3 ms·

It's amazing there is still such a stigma around people that choose an alternate lifestyle, or simply choose not to own a 4,000 sq. ft. McMansion that we stoop

by grecy 8y ago

It's amazing there is still such a stigma around people that choose an alternate lifestyle, or simply choose not to own a 4,000 sq. ft. McMansion that we stoop so low as to call them Homeless. The word has such dirty connotations. I'm quite certain the author of this article would call me homeless. In fact I've been living in my vehicle for 3 years while driving around Africa, and I've never been happier in my life. Certainly night and day compared to when I was working a Desk as a Software Engineer, renting a nice place. I have no interest in ever owning a home, and I'm sure I'll move between renting and living on the road as I see fit. That I should be labeled homeless for this is partially laughable, but also really disgusting. The drive to force people to consume is intense in the West.

kristianc 8y ago
> I'm quite certain the author of this article would call me homeless. In fact I've been living in my vehicle for 3 years while driving around Africa, and I've never been happier in my life. Certainly night and day compared to when I was working a Desk as a Software Engineer, renting a nice place. There is a difference between you, who has taken a conscious decision _not to own_, and has the means to drive around Africa, and someone who has no choice but to do that in order to support a precarious existence as a social media content producer in Hollywood.
- bluGill 8y ago
  That social media producer in Hollywood chose that as well. He could move to a number of cities where the cost of living is lower. He could have gone to school and become a brain surgeon which would pay for a nice house even in Hollywood.
  - kristianc 8y ago
    Different people are endowed with different natural abilities. It's not just a good school that stands between someone becoming a brain surgeon or not. Likewise, the cost of living in Scranton, PA is proportionate to the opportunity for gainful employment there.
  - objectivetruth 8y ago
    I wonder why ALL the poor people just don't go to school become brain surgeons, and then live in nice houses?
overthemoon 8y ago
I agree this is a terrible mindset, but I'm not sure that's the dynamic here. The article talks about low income, indebted young people, which is very different from your situation which is entirely voluntary--it's not simply the most economically efficient choice to achieve some other goal, it's the end in itself, right?
alextheparrot 8y ago
The phrasing was “in a way, homeless” - the author was clearly trying to use only part of the meaning. The idea of being without a home - I’ve described myself as homeless, in a way, when describing moving away from where I grew up to a place where I have few roots - is important, whatever home means contextually. I actually think what the author is doing is important. It is about reframing homelessness as something not for just destitute or lost people, but a way of life that can result in happiness. I think you are homeless as well, and I’m glad you are. What word would we use instead to describe someone without a home? I do suppose at the end of the day you probably feel similarly to me, that a home is more than a McMansion or an apartment - maybe wherever you happen to be in Africa is your home? I’m not sure how to rectify the idea of a physical home with the abstract idea of home, definitely worth reflecting on.
matthewmacleod 8y ago
You're exaggerating to the point of parody. It's totally valid to choose an alternate lifestyle, if that's what you want. It's great that there are more opportunities for people to do that, while retaining flexibility and access to different services. But it's important to also be aware of the factors that might be forcing people into accepting alternate lifestyles when they don't want to. It's not about "choos[ing] not to own a 4,000 sq. ft. McMansion", but about being unable to own or even rent a modest living space, even if you'd rather not be sleeping in your vehicle or a "pod". A movement towards corporate rentiership is something that we should absolutely critically examine the wider effects of. There is a cost associated with renting of property or services – and that's fine, if you're willing to pay the cost in exchange for increased flexibility. But it does seem like there's an issue where things like property ownership end up completely out of reach of otherwise affluent people, because capital is so concentrated in the hands of a rentier class. Maybe you don't like the word "homeless", but I can't help but feel you're creating the stigma for yourself.

by grecy 8y ago

kristianc 8y ago

> I'm quite certain the author of this article would call me homeless. In fact I've been living in my vehicle for 3 years while driving around Africa, and I've never been happier in my life. Certainly night and day compared to when I was working a Desk as a Software Engineer, renting a nice place. There is a difference between you, who has taken a conscious decision _not to own_, and has the means to drive around Africa, and someone who has no choice but to do that in order to support a precarious existence as a social media content producer in Hollywood.

bluGill 8y ago
That social media producer in Hollywood chose that as well. He could move to a number of cities where the cost of living is lower. He could have gone to school and become a brain surgeon which would pay for a nice house even in Hollywood.
- kristianc 8y ago
  Different people are endowed with different natural abilities. It's not just a good school that stands between someone becoming a brain surgeon or not. Likewise, the cost of living in Scranton, PA is proportionate to the opportunity for gainful employment there.
- objectivetruth 8y ago
  I wonder why ALL the poor people just don't go to school become brain surgeons, and then live in nice houses?

overthemoon 8y ago

I agree this is a terrible mindset, but I'm not sure that's the dynamic here. The article talks about low income, indebted young people, which is very different from your situation which is entirely voluntary--it's not simply the most economically efficient choice to achieve some other goal, it's the end in itself, right?

alextheparrot 8y ago

The phrasing was “in a way, homeless” - the author was clearly trying to use only part of the meaning. The idea of being without a home - I’ve described myself as homeless, in a way, when describing moving away from where I grew up to a place where I have few roots - is important, whatever home means contextually. I actually think what the author is doing is important. It is about reframing homelessness as something not for just destitute or lost people, but a way of life that can result in happiness. I think you are homeless as well, and I’m glad you are. What word would we use instead to describe someone without a home? I do suppose at the end of the day you probably feel similarly to me, that a home is more than a McMansion or an apartment - maybe wherever you happen to be in Africa is your home? I’m not sure how to rectify the idea of a physical home with the abstract idea of home, definitely worth reflecting on.

matthewmacleod 8y ago

You're exaggerating to the point of parody. It's totally valid to choose an alternate lifestyle, if that's what you want. It's great that there are more opportunities for people to do that, while retaining flexibility and access to different services. But it's important to also be aware of the factors that might be forcing people into accepting alternate lifestyles when they don't want to. It's not about "choos[ing] not to own a 4,000 sq. ft. McMansion", but about being unable to own or even rent a modest living space, even if you'd rather not be sleeping in your vehicle or a "pod". A movement towards corporate rentiership is something that we should absolutely critically examine the wider effects of. There is a cost associated with renting of property or services – and that's fine, if you're willing to pay the cost in exchange for increased flexibility. But it does seem like there's an issue where things like property ownership end up completely out of reach of otherwise affluent people, because capital is so concentrated in the hands of a rentier class. Maybe you don't like the word "homeless", but I can't help but feel you're creating the stigma for yourself.