On this website, I am advocating for a significant shift away from the current consumer-driven, #capitalist society toward a simpler, more sustainable, and equitable way of living. The path to this thinking is the that our modern lifestyles are neither natural nor necessary, to challenges the assumption that the way we live now is the only way to live. By looking to the past, diverse human societies thrived with far less, another way is not only possible but also essential if we are to address the multiple crises we face.
- Reduced affluence and sufficient living as a meaningful path, this is sufficiency over excess. The idea is to shift from a mindset of limitless consumption to one of sufficiency—having what we need for a good quality of life, but not constantly grasping after more. This would involve a focus on producing durable goods, recycling, and living more close to nature, both ours and the environment we live in.
- Quality over quantity, emphasizes the importance of valuing quality of life over the accumulation of material wealth. By focusing on what is truly necessary and satisfying, people can live comfortably without the need for constant consumption.
- Self-sufficiency by shaping local economies. A path to this is the development of self-sufficiency at multiple levels—national, household, neighbourhood, and town. This involves reducing reliance on global trade and instead producing and consuming goods we need to live locally.
- Communal and cooperative living, with a balancing of individual ownership with communal sharing, where resources like tools, equipment, and services are shared among community members. This is the path to reduce waste and strengthen social bonds.
- Community engagement, such as voluntary working, would help maintain local resources and commons, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and community spirit.
The necessity of radical change to start to address the environmental degradation, resource depletion, and social mess that cannot be solved with our eyes down worshipping the #deathcult. To lift our eyes and arms we need a radical change in lifestyles, systems, and values. This involves not just changes in consumption patterns, but also a fundamental rethinking of how we organize our economies and societies. There are meany people walking this path, the concept of “The Simpler Way” is an example presented as a practical alternative to the unsustainable and unjust systems that dominate today. There are many other groups, join them, and pick up a shovel to compost the current mess.