8020 Blogger

There will be few people who were not shocked,dismayed,and horrified at the rioting that beset London and other English towns and cities a week ago. Scenes of wanton violence and destruction,looting,arson,and blatant disregard for the feelings and livelihoods of others was so appalling that many people,particularly the government,talked about this being no more than criminality for the sake of it. As the days have passed,the despair and hard talk is still there,but there now seems to be at least some emphasis on trying to find out why this happened,and the stark reality,whether we like it or not,is that our society has changed over recent years,and many would say for the worse,certainly in the area or respecting human dignity.

I have never been one to spout this ‘respect your elders’ and ‘people should be scared of the police’ idea of the perfect society. I do not believe that people deserve respect that is somehow based on fear or others being set on pedestals due to age or social status. But I do fundamentally believe that EVERYONE in this world deserves basic respect as a human being,the ability to go through their lives and daily business free from fear,brutality,crime,and prejudice. Wayne Dyer,  the well know personal development author and speaker got it about right when he talked about a person’s right to have their say and speak their minds stops at another person right not to feel bullied or victimised.

I also believe that we are going somewhat in the wrong direction when we talk about bullying and self esteem. I am totally of the opinion that everyone has the right to live their lives free from physical or mental cruelty,BUT,we seem to be forgetting that the flip side of that is to develop a society where the individual is confident in themselves and can appreciate constructive criticism,and ignore the trivial comments that they will face throughout their lives. We need our young people to have a feeling of self worth and good self esteem,wrapping them up in cotton wool through legislation is not going to improve the self reliance and self determination that we need more than ever.

Before I move on to talk about the book Voluntary Simplicity,by Duane Elgin,a book published in 1981 which is as relevant today as it was then,I would like to comment on my own personal view of the riots in England. I am not some lily-livered liberal or small ‘c’ conservative. In fact,more and more these days I am moving away completely from the party political agenda,not that I was ever really a part of that.

The riots that took place in London and other cities are inexcusable,BUT,taking a blinkered view on what happened,like the politicians have done for most of the last week is really no more than political posturing,telling the country what they believe the country wants to hear,the ‘lock ‘em up and throw away the key’ syndrome,which,in the short term may be very hygienic and palatable,does not address the real,and highly unpalatable reality,that we live in a society where people from every facet,every demographic,and every social status,has lost respect for others,and lost the idea of life,of living with compassion,enjoying the wonders and beauty of life for it’s simple things,family,relationships,sharing a meal,being together,helping and supporting your local community.

These things were important once,but now are seen as an occasional nicety,not something that is integral to the fabric of our society. I wonder to what extent we would see such hatred and loathing,a blatant lack of respect for the self or for others if we moved away from the idea of the self absorbed consumer and more towards the idea of a more minimalist lifestyle where less really was more.

I find it hard to not fault most of society to some point in this argument,not an argument about personal responsibility for looters and thugs rampaging in our streets,but responsibility for demanding a society where personal success and status is almost wholly associated with money,how big your house is,not how much you share with others,how much you reduce your footprint on the planet,or how you participate in community life.

As consumers,which we all have to be to some extent,if each of us made a decision not to buy the clothing that sexualises or children at 10 years old,don’t buy the attire associated with gang culture,refuse to let our kids roam the streets at 11 years old,we would start to cut this poison out of our society. The retailers and garment manufacturers are complicit in this,they make the clothes that people want,but they don’t have to. They could make a stand,acknowledge that certain morals need to be upheld for the greater good,take that crap off the shelves and off their product run. We need to make important decisions as parents,as young people,and as businesses.

If you have read my previous post on minimalist living,you may well be aware of a book that I have read,and that has been read by millions of people around the world since it was launched in 1981. Duane Elgin’s book,Voluntary Simplicity,is a book that needs to be read by so many people. David Cameron should read this,in fact,if he has not done so already,I am happy to buy him a copy and deliver it in person.

A book that was written 30 years ago,actually around the time of some of the other riots in the UK,this book is as relevant today as it ever was. The sad thing is that it’s ideas which could have transformed the lives of 2 generations by now,have been essentially overlooked by the majority of the civilised world (if you can call us civilised?). Voluntary Simplicity should be a textbook in schools,a book that must be read and studied,and discussed by everyone.

In the very first chapter,the author discusses 6 compelling reasons why choosing a simpler life with common sense and compassion as integral functions of this ‘new thinking’. These reasons are still relevant in many ways,although in 1981,the world still felt it was on the edge of a nuclear precipice,a feeling that has subsided,but the threats to the world have changed and evolved in the 21st century.

The author talks about our drain on the world’s resources,how we are draining energy resources and squandering them for future generations. 30 years on,we are still talking about it,but have not really taken that much action to staunch the wound. Secondly,he talks about pollution through industrial processes and how a change on our personal demands on material goods can help reduce the demand for non-renewable resources.

The third area concerns the millions of people in developing nations that are permanently damages,both physically and mentally,through poverty and malnutrition. But when the UK government recently upped it’s aid package to the developing world,people were saying ‘charity begins at home’. I am not arguing with the fact that we need to manage our own economy for the benefit of our own people,but the attitude of many is not one of a world family,but a very insular,‘we’re alright Jack’ mentality that filters into many other aspects of our lives. If people in the United Kingdom just stopped buying 1 cafe latte a week,put back a packet of biscuits out of the weekly shop,or walked instead of taking the car for one day,and donated that small amount to charity,we could help ourselves and many others who are less fortunate.

Duane Elgin then talks about nuclear proliferation,something that is less of an issue now,but war and death is still a very real phenomena,and here in the UK,soldiers are still coming home in body bags on a regular basis.

The point that really jumped out of the book as I was browsing it the other day was this.

He talks about how millions of people in the western world have spent so much time looking for happiness through the accumulation of material wealth and possessions. And how many have found true happiness through this route? Mr Elgin believes that many have found ‘social alienation’ and ‘ spiritual impoverishment’ in their quest for wealth and social status.

The children and adults we saw on the streets of the UK,filling their bags up with stolen goods were doing so perhaps,in the belief that a new pair of trainers from JD Sports,or a new plasma TV would somehow add to their sense of wellbeing. The reality is,many of these people already found themselves alienated,or on the fringes of society,but our utter consumerism feeds that desire for the ‘I want it NOW’ mentality. As a society,we need to move away from that,and take some of those lost souls with us on a journey to a happier life,which is inwardly rich,and where the desire to take part in community shattering action like we saw the other day becomes an unacceptable idea for everyone,not just the ‘righteous’ few.

Duane Elgin’s 6th area,remember,from 1981,is like a deja vu. He talks about high inflation exerting pressure on the poor and the elderly,those on comparatively  fixed incomes. Although he talks about fuel prices and defence expenditure playing their part in inflationary pressures (was that book really written 30 years ago,and NOT 2011???),an area that is also playing a huge roll on driving up inflation,and the negative impacts that go with it,is OUR ‘inflationary phycology’. Yes us,we are bringing this on ourselves!! Our ‘buy it now’ mind-set,the mentality that involves taking on loans to get the latest car,the best TW,a new games console,even when we can’t really afford it,is fuelling the problem. We live in a society that want everything instantly,instant gratification and so the consequences.

To me,I don’t know about you,but this book has not gone out of date. I wish it had!!! We are reaping the same consequences that he was talking about in the 1980’s. Do we never learn?

I implore people to get this book and to read it,digest it,and take some action. If you buy it,read it,then pass it on. Don’t stick it up on eBay to try to make a quick buck. This needs to be about community,passing and sharing knowledge for the good of others,and for our own personal empowerment. Giving is fun,and it can make a difference. Start up a local Voluntary Simplicity Group in your community. Meet regularly,discuss small things you can do to make a difference to your local neighbourhood.

Thanks for listening. If you want to make a small contribution to the publicity of this article,PLEASE re-tweet it or share it on Facebook. That small action could make a huge difference. Small things lead to BIGGER things!!

BTW,any sales of this book through this page will be donated to help develop community based groups,to help others move towards a life of simplicity and community based consciousness. I will post the income and contributions on a monthly basis.

Peace!!!