But Voluntary Simplicity is, like, weird...
To be frank once you really try to live a life of voluntary simplicity - even in a modest way - people are going to think you are weird. The fact that you already think about things like voluntary simplicity probably means that this will not be a new experience to you.
It is amazing how few people really step outside the crap that is fed to them by the TV and other media and really form a worldview of their own. I'd say most of the people I work for instance really cannot see beyond celebrity magazines, football and getting pissed at the weekend.
The thought of refusing to buy a Coca-Cola or any one of the numerous chocolate bars made by Nestle because of some injustice done 3000 miles away seems crazy. The thought of paying hundreds of pounds for shoes made for next-to-nothing by sweatshop labour again seems fine with them. And the very thought of not buying something you like if you have the money (or at least the credit) to buy it just does not add up for a lot of people.
The "but people will think I'm weird" argument is probably even more important in deterring most would-be ethical livers than the "I'm too poor to live ethically" argument which is also frequently put forward. All is not lost though - there are people like you - it just takes a little bit of time to find them. And even if 50% of the people you know just can't get their head around your seemingly bizarre obsessions of where everything comes from and who made it, well, that's something you are going to have to put up with.
Don't let those who are too afraid to step outside the consensus view inhibit your desire for justice in the world - to say nothing of your desire to live as you please and not as your told. Dare to be weird!
It is amazing how few people really step outside the crap that is fed to them by the TV and other media and really form a worldview of their own. I'd say most of the people I work for instance really cannot see beyond celebrity magazines, football and getting pissed at the weekend.
The thought of refusing to buy a Coca-Cola or any one of the numerous chocolate bars made by Nestle because of some injustice done 3000 miles away seems crazy. The thought of paying hundreds of pounds for shoes made for next-to-nothing by sweatshop labour again seems fine with them. And the very thought of not buying something you like if you have the money (or at least the credit) to buy it just does not add up for a lot of people.
The "but people will think I'm weird" argument is probably even more important in deterring most would-be ethical livers than the "I'm too poor to live ethically" argument which is also frequently put forward. All is not lost though - there are people like you - it just takes a little bit of time to find them. And even if 50% of the people you know just can't get their head around your seemingly bizarre obsessions of where everything comes from and who made it, well, that's something you are going to have to put up with.
Don't let those who are too afraid to step outside the consensus view inhibit your desire for justice in the world - to say nothing of your desire to live as you please and not as your told. Dare to be weird!
posted by voluntarysimpleton at 1:14 PM
1 Comments:
Hi there,
Thanks for producing such an informative website. I've been researching VS for the last month, and it really confirms feelings I've had for years now.
I look forward to dropping in more often.
Chao, C
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