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> This seems crazy to me, leaning heavily on the proof that you yourself obviously are not choosing that life when you easily could. Can someone do this? Find

> This seems crazy to me, leaning heavily on the proof that you yourself obviously are not choosing that life when you easily could. Can someone do this? Find a place you can live and hunt for free that isn't incredibly difficult to survive in because of its inhospitable climate or lack of resources.

bbor 3y ago
I mean, Africa and LA seem like strong contenders. Most non-rich nations, really. One could say “but I want somewhere safer” but obviously that would be a little bit self-defeating, ideology-wise. “For free” is also pretty much impossible, especially if you factor in travel, but my intuition tells me that a very modest American or European savings could buy access to land somewhere. Especially if you sold all your possessions, or used credit without intending to pay it back. Re: resources… I mean that’s kinda the deal? Living immersed in nature without society’s support doesn’t mean relaxing in Eden in the vast vast majority of places, it means fighting like hell. Imo.
- virgildotcodes 3y ago
  I mean, humans are a social species, and tribal societies that live off the land have a chain of countless generations passing down wisdom and customs to train their people on how to effectively survive in their respective environments, and still they rely on their community to effectively do so. To take a single (or even a couple) of fully formed adults without any of that lifelong education and training, who are accustomed to a wholly different environment and way of life, and to drop them into a survival situation without that surrounding community to rely on, seems like an obvious recipe for failure. Not that I’m arguing that tribal life is actually desirable over a modern western lifestyle.
  - bbor 3y ago
    I agree, well put! Overall I’m arguing against primitivism but Ted’d particular brand of it (schizophrenic complete isolation) is even easier to find problems with as a political or social message. The man needed health care, not a shack in the woods…
defrost 3y ago
It's not for everyone, but FWiW the overwhelming majority of people I went to primary school with did exactly that, as had their families since they'd walked across the world to get there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmCX7R-W4c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmCX7R-W4c

bbor 3y ago

I mean, Africa and LA seem like strong contenders. Most non-rich nations, really. One could say “but I want somewhere safer” but obviously that would be a little bit self-defeating, ideology-wise. “For free” is also pretty much impossible, especially if you factor in travel, but my intuition tells me that a very modest American or European savings could buy access to land somewhere. Especially if you sold all your possessions, or used credit without intending to pay it back. Re: resources… I mean that’s kinda the deal? Living immersed in nature without society’s support doesn’t mean relaxing in Eden in the vast vast majority of places, it means fighting like hell. Imo.

virgildotcodes 3y ago
I mean, humans are a social species, and tribal societies that live off the land have a chain of countless generations passing down wisdom and customs to train their people on how to effectively survive in their respective environments, and still they rely on their community to effectively do so. To take a single (or even a couple) of fully formed adults without any of that lifelong education and training, who are accustomed to a wholly different environment and way of life, and to drop them into a survival situation without that surrounding community to rely on, seems like an obvious recipe for failure. Not that I’m arguing that tribal life is actually desirable over a modern western lifestyle.
- bbor 3y ago
  I agree, well put! Overall I’m arguing against primitivism but Ted’d particular brand of it (schizophrenic complete isolation) is even easier to find problems with as a political or social message. The man needed health care, not a shack in the woods…

defrost 3y ago

It's not for everyone, but FWiW the overwhelming majority of people I went to primary school with did exactly that, as had their families since they'd walked across the world to get there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmCX7R-W4c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmCX7R-W4c