On the decision to live away from society

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BananaMulcher
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On the decision to live away from society

Post by BananaMulcher »

There is a rant by a fellow New Englander which has remained in my mind ever since stumbling across it. He blasts the idea of extricating oneself from society to live peaceably in seclusion. As somebody who has actually gone through with such an endeavor, I have my own thoughts on the matter with varying diversion from his assertions. Nevertheless, I think he's right, in general.

A transcript of the response to the question "Is there anywhere else in the US you would consider setting up your home base?":
"I would like some degree of agitation. I feel like if you go into the woods, if you're surrounded by an idealic countryside. ... In New Hampshire, in New Hampshire they might even have more lawn signs in New Hampshire that say "In this house we believe science". Like, I get that you want to be surrounded by white people. But white people have a learning disability. If I had bought a farm in the middle of the woods where I was ready to cut my own firewood, and I'd made the decision to remove myself from society and I saw someone with a Planned Parenthood bumper sticker I would kill someone. Like, if I had a gun in my truck I was driving around. ... If I lived in New Hampshire and I had a gun and I saw somebody driving around with 'love is love' I'd shoot somebody.

So the thing about Rhode Island is that the stimulus is the information. Being surrounded, living in a shitty ghetto, it's not the worst place in the world. It's not like Harlem, I mean you're not going to get killed. But there's [stuff] like some guy who totaled his Suburban on oxycodones in my driveway. So it's like I look outside and I see 'Oh what are they up to today? What are these pieces of shit up to today?' and I see a school bus full of kids I'm like 'oh boy there's the rocket scientist transport, making me late! Here's the future brain surgeons and rocket scientists of America making me late for work!'. If you want to be a comedian the best thing you can probably do is work in a call center.

The worst thing you can do is go live in the woods and chop firewood and be nature man. Because you're going to lose touch with actuality fast. And you're going to get comfortable. I'd like to live comfortable someday but right now I need to be living on the edge of my fear."
In actuality, there tends to be fewer lawn signs and bumper stickers in the unpopulated north. Mostly by virtue of there being fewer people, but the signage you do see tends to be of those who remain trapped on the political spectrum with a conservative lean. The 'broken clock is still right twice a day' crowd IMO. And is it comfortable? Yeah, if you have a lot of money maybe. Otherwise it can be harrowing even. I still sometimes think about moving back to the city for it's reliable... anything. Until I remember how quickly the robots were turned into deputies of big pharma through a bout of propaganda.

But it is true that you lose your edge on the wider situations. I find I have little to share because there's really nothing to vent. I don't encounter stupidity out away from things. Even my drive to rant about tech has diminished simply because there is less agitation following less use of it. Everything that has made me "me", both here and in meatspace, I am slowly losing touch with. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.

:alien:
"It will make things difficult, if it becomes known among the peoples of the Weave that they have among them a new ally who happens to be immune to our particular kind of gentle persuasion."
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Re: On the decision to live away from society

Post by Sunfang »

BananaMulcher wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2023 12:22 am But it is true that you lose your edge on the wider situations. I find I have little to share because there's really nothing to vent. I don't encounter stupidity out away from things. Even my drive to rant about tech has diminished simply because there is less agitation following less use of it. Everything that has made me "me", both here and in meatspace, I am slowly losing touch with. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.
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Re: On the decision to live away from society

Post by BananaMulcher »

Well, not very balanced anymore. The thing about having a drive to do things in life I think requires there to be some motivating force pushing from behind.
"It will make things difficult, if it becomes known among the peoples of the Weave that they have among them a new ally who happens to be immune to our particular kind of gentle persuasion."
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