We need a "Phylosophy of Vanlife" discussion category

[gizmotron]

It's not a miracle if medicine solves the problem. Medicine is nothing more than trial and error and discovering what works. Bleeding someone with leeches is no longer considered a good practice. Milking a person's healthcare benefits is still a well used tactic in balancing the needs of those providing the services. I like the nice clean, maybe bacteria free, facilities over a tent on a dusty plain.

 

[rruff]

It's human nature, specifically covetousness. People tend to allow power, control, and the craven image of wealth to control them.

Don't forget fear... from overt terror, to subtle, persistent, soul crushing anxiety.

The root problem is that humans tend to believe the thoughts in their heads are more real than... you know, *real* things.

We do in fact "have it made"! The level of wealth, safety, and security we have now is much higher than at any point in history. Yet people worry and are incessantly anxious anyway, over mostly made up concerns.

 

[gizmotron]

Don't forget fear... from overt terror, to subtle, persistent, soul crushing anxiety.

The root problem is that humans tend to believe the thoughts in their heads are more real than... you know, *real* things.

I don't feel like I have anything to lose in this community. People that know me from way back in the 60's know what I have been through. It's more than 50 years now. I have learned that the internal garbage that goes on inside my head needs to be kept there and for it to remain silent from conversations. In other words it brings such a level of discomfort to others that it tends to bring out their prejudices. I confess. I'm a black person.

No, I'm the blackest of all people. I was expected to have a lobotomy and live out my entire life in a state institution. It happened my senior year in High School. I was in a mental ward for two months where I received two weeks of electro shock treatments. I was drugged up with all the latest psychotic meds and pretty much treated like a catatonic zombie. Somehow in all that I managed to find my way out and free. One guy said to me "tryers try and doers do." That line of BS worked. So it became time to work. I was on my way to becoming an electrical engineer when I was diagnosed with full blown away schizophrenia. Life goes on. I joined the carpenter's union and spent 30 years in the construction field instead. I became one of the very first poly extreme athletes. I dabbled with Christianity and screwed that all up. I crammed so much life experience into my existence that I never had time for living up to the expectations of a successful life. In a sense I had found my own way. When my friends used their weekends to mow & water the lawn I would head up to Lover's Leap on Hwy 50 near Lake Tahoe and climb a yet more difficult route. They would think that going to the mall to buy a new pair of pants was worth living for. I would climb a peak and ski off of it all alone. It went on and on like that for decades. I was a doer. The bucket list was enormous. It was a 55 gallon drum. I lived for adventure and fulfilling the expertise of any extreme sport to its highest capability. For me life was execution of near impossible perfection.

So I never talk about my madness. I never try to tell what I did to overcome fear. It took decades but eventually I became a listener. I could stop the voices interrupting me in my head and listen to what others were saying. In that became the full and complete cure. I'm 70 years old and at peace with my self and others. That's including the war I rage against the mathNazis in the gambling world. Even today I had to stand up for my discoveries. It's real. And one day it will astound you if you hear about it. It's so easy for me to go boondocking. Once you learn to live on the side of a mountain with only what you carry, then living in a vehicle is actually a piece of cake.

I came all the way from the deepest bottom. I just keep pushing upward. For me it's like skiing fast at a ski resort. If you go fast enough it like the other skiers are standing still. I'm going so fast, with so many irons in the fire, I just live this way. I wish I could bottle it and give it to others. It can't be done. Most people have no idea what it's like to climb the great walls of Yosemite. They have no idea what it's like to climb Mt Shasta and ski off the north side all alone past the crevasses. To SCUBA dive to 200ft deep in Lake Tahoe in February. To pilot a plane down the face of Half Dome a few feet away from the face. To windsurf in a hurricane. To create a new internet and create the software that demonstrates it. To change the math world because something that has always been the truth was never noticed before. To work with modern synthesizers and effect processors to create one off performances. To build exotic rich houses for the wealthy. To go into the van / nomad world because car camping is for old tired mountaineers that want a few easy years while still plugging along. To actually be interested in other people's lives and to see how car camping is fun or not for them. I know my story. That is why I never go into it. But just this once it's basically here hidden in a thread on Philosophy.

From here all you will get out of me is "what?" That's the past. It does not count. Only now and the future. That's what matters.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Only made it a minute in.
I have a strong aversion to people trying to sell me some guru shtick, and the music, production and voiceover all have that flavor.
As far as 'philosophy of van life' I think that is going to be hard to pin down.
There are at least 3 different kinds of van lifers.
You have the people who see a few inspiring youtube vids and want to be digital nomads or do yoga on a cliff or something.
Then you have people who have been pushed out of the rental market in their area, so they are making ends meet by living in a vehicle while working full time and showering at a gym.
Then there is the whole cult of overlanders with their overequipped 4x4 vans and massive budgets. They don't seem to be living full time in their vans, it's really the same thing as your grandpa's Winnebago, but updated for the 21st century.
I'm sure there are others if I put my mind to it, I'm just trying to make the point that the people who are sleeping in vans are coming from distinct almost opposite directions in their reasons.
Survival, recreation, trendiness etc.
My personal reasons are many. But when it comes to van-lifing I have a few operating principles.
First I don't leave trash behind.
Whether I'm at a campground, suburb or urban neighborhood. I always make sure all my food waste, broken down cardboard boxes and yes even pee bottles end up in dumpsters. I try to avoid using residential waste bins. Some people get bent out of shape if garbage shows up in their trash can. Maybe pickup is every other week due to a rash of holidays? I know I have been in that position myself.
I also go out of my way not to call attention to myself. The other day a middle aged kind of biker looking couple was walking down the sidewalk opposite of me when I was returning to my van from the UPS store.
(great place to have a PO Box! You can get Amazon, FedEx and UPS stuff delivered. You can even get stuff that USPS won't allow like Lithium batteries and oversize things like solar panels.)
Anyway the guy says, hey is that your rig? Nice van!
I was going to hang out for a while at that spot, being next to a creek and a trail, but I got in and moved 4 blocks away.
Do not want to be noticed! Once you are noticed, the next step is over familiarity, which easily leads to some NIMBY person calling the cops or worse, private security.

Beyond such self preservation and hassle avoidance tactics, I think there are some fellow traveler kind of things.
Changing lanes on the freeway when someone is broken down on the shoulder.
Offering assistance if I see someone in an RV or campervan broken down.
At campgrounds I try to help older couples nearby if they are struggling.
I also try not to monopolize things like washer dryers, dish sinks etc.

A Buddhist would say that compassion for other sentient beings motivates them to acts of kindness.
A Christian would say do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

 

[Morgana]

That is really lovely.

 

[RonDean]

Here is my idea of Magic.



It's often in how we focus.

 

[gizmotron]

Flat Earth Philosophy

 

[AmargosaWayne]

Do no harm and leave no trace.

 

[RonDean]

My apologies to the moderators. I meant to only post the link ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo ) and not use up your bandwidth actually posting the video. No problems if you think it should be edited or deleted.

 

[rruff]

I might be wrong, but I don't think the video is using this site's bandwidth.

 

[RoamerRV428]

The 3 things that have been used to control the people are

1. Religion,
2. Government,
3. Money.

If you control all 3 you can rule the world. The best example is, "The Holy Roman Empire" it was all 3.

ya missed one maybe.

food. control the food and you can control how people eat inferior crap to how the elite eat. ill fat sad sickly bodies can't fight back.....BUT THAT could easily come under money I guess So agree with your post!!!!

Keep the masses 'weak' in a few ways and others control the masses. Yea it sucks rocks but it is SO true!

 

[eDJ_]

Remember the expression of "Bread & Circuses" ? 100AD from Rome. Keep the people fed and entertained and they will be putty in your hands.

 

[frater secessus]

I meant to only post the link

You didn't do it; the forum software converts the link into an embedded video

 

[user 22017]

ya missed one maybe.

food. control the food and you can control how people eat inferior crap to how the elite eat. ill fat sad sickly bodies can't fight back....

Keep the masses 'weak' in a few ways and others control the masses.

Not all who are overweight have 'ill, sad and sickly bodies that are unable to fight back' against the powers that be. Certainly they are as able as those you refer to as elite. Change is accomplished primarily through voting & we can all do that.

If anything, it is the abundance of food via government assistance (aka the safety net) that helps to prevent revolts. So in a way you are right that food plays a part.

 

[RonDean]

I fear I might edge too close to the political edge, but must respond anyway. I AM trying to see both sides of this question.

We sometimes refer to safety nets and bailouts at both ends of the financial spectrum, without stopping to consider all the ramifications. And it ain't as simple as we would like. We provide food assistance to the poor, but that money manages to also help subsidize a corporate system of food production that isn't all that healthy. Corn, pigs, cows - yes. But, very little for greens and fruits. We complain about the illegal immigrants that are working the fields and helping to keep our food prices low because we think they may also need a few services. Bailing out the automakers also saved many jobs. I won't even get into the evils of our medical / insurance system. Just how many nomads are forced to seek medical and dental help below the border?

I've fought a battle with my weight for most of my adult life. More and more of our neighbors do as well. Part of the problem is what I/we choose to put in our mouths. No argument. there. But another part of the problem can be traced back to that same corporate food system that picks and chooses what to subsidize and helps keep most of us less healthy than we could be and needing ever more expensive medical care. Still, I'm not blind to the fact that without our modern food system, we might also have famines from time to time. Like I said, it's not always bumper sticker simple.

 

[eDJ_]

I understand 30% of our food supply in the USA goes to waste and 40% of the fruit. So the Govt tries to purchase what they can to support the farmers and the hungry.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Not all who are overweight have 'ill, sad and sickly bodies that are unable to fight back' against the powers that be. Certainly they are as able as those you refer to as elite. Change is accomplished primarily through voting & we can all do that.

If anything, it is the abundance of food via government assistance (aka the safety net) that helps to prevent revolts. So in a way you are right that food plays a part.

NO I MEANT OLD times when A WAR for countries were fought to obtain land, like in an 'army is only as good as its stomachs/energy on what they were fed to fight hard------as slaves thru ancient times were fed 'junk' to be subservant and not revolt against their masters.

that was my post. So I do understand what you are saying and get it, but I meant it more about how 'we got here' today but we are controlled now thru media and big food corps and chemical companies making that crappy food to keep us less healthy too.

hope that explains a bit my approach on it I should have made that more clear on my post tho!

but today, people are sickly still on the food but thru different issues and restraints and controls on our current food situation, but yea I wasn't thinking modern times really when I posted in that 'yea there is modern issues to the ultimate' with food supply for sure out there but again, I was thinking more 'how humans control to get what they want' and what they did in the older times to do just that. In that what food humans did get in their society class was controlled tightly but now it is thru media and addictive food chemicals fake foods and more, they don't have to control us by saying XYZ, the companies make the crap and we willing buy it

 

[user 22017]

NO I MEANT OLD times when A WAR for countries were fought to obtain land, like in an 'army is only as good as its stomachs/energy on what they were fed to fight hard------as slaves thru ancient times were fed 'junk' to be subservant and not revolt against their masters.

hope that explains a bit my approach on it I should have made that more clear on my post tho!

I understand. Thanks for explaining