Necessities in Humanity
I was watching some seagulls on a pier, it seemed like they were just chillin', but after paying close attention it came to me that they were waiting for something, either food or some signal to do something or go somewhere. I also saw some dolphins cruising by the shoreline riding waves which amused me showing how playfulness is a natural part of living beings, yet it's probably only after they get their needs met that it becomes a possible option. Taking a look at the non-human animal kingdom you'll notice a constant grubbing for continual survival; rodents cleverly scavenging, lions on the prowl, termites swiftly invading a house, and beavers building a dam as a classic example. Homo sapiens seem to follow this same pattern and the question remains what make them human compared to the rest of animals.
The vast populations of civilization impacted by industrialization and the subsequent digital era has led to more production and consumption which instead of freeing up a great numbers of peoples lives, has created an environment where the wheel keeps spinning even faster. The limit of what is seen as necessary for a joyful existence has been pushed further to the point of no end. Duty and the sense of guiltiness for not getting in line with everyone else makes individuals conform, giving up their autonomy for a illusionary sense of security in the mass.
It's quite common to equate the pursuit of excellence as the pursuit of luxury or insatiable materialism, though this can be true, it's important to keep in mind that one man's view of luxury is another's impediment. Often times seeking leisure will come with a sacrifice with how you deal with the everyday world of consumerism. To be at leisure and have tons of possessions like the ancient Pharaohs, it requires persistence, ambition, and above all total responsibility for lots of things sometimes outside your control; on the other hand, if you want leisure yet prefer to live like the Romans and go through the journey with light baggage you'll find it easier to be "wealthy in proportion to the number of things you can afford to let alone" as Thoreau advised.
A sovereign lifestyle in which you control your time doing what you want to do without any obligations is what people think of as "retirement". On the contrary, retirement has no age as vast majority of those dependent on social security or pensions have come to believe. Many of these systems set up through imposition have the primary function of getting us ready or even embrace what Hobbes sees as the "nasty, brutish and short" realities of living. To me this is what actually living under the Leviathan comes to as opposed to how it is under any sort of independent social vernacular.
Being a non-utilitarian person, unconcerned too much about the daily and trivial practicalities of life that the animal kingdom is consumed by, and instead seeking the excellence and enjoyment outside the inhumanity of the world around us is sure way to become a superfluous man. If this is the cost then I will take it gratefully.
What's ironic is that this kind of freedom is actually so easy to achieve in this consumer society. All you need is a job, self discipline, and a mindset where you don't value materialistic things, therefore keeping your expenses down to just what you need. The money keeps coming in as long as you just put one foot in front of the other, and pretty soon you're free.
Yeah that's true! You don't have to like this utilitarian/consumerist society but you can take advantage of it at the same time, which is nice and ironic as you say. It's sort of like falling through the cracks in a good way.
Great post! I think the sad part, IMO, is that we could all live like kings, and have that freedom you speak of , but it would require a death of greed. @markrmorrisjr
Exactly, though the other route is still there and might even be sweeter. Thanks for reading!
Or just my economical-system!
Yeah, something like that.
That is something I always say with respect to the current evolution of human societies, which has been carried out for approximately 200 or 300 years, and that is that we are taking a path away from nature, that we it becomes strongly dependent on artificial devices and the State.
Before, people were close to the strategic places where they hunted, sowed or harvested food, always staying close to the precious water, that's why almost all the capitals of the world are close to the coast.
But now it is not like that, what makes many areas, regions and even countries depend on the correct functioning of the system, this creates us needs that we did not have before, many more. In Venezuela, in the current crisis that occurs in the country, people who are in the interior of the country, have had problems feeding themselves, because food is scarce and they are in regions where they naturally do not have the capacity to extract enough food for their population.
What I want to say, without detracting from the subject, is that societies that are structured on a base so far from nature, make the people who live in them become extremely dependent on these societies to pass the time, creating artificial needs in many people because they are out of their natural state.
I agree with what your saying. This problem of moving away from nature has brought innovation in various spheres of civilization though at what costs? Like you say, the main result has been an over dependence on systems including the State and even general technology in order to sustain proper living conditions.
I personally cannot agree with this. Can you define what is the maximium distance from this "nature" were human is still able too keep their "natural state"? Isn't ant queen isolated from nature? Do you think that crow does not see it's own nest as artificial? And what is "artificial need"? Should we live like animals, only feeding our selfs?
There's a balance of course. But if you look at much of civilization, especially recently since the industrial revolution, humanity has given itself solely to the pursuit of material wealth and hyper -productivity at the expense of what was more traditional values like morality, manners, intellect, and beauty.
I don't buy to traditions, but that hyper productivity is part of this labor worshipping, that Hannah Arendt talks about in a Human Condition. I don't realy understand this "balance" part, as I personally believe in never ending process that needs to be embraced. I see all this talking about balance as a idea that we somehow have to "sacrifice" something from our own good to serve some kind of greater good. I believe that we can all benefit by "embracing the process". I would also dare to make a claim that this balance talking is in it self some form of number-cruncing. Some kind of attempt to find some kind of "perfect, and absolute values".
There is no greater good really, only what you think will benefit yourself-egoism if you will. What do you mean by "embracing the process". Which process?
It's relative to the individual, values can't be deduced into some statistical framework. GDP, growth, utilization of capital, employment, and anything else related to utilization of goods and services on the other hand, have all been used as a measure of absolute values even if people don't say it has. Many things in society are based on how things fit into this statistical-economical framework which is done by planners trying to "perfect humanity".
I believe into this idea were we live in universal "infinite" process. The process is subject, not object. Have you happened to read "The Theory Of Mind As a Pure Act"? I have been reading that, and it should reveal little bit more what I am talking about (alltough I have noticed that there are possible errors). This process can be proven by the fact that everything eventually crumbles, only absolute is process it self. It should also be pointed out that we move in the space who knows where, spinning on this planet that is rotating around it self and circulating sun. We can see plants grow and die, evolve in the process. I believe that this process is absolute good, that is everything and everywere. However we cannot realy know it, as mind is incabable of containing it self, since everytime we think of something, it is pulled from universal process and turned into an object.
Interesting stuff, another thing will have to look into.
When you talk about about this infinite process it sounds a lot to me like just plainly talking about the "nature of things", the absolute relation of things to one another, that can't be defined in precise terms. Though like you say, perhaps it's something that we cant know for sure. I then wonder the consequences of such understanding.
I recommend reading "The Theory Of Mind As A Pure Act" by Gentile Giovanni. What draw me to this was need to understand italian-fascism. I wrote a blog post some time ago about how this fascism failed to embrace process, that it was suppose to embrace. Even Gentile Giovanni believed in fascism, and has been revealed to been a ghost writer of small part of "Doctrine Of Fascism".
It's exactly like @superfluousman said, it's about the balance, this does not mean that we should reject the technology or the advances, these have existed the whole story, it means that we should start using them in a responsible way in which we can benefit from them without basing our existence in these artificial devices, be it the State or technology.
Beautifully expressed Superfluous Man.
I prefer to forego many of the niceties of the consumer world for greater freedom.
Live everyday as if it were Saturday and retirement becomes irrelevant.
xox
Thanks!
It's really that simple, if only more people saw it that way.
Humans are supposed to be evolved but these days we are acting as if we are back to level 1 animal. Most of the animals stop hunting or eating when they are full...as most of them are present-focused.
It is true that we can easily get sucked into the trivial practicalities of life, or we can just do our part not to contribute to the evilness of the world.
Very true, the arrogance of humans is what brings them down that level. Sometimes it seems that not all homo sapiens are actually humans, if you know what I mean.
Maybe this goes hand-in-hand?
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Thanks.
Have you happened to have read Hannah Arendt's Human Condition? Great book that touches this subject. In it Hannah Arendt explains that we live in a time were labor is put above work and action.
I've heard of it, and Arendt as always been a curiosity to me. If thats what the book talks about it's probably very interesting, I will have to put that on my reading list, thanks for the recommendation
That is a book that got me thinking. I find it fantastic how she is able back-track what is happening now all the way to Jesus Christ. It would also possibly open up little bit more what I am trying to say, because I must admit I haven't been too good at expressing my ideas.
You are right, the vast populations of civilization impacted by industrialization.