UTNE #3

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From the Nov-Dec 98 UTNE READER, "The Stuff of Life", by Scott Russell Sanders.

Whenever the author returns from a backcountry trip he is dismayed by the clutter of too many appliances, clothes and obligations. He longs for a life where one's belongings and commitments are few in number and high in quality.

He feels that our evolutionary hunter/gatherer history has shaped us to gather more of everything so that it could be shared with the tribe. That our ability to gather more than our ancestors is not because we are greedier but because we have harnessed mechanical power which has made it easier to pile up wealth and pursue our desires.

Mr. Sanders feels that if our problem is the result of evolution we should shift our focus from a material to a spiritual growth. We should live modestly and share our surplus with others. Instead of spending time accumulating possessions and being frenzied by activites we should use the time to be involved with our families and communities and reflect on the meaning of life.

One of the things needed for this to work would be an accepted definition of "living modestly". One person's definition could be extravagant to some and near poverty to others. Also with our evolutionary hunter/gatherer desire would we try to accumulate more and higher quality time than those around us? I can envision a scenario where the new staus symbol is not the fancy car or house but the number of minutes one has earned to use for quality time.

Unless there is some worldwide awakening or catastrophy the desire to accumulate possessions will not change. My advice to the author is to either make the changes and live his life following his philosophy or quit taking backcountry trips.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 1999

Answers

Chlet, I agree that we live in a society that tries to keep up with the neighbors down the block. It seems as though the author needs to really think about how ignorant he is. If he wants to live without modern technology and the conveniences of today then stick him out in the middle of Siberia without his backpack. This will give him the chance to rekindle the hunter/gatherer spirit. He may find himself wanton carion in the vast frozen land of no cluttering.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 1999

Hi Chet: Let me pose this question to stimulate some discussion. What would happen if we limited our desired acqusition of things to what we could logically and rationally use? This might reduce the other desire which is to hoard. This is on of the things I think the author was getting at. What do you think? Please e-mail me so that we can discuss this somemore. Thanks ! John

-- Anonymous, March 26, 1999

Hi Chet,

I agree with you that we as individuals need to decide for ourselves what is or isn't too much stuff. I also think it changes at different periods in our life. Certainly the "hippie" generation tried for a while to live on love and drugs but now are driving BMW's and 4x4 Lincolns.

Go figure, Gregg

-- Anonymous, April 01, 1999


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