Thoughts on society, and what it means to me

[~Corsair#01~]

There are obvious benefits to society- you can get things you cannot personally produce, you are protected from crime, you can own things, and on and on the list goes. There is, however, one downside- freedom. You have none.
Sure you do, you say. After all, you can say what you like, live where you want, and choose whether or not to work, and where to work.
But, such things are extremely minor, and many of things aren't as true as they seem. You have to work, or you starve. You are imprisoned by your possessions, if you don't work you lose them, and the more you have the less you are able to let go of them. You can't work where you want, you work where you can. And no matter what you do, work is work.

Most people have no problem with this, after all, the benefits we gain from this are so immense- they more than justify the cost.
But not to me. The thought of working my whole life scares the hell out of me. Seriously, I know I'm lazy, but I HATE work. More than anything. To me, the cost of society is too high.

So I started thinking- what if I could benefit from society, without paying the price?/I]
I started thinking- would a hobo's life be the life for me?
Let's see:
Pros: Freedom
No work (except begging)

Cons: No social life
No money
No house
No car
No family

So, is it worth it? The answer, most people would agree, is NO.

...But I'm not most people. I don't want a social life, a house, a car and I don't want a family. This may sound odd, but this is how I feel. To me, society has two benefits:
1.Food, clothing and other basic essentials (like Healthcare)
2.Music, books etc.

1 can be obtained through charity/ homeless shelters etc.
Some of 2, like books and interet access, can be obtained from libraries, free of charge. Music is a different matter, but I believe I could beg enough for batteries for a CD player, and maybe a new CD every 5 months or so.
The other things I would need, like a sleeping bag, I could purchase before starting my hobohood.

What are your thoughts on this as a way of life? Bear in mind what I have said that I don't care about social life/ possessions etc. and that I hate work.

I am not interesting in things like: "Ha! You wouldn't last 5 minutes on the streets!", I want to see the flaws in the idea, and constructive criticism.
I have mentioned this to people, and their general response is: "People can't
live without work! We need it, otherwise our life has no meaning."
I don't the opinions of others to give my life meaning, thanks.

 

[Timko]

Are there any jobs that you would consider to be not too much work? Like rasing a few sheep?

Pros:
Wool
Easy to win arguments

Cons:
Noisy bleating
Need to get used to the smell
Can't be allergic to wool

 

[Timko]

If you are really serious then maybe you should try backpacking abroad to see if you like not being around people you know, living on beans, not having electricity, etc. Otherwise maybe you should find some line of work where you do as little as possible but gives you just enough money for a minimum standard of living.

 

[carlosMM]

care to guess what level of health care you will rceive in almost all states?

care to guess what food you will be able to get? And what joys you thus will miss?

 

[El Justo]

sounds like a desire for communal life to me

i totally disagree. why should one shackle themself like that? no choices? no options? no opportunity for social/economic advancement? it's like being stuck in first gear.

 

[Scrimshaw]

Even bumming around you still have no real freedom as you seek it.

You still need to find food which will only be harder to get as a hobo.
You still need shelter at times. You may find you spend large chunks of your day finding a place to go to to clean up and get out of rain or whatever.
You still need sleep and a place to do it without being robbed or killed in your sleep.

I still see life as a bum as far more depressing,, dangerous, boring and trapped existence with no more and no less freedom then the rest of us.

 

[IglooDame]

An interesting question.

What do you do for fun right now? If you had the next two weeks off completely and unlimited money, how would you spend your time?

Personally, I do not live to work, I work to live. I am doing something I happen to enjoy (fixing/maintaining computer networks) and getting paid reasonably well for it. The pay allows me to live comfortably, provide food/shelter/etc for my loved ones, and engage in a few hobbies.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

I hope to live somewhere where there is free state health care (something like the NHS).
As far as the food I'd get... well, it would be enough to live on, that's all that matters.
And safety would be a problem, but I'm sure I'd be OK. I hope to spend as much time as possible away from the cities, only entering civilization to renew library books, get food and beg. I'd do my sleeping in a wooded area about a mile from the city.

Why would I need "advancement"? Is that slang for "more money"? I am not interested in material possessions, except food. And maybe clothes/batteries and other basic stuff.

And being a bum would have freedom, at least in the sense I would have far more free time to think. And freedom to me, is freedom to do what I like. True, I would still be limited, but it's enough freedom for me to be happy.

And I have tried backpacking accomodation, and I've always felt I'd be happier on the streets than in a youth hostel.

As for that sheep raising job... if I can find one, I'll take it. But if it involves anything other than moving sheep from one field to another peiodically, then no.

 

[IglooDame]

I hope to live somewhere where there is free state health care (something like the NHS).
As far as the food I'd get... well, it would be enough to live on, that's all that matters.
And safety would be a problem, but I'm sure I'd be OK. I hope to spend as much time as possible away from the cities, only entering civilization to renew library books, get food and beg. I'd do my sleeping in a wooded area about a mile from the city.

Why would I need "advancement"? Is that slang for "more money"? I am not interested in material possessions, except food. And maybe clothes/batteries and other basic stuff.

And being a bum would have freedom, at least in the sense I would have far more free time to think. And freedom to me, is freedom to do what I like. True, I would still be limited, but it's enough freedom for me to be happy.

And I have tried backpacking accomodation, and I've always felt I'd be happier on the streets than in a youth hostel.

As for that sheep raising job... if I can find one, I'll take it. But if it involves anything other than moving sheep from one field to another peiodically, then no.

I have spent many an hour standing watch in a circumstance where watchfulness is unnecessary, and as a fellow imaginative thinker I can tell you: it gets boring. You solve half the world's problems in the first couple weeks, decide the rest are just the fault of stupid people, and it isn't long before you're doubling back and travelling the same mental ground. Being lazy, I'm probably better at boredom management than most, but in the end boredom is still boredom.

 

[Pointlessness]

If you have all the money you need, than you do not need to remain dependent on society. So what you need to do is to retire early. And if you send me 4 easy payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling, I can teach you how to make more money than you ever imagined! It is that simple!

 

[carlosMM]

As for that sheep raising job... if I can find one, I'll take it. But if it involves anything other than moving sheep from one field to another peiodically, then no.

give Spain a try!