Closer to Nature
When I attended Tom Brown’s Trackerschool a few years ago, one of the things Tom said was that the only cure for our civilization was to get people participating in nature again.
Mick Dodge, the Barefoot Sensei, has a similar belief (though alternate means).
Do I need to say that I agree with them? Okay, then I will – I agree with them.
Our current culture is so far removed from nature that it’s scary.
By “nature” I mean “what is natural.” Not man-made “nature.” That’s called “culture.” I mean, cycles of seasons, cycles of moons, cycles of years. I mean tides.
I mean “ecosystems” – but not in the sense of a closed-off “ecosystem.” I mean it in the sense of the-thing-that-you-live-within.
Why do I think this is important?
Well, we come from this nature. All of the things that we do rely on it. Our ideas about things are largely constructions these days. They’ve been built up over years, decades, eons. Society, and civilization, and our various cultures, are largely constructions that have taken on lives of their own. Now, many people are hard-pressed to say what is “natural.”
But it’s actually the simplest thing to do. Here’s how you do it:
Take away.
Strip things away, until you get to the place where there’s nothing left. No TV, no cell-phone, no computer, no clothes, no books, no cars, no sidewalks, no toilets, no buildings, no politics, no religion.
There is nature.
It is still there. It is there while you read this.
I’m advocating that we all get closer to nature. I think we need to become less and less, as far as our material and mental possessions go. I think we need to reduce entirely, and return.
I’m full of optimism and hope that this can occur right now…for a few reasons.
First, the focus on “the environment” (kind of a silly phrase – which environment? – but hey, it sticks) has led people to a greater awareness of ecological issues (if not their own environments…sometimes…).
That concern by “consumers” has led corporations to take greater interest in the environment. While this is a double-edged sword, with car companies pushing hybrid vehicles (it’s still a “new car” folks – pollution due to construction, fabrication, and transport of the vehicle hasn’t changed a bit – and the gas mileage is really insignificantly lower than that of regular cars), and other companies pushing other new “green” products (made of plastic, which is a petroleum (read, oil) product…anyone out there? hello?), it still has led to (albeit, mostly weak) initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and an infantile level of thoughtfulness about ecological responsibility.
Second, there seems to be a loss of faith in some regarding the general state of things. People are starting to question, and to feel comfortable questioning, the way things are.
While Michael Moore’s most recent foray may not be everyone’s cup of tea (don’t know if it’s mine, I haven’t seen it yet), he is indicative of this movement…this push to seek better alternatives.
The problem we face is our existing culture, which will seek to subsume any efforts, and absorb them into itself.
That’s how systems work. Any system takes the energy that is given to it and uses it for its own ends (not for the ends that the “energy itself” would’ve hoped for). For instance, when you eat dinner. The spinach or steak you eat may have had its own intention. But your body will use it for its goals. Beyond that, your cells will use that spinach or steak for the goals they see fit (perhaps, grimly, cancer) – not for the goals you might have in mind yourself (6 pack abs, anyone?) – even though those cells comprise you!
Systems speak aside…it’s time we return. Is it too simple? Is there a way to package simplicity, so we can sell it? Is there a way to market “nothing?”
The sucky thing is (as I’ve found), you’ll never get everyone to agree on the “nature” topic. But the good news, I guess you could say, is that this doesn’t necessarily matter. A lot of people get sucked down into these semantics-masquerading-as-philosophy arguments and tend to overlook the point altogether: Civilization is systematically destroying everything in its path. If something doesn’t serve increased production, it’s out; it’ll either be labeled “primitive,” “unnecessary,” “inefficient,” “outdated,” or a number of other things, and be cast aside in favor of growth. It must, therefore, be stopped; this is the important aspect of what Tom Brown said. Of course by doing so we’ll end up reconnecting with nature, or vise versa, but don’t get bogged down in the definitions.
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you 100%. But is there a way to package simplicity? Is there a way to wrap the antidote to “civilization” as we know it in a hard candy shell, so that everyone will eat it?
Or do we just let it rip itself to shreds?
That’s an important question to ask, but unfortunately, not an easy one to answer. Is there one easy way? No, probably not. I’m OK with letting it rip itself to shreds, but I don’t think that’s the preferable route. It seems pretty unpleasant.
Reconnecting with nature is certainly a good option, but my reason for commenting was basically, well … I don’t know. As soon as you say we should “reconnect with nature” people go “humans are natural, a part of nature,” and then it turns into a big mess. It’s a good way to go, but it brings a lot of baggage with it.
The important thing is finding a way that works, or as many authors would say, Tom Brown certainly among them, rediscover a way that works.
we’ve forgotten already that we are very close to nature by our nature (sorry for tautology). Human beings consider thamselves to be kings of nature though they do not understand that they are its killers. Of course, we are a part of nature but if so, we should behave ourselves also as being its part!
I agree with you guys. The “human beings are natural” thing is no joke. Everyone uses that tautology to explain away anything they don’t want to confront.
However, the “nature” we’ve created (which is called “culture”) is destroying Nature – as being the system upon which our “nature/culture” is based. I’ll use a capital “N” here to distinguish between Nature (the basis for all life), and nature (“human nature,” or “culture”).
I agree with you Jimmy, that we’re already very close to Nature. I think people do need to realize how close they are too it, and how much their everyday life is effecting Nature.
In that sense, though, we also are not very close to Nature at all. How many people are actually comfortable going into nature and really being in it? I know a lot of people who feel fine hiking into the wilderness with thick-soled boots and heavy camping gear, and very very few who feel comfortable going on that same hike with minimalist footwear a tarp and a knife.
What I’m trying to get at is an idea of simplification – of returning to life based on Nature, rather than life based on nature/culture.
As a trainer, I run into people all the time who want to lose weight, gain mass, get 6 pack abs, etc. But where do those desires come from?
I think they come from our American culture. Not from within the individual themselves.
How do you sell something like “nature” – in the sense of simplification, of reduction to essentials…you know what I’m saying here? How do you create a product out of “simplicity” – or is it even possible/fruitful to try?
I guess, like you said, Tony, I’m just trying to find a way that works…
As far as packaging simplicity, since at this point you’ve basically asked about it three times with little response: It can (probably) be done (kind of), and I think it will definitely be worth the effort. I don’t know exactly how it can be done, but a lot of authors and activists are getting a good start on it I think. Explaining to people that the simple life isn’t what they’ve been told their whole lives—”nasty, brutish, and short”—is a great place to start. Questioning complexity is a start. Making all of these things common topics is the next step, and the steps after that we’ll find when we get there.
Thanks Tony.