You want to know why you’re bored and have nothing meaningful to do? Why you can’t sit still? Why certain school subjects or tasks at your job do not keep your attention very long? Why you’re frustrated because you have to work a job you might despise and hate so you can pay rent, utilities and buy food? Why you feel so out of control with your life? How you think too much control is in the hands of others? Why some of the things they teach you at school, or the work you do at your job, often has no practical use when you are at home? And why when you are at home, you often consume junk food, products, alcohol and entertainment because there’s nothing else to do with yourself? And why you feel an inner calling to nature and the great outdoors?
That’s because there is a major disconnect between how we live and how we should be living. We are not living a normal, logical, rational life that is inline with how our minds and bodies are meant to live.
I am a firm believer that, somehow, we are meant to live like our ancestors once lived. A time where we really lived, not merely existing day to day doing bizarre tasks and getting underpaid doing them. Living paycheck to paycheck in many cases while we make the lives of the few even wealthier. A time where we lived meaningful lives. Where we had the skills and knowledge to hunt, forage, fish, cook, mend wounds, build and maintain shelter, create tools, were more of a family and tribe, and so on. Everything you did contributed to living your life in some way. You entire day was sound, logical and rational. It made sense. Even if you had strange customs. We still have strange customs in our society today so that much hasn’t changed. Your life was full of purpose and meaning.
Science, technology and all of the things we have created may have evolved all around us, but we have not. Evolution does not happen overnight, and most especially has not happened in the short time since the industrial revolution and all of the advances of modern society. Our bodies and minds simply have not evolved nor adapted to the complete change that has occurred in recent history compared to how we once lived as hunter gatherers. We are not meant to sit most of our lives in school, at the office, and at home. Our bodies are designed to be active most of the day, not just go to the gym for an hour a day, if you even have the energy or motivation to exercise after a long, often mentally draining day at work, school or both, and then tend to a family on top of that.
That is why I like to believe that we are displaced hunter gatherers. Every single child that pops out into this world is stamped by evolution to live out in the world hunting, foraging and perhaps fishing in order to exist on a daily basis. We are mammals. We are part of the animal kingdom. No animal is meant to live in a box. But modern society tries to domesticate us. I know that sounds like an exaggerated or extreme form of talking, but it’s pretty much true. I am 99% sure that we are meant to still live as our ancestors once did. All signs point in that direction. Why would I and so many others even think or write about this topic if it weren’t true? Why would others abandon modern society to live off the grid? It’s not due to mental illness. People aren’t crazy. If you want to talk crazy and mental illness, then let’s talk modern society.
Every single day we are meant to wake up and be active at various times throughout the day living out in the wild and off the land while having a certain amount of leisure time as well. We’re not meant to commute to work 2 hours a day, then work 8 or 10 hours straight with a 30 minute or hour lunch break. Not to mention the challenges in getting time off of work to make doctor appointments for you or your children. And regarding children, they are not meant to sit in the sunless school most of the day learning what they do and filling many of their heads with things they have no interest in or are not applicable to their daily life. Not to mention all of the debt that we incur from the cars and tuition just to buy food, have healthcare and have a roof over our heads.
Does this mean we should abandon modern society altogether and move out into the woods and forests tomorrow? Maybe. I can’t answer that for you nor the entire human race. That’s up for you and them to decide. It might be an option if you are single. It might be an option if you and your partner or friends can do it, and do it without getting arrested. If you have kids? I don’t know about that. I don’t think it’s a wise decision to completely abandon modern medicine. But who is to say that we should have such a heavy reliance on modern medicine?
My view on this whole matter is skewed because I am a parent of a child. When our child is grown and able to live independently and has left the nest, maybe I’ll make a major lifestyle change, of course only if my wife agrees to go along with it since she is not my puppet and has her own mind. Most likely, we will return to living a more simpler lifestyle, which we already do somewhat in not being heavy consumers of material possessions like new cars, jewelry, watches, dozens of shoes, etc.
You can argue that the life our ancestors once lived was much harder, especially regarding illness and disease. But that’s life! It’s not meant to be easy nor fair! Life isn’t meant to be easy street. We’re not meant to live forever. We’re not meant to live perfect, disease and illness free lives. But that’s the path we’re headed with today’s medical advances. And if we continue to head that way, where we hardly get sick and live even longer lives, then we’re going to need to have a discussion about overpopulation, if we don’t already need to have that talk right now. But that’s a topic for another time. If life was meant to be fair and easy, then there would be no disease or illness and we would be immortal.
Another reason I believe we are meant to live out in the wild is because of the constant activity, the fresh air, and the sun that would be beneficial to our minds and bodies. Look at all of the health issues that are symptoms of living and working in today’s society: vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sun exposure, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, back problems and obesity. That’s not to say that there aren’t symptoms living out in the wild, but at least any health issues you get are more warranted and justified, even if there are genetic issues. More sun exposure means no Vitamin D deficiency. More activity all day long means a stronger body and immune system, and less chance for diabetes and obesity. No carpal tunnel syndrome or back problems because you are not sitting at a desk all day. But more importantly, you are outdoors.
Living out in nature is much quieter on the senses, for one. I can tell you first hand how therapeutic it is to be out in nature just for an hour while walking, hiking, fishing or sitting by the stream. Modern Society is too bright, too busy, and too noisy. Sure, there are other issues living out in the wild, perhaps malnutrition when having a hard time finding food or maybe other health issues due to lack of certain nutrients. There is disease to consider, as well as wildlife that could pose a threat. And of course there is the discussion concerning those that have serious physical disabilities that would find it more difficult to live out in the wild. I’m no expert, but just because there are an equal amount and/or different types of issues doesn’t mean we should not discuss this topic nor be completely closed-minded to the idea of making an attempt at returning to living a hunter gatherer lifestyle.
Our species has survived on this planet for over a million years, with modern humans existing since only a few hundred thousand years ago. We’ll survive no matter what environment you put us in. We just need to find out what the right environment is.
All of this sounds good in my head and it might sound good reading it here, but it’s not quite that practical to simply abandon society altogether. For one, we’re not taught how to live like our ancestors once lived. Which is why most people reading this might scoff at this whole notion. If every single one of us were to abandon society altogether right now, we wouldn’t last very long out in the wild. I don’t think we should abandon modern society completely. Again, there is the concern regarding those who have disabilities. I think we need to find a healthy balance. Somewhere between the extreme of living out in the wild, and the extreme of gorging ourselves and relying on everything modern society has to offer. I know there are people who are living off the grid. I don’t know the population count, but I know it takes a lot of knowledge to do that.
Try getting the entire population of New York City to abandon the comfort of their homes and the advances and comforts of modern medicine and technology and move out into the woods and forests of New York. Not gonna happen! And even if it did, they wouldn’t last very long. Just imagine all the fighting, stealing and killing, not to mention the general lack of knowledge to survive out in the wild and living off the land. A lot of people would probably starve to death. I know this will sound harsh, but one could play devil’s advocate and say maybe that’s what needs to happen. Maybe we should be living out in the wild where our population is “kept in check” just like every other animal on this planet.
The other aspect to consider in returning to a hunter gatherer lifestyle in some form or fashion and living off the land is that you are living as free a life as possible. There is no government. You govern yourself, or you participate in a tribe that is self governing. There are no banks. There is no debt. No taxes. No college tuition. No rent or mortgage to pay. No cars. No factories. No electronics. No video games. No toys. Money is not needed.
Everything you learn and everything you do revolves around your existence. You learn life skills that are important, logical and rational to your daily life. You do not need to learn unnecessary teachings that are forced onto you and are irrelevant to your daily experience. You learn how to hunt, garden, and fish. Then you learn how to cook what you hunted. You learn how to make the tools needed to hunt or fish. Perhaps you learn how to cure food. You learn how to build a hut, a yurt, a lean-to, or a log cabin and how to maintain it. You learn how to make fire. Of course, this is based on the idea that we are living completely off the land.
If you live in a tribe, your tribe might have its own politics. There may be leaders in your tribe, or you tribe might not have leaders but everyone has equal say. If there are leaders, most likely they are less prone to corruption when compared to today’s society. Your tribe leaders are not taking large monetary donations and contributions from corporations and businesses because those institutions do not exist. And if you don’t like your tribe, you have the knowledge and life skills to leave and live on your own or start your own tribe. I’m sure every hunter gatherer tribe has had, or would have, its share of issues. But you are a tribe with people capable of dealing directly with the tribe leaders. Nothing is set in stone. Tribal laws or customs can change and evolve at any moment. The tribe leaders would be living among your tribe, not untouchable in a mansion in some other part of the state or country. Or again, maybe there are no tribal leaders per se, but everyone in the tribe has equal say and input on any tribal laws and customs.
I have worked over a dozen different jobs from being a cashier to being a desk jockey, and none of it was ever fulfilling. Even the work I do on my YouTube channel is not 100% fulfilling. It’s fulfilling in that I have found the thing I enjoy and it helps others. It is very cathartic for me. But there is an undeniable calling within me to live as our ancestors once lived. Why else would I be writing this article? That is why I have always enjoyed hiking and being outdoors. But I am simply not ready to make that move, if ever, mostly due to the lack of knowledge on how to survive in the wild. Most importantly however, I am not going to abandon my family to satisfy a selfish desire, even if that desire is my true calling and purpose in life. I love my family too much to even consider cashing in on that possibility. Family first. Family over everything. Always.
So what does one do knowing all of this? Knowing that this might be the truth? Is it your truth? I feel it’s my truth. I have found my own ways of managing the frustrating feelings of the lack of control over my own life and the lack of more freedom due to living in modern society. However I won’t end up one of those people that take their frustrations out on the innocent or anyone I think may be responsible. Instead, I turn my frustrations and anger into exercise, videos and articles like this. It’s up to you to find your happy medium, especially within your mind. It’s not easy maintaining happiness in modern society when you come to the realization that you are a rat trapped in a cage.
I hope somewhere in the future our species will come to the realization that we are not meant to live in this technologically advanced society with its industries, apartment buildings, and skyscrapers. That they can find a better way of life that is more in tune with how our minds and bodies are meant to live. A way of life that is more healthier for the mind and body. Especially before we become too reliant on technology, or where technology has completely replaced our livelihoods. Or maybe that’s just what needs to happen for us to have the wake up call we need.
Until then, I wish you all my best in finding what makes you happy, even if that means abandoning society just for a little while on the weekends as you take a walk in the woods or forest near you.