In a previous post I asked the question: How do you live a radically different life? I did not propose a defining answer to this question but it has since occurred to me that there is a perception in the west that if you do want to live a radically different life then it would likely involve "dropping out" of society in some way.
I personally dislike this phrase "dropping out" because it implies that everyone in society is included in some way anyway - which they aren't because the nature of society in the west is that competitiveness results in a feeling of exclusion if you not one of the successful alpha types. Additionally, I hear a common theme when this idea of dropping out and living a greener way of life closer to nature is discussed at length on message boards and other areas of the internet. This will be something along the lines of "You won't last two weeks before you miss all the comforts of your life such as tv, internet, computers, washing machines etc. The reason we invented all these technological advancements is to make our lives easier so harking back to some bygone era will not make you happier as you are just romanticising the idea that things were better in the past."
There is some truth in this statement. There is a tendency for someone of an idealistic nature to over romanticise the past but it is worth asking the question: How much better are our lives truly with the benefits technology has given us? We are more distant from each other than ever before. While it is undoubtedly true that technology has made things easier on a practical scale it has not resulted in an increase in our overall happiness as much as we think. There has been a sharp increase in diagnosis of mental health conditions in western countries over the last thirty years which coincides with an increase in cheap, affordable technology. We have an over abundance of devices to communicate with each other but we have become obssessed with the means at the expense of the value of what we are communicating.
The truth is, it would be easier to drop out and live closer to nature if you are already the type of person who does not feel reliant on technology in their lives and has the necessary skills to allow them to make the transition to a way of life that is kinder to the environment. It is about shifting your viewpoint and looking at a natural realignment of your life priorities. Even if we all made the effort to do just one simple thing that allowed us to find a way of aligning to nature instead of our daily obssession with our social media profiles and updates then that would be a really important achievement; because it would allow us to see more clearly that we are an integral part of nature and not an aloof observer of it.
