Become A Hermit

After the discovery of agriculture, society adopted an entirely new light.  It organized, stratified, and specialized.  This new, enhanced structure allowed society to reach limits that would otherwise have not been possible.  Nonetheless, agriculture did have its faults and some have even considered it to be the worst invention in the history of mankind.  The reason for such a hostile opinion is that the highly developed society made possible by agriculture has pushed the individual to work much harder than he/she would have had to work in the Paleolithic era.  Even modern technology, one of the greatest achievements made possible by agriculture, carries with it many burdens, the primary ones being discovering and maintaining technology.  From a modern perspective, the life of a caveman was brutish, short, and ignorant.  However, the simplicity of a Paleolithic lifestyle is nonetheless appealing.

Today, perhaps the only way to enjoy such simple a lifestyle is by becoming a hermit.  Living a life in the forest grants an individual a copious amount of free time in a way that society cannot.  After all, what is there really to do?  The only aspects of life that truly matter at that stage are the basic necessities: food, water, and shelter.  Finding shelter does not necessarily have to be a time consuming process, since it is a one-time deal.  Simply, an individual must find a cave, drive out the bear, and voila, victory is assured.  Food and water can be tedious to acquire, however, especially if an individual has difficulty with hunting and gathering.  Still, there are solutions, and quite effective ones at that.  For instance, a hermit can just steal food from families on camping trips.  No one would expect it and the theft provides the luxury of high quality, manufactured food with a lovely woodland atmosphere.  Of course, there is the risk of getting caught, but it is unlikely since no one would ever suspect such a thing.

Being a hermit saves an individual from much more than the nitty-gritty tasks of civilized life, however.  It also saves the individual from the source of the problems: other people.  Even in Paleolithic times, there was likely the problem of appeasement since social interaction has always been important for humanity.  Alone and far away from civilization, it becomes impossible for even the most persistent self-proclaimed leader of another’s life to be a bother to said individual.  There are no demands satisfy, no urgent meaningless tasks to perform, and as Bob Marley said, there is no cry.  The only thing that is necessary to appease is one’s own happiness.  It is freedom to the utmost degree, only bounded by the limitations set by oneself.

Despite all of this wonder, the hermit lifestyle can be a difficult one to adopt.  At first, being alone in the woods does not seem so pleasant.  The forest is full life, much of which no one cares to see, access to proper hygiene is lacking, and the elements are at their worst.  It is important to note that these problems only become apparent once an individual is actually able to step outside, which is why I will never become a hermit.  Nonetheless, for those who are brave and adventurous, an exciting, burden-free world awaits.  That, or a quick death.

Featured Image: “Cave Pit” by Dave Olsen @ flickr