Maybe he's onto something. . .

I think he's a bum.

This guy is not self-sufficient.

No matter what he claims, he depends on the kindness of others for his food or he'd starve to death.
 
I think there is more to life then sitting in a cave... I would love to find an island to make my own.. Or live somewhere in the wild... But even then i would try to improve on every day living.. All he does is have no ambition what so ever... Live in a cave and eat hand outs.... The only diffrence is that he dont sleep on the street. Give him another 5-6 years and you would see him comming back... There comes a time where you are too old to live like that.... There a diffrence between not letting money and want control your life. Or living in a cave like i dont know what... 100,000 years or human evolution us moving out of caves cant be wrong we like it or not...

Sasha
 
PrimitiveMan said:
OK, so he doesn't use actual money, big deal, he still shares all the benefits of technology and capitalism.

He uses the refuse of other capitalists, which would not exist otherwise.

He uses pots, pans, a stove and anything else he has a mind to. Just because they were "free" to him doesn't mean anything. They were bought at a WalMart somewhere in the beginning.

I also notice he wears eyeglasses. Just where did he get those and who provided the prescription?

He may not have anything in his wallet, but he is still living off capitalism and using technology.

He doesn't use HIS money, he uses OURS. The "FREE" computer at the library is paid for with our taxes. Friends feed him with food they bought with THEIR money, and regardless of whether he uses other peoples trash, those people bought those items with THEIR money, so regardless whether he takes shoes off the trash, or buys a pair, SOMEBODY paid money for them. You can live a solitary life with a minimal existence and virtually no money without being a dirtbag. After all, Proenneke did. It didn't take him any money, but it did take something this bum seems to lack, AMBITION AND HARD WORK.

He should take a bath and get a job or take a bath and live off nature.

He is a bum, not some spiritual monk living closer to the divine.
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EXACTLY! He is only fooling himself and others when he says he is living off the grid. Without the support of other members of society who actually work and contribute, he would not survive. He receives both direct (donations) and indirect (dumpster diving) support from society at large, and contributes nothing, unless you think his blog is a significant positive contribution. But if a significant fraction of the population decided to emulate him, there would be a lot of starvation. It is not a good idea to glorify freeloaders.
 
sasha said:
I think there is more to life then sitting in a cave... I would love to find an island to make my own.. Or live somewhere in the wild... But even then i would try to improve on every day living.. All he does is have no ambition what so ever... Live in a cave and eat hand outs.... The only diffrence is that he dont sleep on the street. Give him another 5-6 years and you would see him comming back... There comes a time where you are too old to live like that.... There a diffrence between not letting money and want control your life. Or living in a cave like i dont know what... 100,000 years or human evolution us moving out of caves cant be wrong we like it or not...

Sasha
Click to expand...

Well said, sasha.
 
Spirited Discussion, Already.....

I don't think that this guy's value is in suggesting that we all live like he does.

But, his life serves as a counter-point to a culture that glorifies conspicuous consumption.

He demonstrates that you can do, with less.

Now, for many of us, this may be a lesson already learned. But, for many, who live a life that is defined by shopping and spending money (often money that they do not have), here is a voice that says you are not your charge card.

Or, as a man once said.... "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you're not your f*cking khakis." Tyler Durden

Though, "Things" are cool. But, when our lives become consumed by the acquisition of those things, and the actions necessary to have the means to acquire those things, then we can start to have a problem. Our lives should be more than an endless cycle of producing and consuming.

And here is this guy, and you may not want to do it like he does it, but he definitely is an example of the fact that there are options, that we do not have to become mindless drones, trying to fill the hole in our hearts with material possessions that will never satisfy.

M
 
The guy seems interesting to say the least...

I don't quite understand the fact that he seems to be a devout Christian (or maybe he just reads the bibile for fun?) but believes in natural selection. I never saw those two words in the same sentence :confused:
 
Most of us could do with about a fourth of what we have, if that's what he wants to do, it's fine with me. People should do their thing but not preach their choice to others.
 
Marion David Poff said:
Spirited Discussion, Already.....

I don't think that this guy's value is in suggesting that we all live like he does.

But, his life serves as a counter-point to a culture that glorifies conspicuous consumption.

He demonstrates that you can do, with less.

Now, for many of us, this may be a lesson already learned. But, for many, who live a life that is defined by shopping and spending money (often money that they do not have), here is a voice that says you are not your charge card.

Or, as a man once said.... "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you're not your f*cking khakis." Tyler Durden

Though, "Things" are cool. But, when our lives become consumed by the acquisition of those things, and the actions necessary to have the means to acquire those things, then we can start to have a problem. Our lives should be more than an endless cycle of producing and consuming.

And here is this guy, and you may not want to do it like he does it, but he definitely is an example of the fact that there are options, that we do not have to become mindless drones, trying to fill the hole in our hearts with material possessions that will never satisfy.

M
Click to expand...

As someone who started this thread, I thank Marion for offering this sober and level-headed response.

This article represents, as in most things in life, what we perceive readily is that which is most significant to us, whether we are for or against it (the three blind men and the elephant analogy for example). Really, its the individual psycho-dynamics at work.

Living in moderation and being self-reliant/self-sustaining are both valid points. I just ask to let the spirit in which it was posted in pervade. :thumbup: :cool:
 
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bmilla35 said:
The guy seems interesting to say the least...

I don't quite understand the fact that he seems to be a devout Christian (or maybe he just reads the bibile for fun?) but believes in natural selection. I never saw those two words in the same sentence :confused:
Click to expand...


[theology lesson]
Natural selection is simply a theory that states that the strong and more adapted survive (rough paraphrase) If you look at both Christianity and science, you will see how they complement each other, not contradict. [/theology lesson]

RE:the article. I think Suelo has a few things right. He certainly has made an example of how much, as Americans, we waste every day. Maybe he has taken it to what we consider an extreme, but he certainly didn't ask for our opinion, nor does he probably care. It doesn't appear that he is interested in any sort of notice for what he does. I like how he takes a very simple notion from Scripture and lives it out almost perfectly. I will not debate the issues I have with it here. I have wondered, at times, about doing something similar. Could I survive as a bum? Me, the guy who grew up dirt poor, but still had food on the table every night. Could I survive a cold ass winter or blistering heat without my beloved climate control? And is it possible to be content without things? I think this is especially relevant to us that like to play this survival "game." What could we honestly survive with or without? I know i don't need my SAK Farmer, Leatherman, RC-4, Hatchet, Buck Saw, etc, etc, etc to survive. So why do I have them? Why do I have multiples of other gear that I really don't need? Is it for redundancy, or just because of an addiction to things? Sorry, I will put away my soapbox now.
 
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dougo83 said:
[theology lesson]
Natural selection is simply a theory that states that the strong and more adapted survive (rough paraphrase) If you look at both Christianity and science, you will see how they complement each other, not contradict. [/theology lesson]
Click to expand...

Oh, not the briar patch, no not the briar patch.

Marion
 
Marion David Poff said:
Spirited Discussion, Already.....

I don't think that this guy's value is in suggesting that we all live like he does.

But, his life serves as a counter-point to a culture that glorifies conspicuous consumption.

He demonstrates that you can do, with less.

Now, for many of us, this may be a lesson already learned. But, for many, who live a life that is defined by shopping and spending money (often money that they do not have), here is a voice that says you are not your charge card.

Or, as a man once said.... "You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you're not your f*cking khakis." Tyler Durden

Though, "Things" are cool. But, when our lives become consumed by the acquisition of those things, and the actions necessary to have the means to acquire those things, then we can start to have a problem. Our lives should be more than an endless cycle of producing and consuming.

And here is this guy, and you may not want to do it like he does it, but he definitely is an example of the fact that there are options, that we do not have to become mindless drones, trying to fill the hole in our hearts with material possessions that will never satisfy.

M
Click to expand...

This is the point I was going to make. Life is like politics, there's the left wingers and the right wingers and the rest of us normal people in the middle. This guy is way to one extreme where a lot of Americans are to the other. I only buy things that I need or I love. I don't buy things to buy things. Now, the problem is that my wife just loves buying things. If anyone knows a secret to breaking a shop-aholic, let me know.:o
 
dougo83 said:
I know i don't need my SAK Farmer, Leatherman, RC-4, Hatchet, Buck Saw, etc, etc, etc to survive. So why do I have them? Why do I have multiples of other gear that I really don't need? Is it for redundancy, or just because of an addiction to things? Sorry, I will put away my soapbox now.
Click to expand...

One thing I saw on (shudders) Oprah was a woman who was a super organizer. She had a philosophy that I found to be very elegant as to stuff you own. She said that if you don't need it, love it, or it doesn't make you money, to get rid of it. Being a minimalist by nature this saying struck a cord in me because it is what I had already been doing all along, she just put it in words. So, I would say that your gear you have falls into the love it category which also goes for a lot of the members collections. YMMV though.
 
dougo83 said:
I have already resigned myself to not enter theological discussion here. If anyone desires, take it to PM, IM, or e-mail. I am all for it.
Click to expand...

Lol don't worry...all I said was that I never saw those two words in the same sentence. Now I did lol :D:thumbup:
 
Shotgun said:
One thing I saw on (shudders) Oprah was a woman who was a super organizer. She had a philosophy that I found to be very elegant as to stuff you own. She said that if you don't need it, love it, or it doesn't make you money, to get rid of it. Being a minimalist by nature this saying struck a cord in me because it is what I had already been doing all along, she just put it in words. So, I would say that your gear you have falls into the love it category which also goes for a lot of the members collections. YMMV though.
Click to expand...

This is partially my point. I know it is purely an internal thing. Do I have any other reason to want it other than some perceived increase in status or something? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I don't buy things just to have the feeling of something new. Really kind of stupid, but I think it happens from time to time. That is probably why I have purchased multiples of cheaper items when I could have purchased one or two high quality pieces of kit. Flashlights, for example: I could have just bought a SureFire or a Streamlight, but have continued to purchase smaller, less expensive models by companies like Brinkmann and Gerber. Not bad gear, but I have probably purchased enough of these cheaper lights to have easily purchased one or two of the nicer ones. Then again, what's to say I shouldn't or couldn't have just been content with the AA Mini Mag I got for Christmas a million years ago? This is something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Read a book called Through Painted Desert for about the 3rd time and it really struck a chord this time around. All about a guy traveling and learning about simplicity. Surely worth the read.
 
dougo83 said:
This is partially my point. I know it is purely an internal thing. Do I have any other reason to want it other than some perceived increase in status or something? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I don't buy things just to have the feeling of something new. Really kind of stupid, but I think it happens from time to time. That is probably why I have purchased multiples of cheaper items when I could have purchased one or two high quality pieces of kit. Flashlights, for example: I could have just bought a SureFire or a Streamlight, but have continued to purchase smaller, less expensive models by companies like Brinkmann and Gerber. Not bad gear, but I have probably purchased enough of these cheaper lights to have easily purchased one or two of the nicer ones. Then again, what's to say I shouldn't or couldn't have just been content with the AA Mini Mag I got for Christmas a million years ago? This is something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Read a book called Through Painted Desert for about the 3rd time and it really struck a chord this time around. All about a guy traveling and learning about simplicity. Surely worth the read.
Click to expand...

I do this as well. When I get my Koster I have on order, I'm done buying knives for a while. I always want something new to play with as well as a new design to try out. I already have the tools I could ever need for survival but still want something new or different. I think though, that this just may be a desire to have more which is why the moratorium on new blades. As I said I'm a minimalist and although I don't collect anything I AM starting a small knife collection. And it bothers me to have knives just sitting in a drawer. I've actually given away knives, high dollar knives, because I hate having stuff so much. Anyone want to be my friend.:p I think I might give that book a read.

Edit: Is this a heavily religous book? I don't believe in Christianity.
 
Shotgun said:
I do this as well. When I get my Koster I have on order, I'm done buying knives for a while. I always want something new to play with as well as a new design to try out. I already have the tools I could ever need for survival but still want something new or different. I think though, that this just may be a desire to have more which is why the moratorium on new blades. As I said I'm a minimalist and although I don't collect anything I AM starting a small knife collection. And it bothers me to have knives just sitting in a drawer. I've actually given away knives, high dollar knives, because I hate having stuff so much. Anyone want to be my friend.:p I think I might give that book a read.

Edit: Is this a heavily religous book? I don't believe in Christianity.
Click to expand...

I don't know that I would call it heavily Christian. He does put a lot of thought into "why are we here" questions and such, but not to the point that I would consider it preachy or anything. Actually, here's what the Dallas Morning News had to say:
If you're a Donald Miller fan, this one's an update of his relatively unknown first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, a hilarious yet poignant all-American road trip.

Mr. Miller and a friend take a 1971 Volkswagen van from Texas to Oregon: two guys on a pilgrimage to do life in a simpler way and find God in shared conversations and America's scenery. It's hardly a religious book, and yet Mr. Miller, true to his Blue Like Jazz style, calls his readers and himself to contemplate life's "why" instead of "how."

Through Mr. Miller's raw vulnerability and vivid writing, the book is an engaging tale.

Warning: Could cause unquenchable wanderlust and a sudden urge to search eBay for a used VW van
Click to expand...


ETA: sorry for the derail.
 
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dougo83 said:
[theology lesson]
Natural selection is simply a theory that states that the strong and more adapted survive (rough paraphrase) If you look at both Christianity and science, you will see how they complement each other, not contradict. [/theology lesson]
Click to expand...

I agree, to that point.

dougo83 said:
I have already resigned myself to not enter theological discussion here. If anyone desires, take it to PM, IM, or e-mail. I am all for it.
Click to expand...

I would, but I cannot PM, do not have your IM, and your email through bladeforums is shut-off.

mdpoff yahoo com

Marion
 
OK, this is an example of how you can make do with less.

This guy is showing how you are not the money you earn, right?

You can live your life without all those things, right?

He has inspired me. I am going to be a free spirit, quit my job, live off welfare, not bathe and write a Blog about it. I'll be expecting everyone to be all warm and fuzzy about me too because after all, I'm livin "off the grid" at that point too.

Right?
 
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