't be exploited if there is balance. Our sickness is the margins they profit from.
I completely understand where you are coming from, but unfortunately, those things also happen in the countryside. There are regulations, rules, permitting processes.... all created by humans because we thought it was the right thing to do at the time. All created by us. I urge you to not make this an "me" against "them" thing, as it may block you from finding inclusive solutions that unite humanity in biophilic bliss!
We need both cities and countryside. We need places that are built with a new model in mind. Things are changing; I see the change when I go into cities to work on new projects. There are cities with more green, food gardens are once again becoming common place, and there is an awareness that the roots of our dis-ease come from our own actions.
If for you the answer lies in the countryside, by all means go! Go out and create something wonderful, hopefully with others so you can share the bounty. For others, the answer lies in the cities, and we need them too, otherwise nothing will change. We need to be active participants in the creation of a better tomorrow, where ever we are!