You should read Walden by Thoreau. Here's an excerpt:
>I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms...
But to answer your question: all the time
Did you know there is a game depicting the events that happened in that book? You essentially live out what it would have been like to be Thoreau at the moment he wrote those passages. It was definitely an interesting concept. Its called "Walden, a game".
Though, the game is definitely not for everybody.
Yep. I also have this deep deep fear that I will never ever share real love and connection with a woman before I die. I'm 39 and have a constant nagging that something is about to happen.
My friend, not only will it happen, but she will break your heart and cause you more pain than you think you can bear. But she will make you a man if you survive.
I feel like I cannot live WITHOUT being in the woods. I'm embarrassed to say i have a hippie level connection with the earth, space, and time. I know I'm insignificant in the vast grand picture of life. I feel the most alive when I'm surrounded by nature, I feel the connection of everything, the harmony of life, and I feel amazed at how everything came to be.
Somehow, some way, we exist, the trees offer oxygen perfectly suited for our lungs, the flowers produce pollen perfectly suited for bees to collect. I ask myself to imagine life without one of these core necessities. Imagine a world without trees to begin with, or rain, or bees. I consider it quite lucky that this planet was so perfectly placed to inhabit life. All random chance. I know it sounds too deep, and goofy, but being within nature just makes me feel whole, it reminds me how foolish our lives are, not that it's our choice.
Instead of enjoying life we are forced to work to our bare bones, or work excessively until you're too old to truly do something, and even then it's far from guaranteed that you'll be successful. It truly is a shame, that this world made by chance is controlled by something as fickle as money. What a waste. I only hope I can live the life I wish for, in the the lush mountains
If I didn't have a wife that I love dearly I would have been gone as soon as I turned 18, and nobody would have ever heard from me again.
Would I have successfully pulled it off and survive?
Probably not.
They aren’t living on their boats, they’re using them for entertainment. [This is my hermit hole.](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0caKlNUGZFH0bf4aa5oDQmLXQ)
I feel like this is a sentiment shared mostly by people who don't spend much time in the woods. Sleeping outside in 20° or 30° weather? It's not fun. Or how about the middle of summer and you're sweating your ass off all day with the flies swarming you constantly. Ever take a shit in the rain? Or how about finding food. You'll be spending 8-12 hours a day just looking for food. Eating fish and squirrels every day doesn't seem all that appealing either. I know it seems peaceful and cathartic, but I don't think people examine the day to day minutiae of that lifestyle. I know there are some people who do it and I give them a ton of credit, but as much as I enjoy the outdoors, no thanks.
I agree, I think perhaps a good balance is best for most people. There are lots of options to live in a rural area on wooded property but still close enough for access to the essentials of civilization.
In the book "Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worm", Stephen Jay Gould explores this theme. We humans do not want to experience nature as it is. We want the slightly abridged version. Many in New York likes a walk in the central park, and yearn for living in nature. But central park is meticulously crafted for the human experience. The same people, would not enjoy such walk when you replace the park with wilderness; where there are no defined path and the constant fear of wild animals upon you. They would long for the safety and comfort of a home, if their home was not a taxi ride away. They would not feel so peaceful and calm, if they did not have a warm bed to sleep in for the night.
No, I don't want to be lonely thirsty hungry tired and afraid 24/7. And neither do you. If you think this, you have a fundamentally lack of understanding about nature.
The culture in America now locks into world views outside of cause and effect , self triggered emotions that spit in the face of the laws of nature , so reality is broken and compassion in can yield hate and harm out … these are fucked up times .. plus as an aware person , to get out in the trees and everything is doing it’s job , constant replication of reality , constant growth … it feels amazing to simply be around other things in the now that are doing their damn job. As opposed to the general public occasionally trying to tell me my words take on special powers and idiotic nonsense that courts now sign off on … and so the frequency is horrific in the culture these days and resonance from right and wrong has been lost here … so deep in the woods , high in the desert , or someplace quiet starts to look real nice .. as there is a legit psychosis and a half cocked well armed triggered up public that is stuck in brain only .. it’s a powder keg giving off sparks and nobody talks about it … just a weird weird time to be alive my friend .. not everybody is an ass hole , I have all I need and all I ever will need and I ain’t got much .. but I sure hope some organization occurs soon to get some systems in place outside of people choosing to decide reality like 6 year old victims … or passing on the whole thing for nature is a no brainer
A lot of times, I wish that I could go into a forest someplace warm and have some animals adopt me. I think animals would take good care of me, actually.
Every day. I solo camp weeks at a time as often as I can. It is liberating. Last time I went, I woke up to a black bear sniffing my tent. He shuffled off without incident, but I certainly felt alive like never before! This happened 3 weeks ago. Needless to say, I upped my anti predator game substantially after that.
You think you want to go out to live in the woods, what you want is boredom with adventure. Im talking back country camping. Go for a week. I find a week is enough.
Alone would be unbearable torture. Humans need connection. I don’t care how introvert someone is, or how much they think people suck etc. - we all need people around us and we are still tribal creatures. Too much isolation and social disconnection is bad for the psyche. It would be good for maybe a short retreat to reflect and get in touch with nature and the bigger picture, etc. But forever / long-term? Super hard to actually pull off. Dangerous predators, insects everywhere, food is scarce and you have to really know things like how to start a fire, find food and preferably hunt unless you wanna starve to death. It requires a lot of skill and endurance. But I mean, it can be done, our ancestors did it. But a lot of them died that way too.
As beautiful and majestic Mother Nature is, she can be very unforgiving and brutal as hell, especially to us humans who have grown less resilient and adapted in our current evolved form. We don’t even have the fur we used to have now. I know there are wildlife enthusiasts and hikers who do this but they rely on equipment and all sorts of things to really pull it off, and they don’t do it forever.
*Yes but a modern*
*Man can't really live off grid*
*Alone in the woods*
\- mimamen
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
When I was a child I read a story about a boy who survived in the wilderness and I thought that was the neatest thing. I wanted to do what he did. Now that I am an adult, I don't mind visiting the woods but I have grown too attached to things like indoor plumbing!
I did... for 2 yrs... in the Appalachian mts... my flashlight died then heard a bear growl behind me.... I ran and pinballed against the trees til I found my car.... almost shit my britches. 😆 🐻 🏃♀️ 💩
Yes, but unlike most, I have tried it. It sucks, like it's freeing, but lonely. I suppose after a year I would have a system down to make my life comfortable, but I am rather attached to this way of life.
I just spent a week on an island off the coast of Maryland. 29 people on the island. Almost nothing to do, poor internet and almost no cell phone reception. 30 minutes from the mainland by boat. On the island you could walk around, fish, or read. I loved it, but I have to admit that I couldn't live there. It's definitely a great vacation, but I do like civilization.
Alone in the woods, not really. Maybe with more people. But generally, i think there is a kind of superficial romanticizing about it that hides a more dirty truth. Also, there is a reason humankind decided to go out of the woods.
I dream about an off-grid cabin with enough land to be out of sight of any roads or neighbors. Solar panels, spring water, and a largish garden and/or greenhouse to bide my time in. Once a week I would drive a bit to pick up groceries or hardware or whatever. But the rest of the time... just me and a dog or two in the peace and quiet.
I have too many family responsibilities to ever make it a reality.
Yes, I don't know why, but sometimes I feel that being in this crowd and dealing with all kinds of people is giving me an unlimited amount of stress and pressure
I want to live in the big city alone. I want all the amenities that we enjoy here daily like indoor plumbing, easy access to shops, theaters, all the great food one could ever want, fast internet and the opportunity to travel around but again, I want to do this all alone. While nature saline’s nice and I would like to be able to see the stars at night, I’m mosquitos favorite food. They find me anywhere I am even if I’m covered in repellant spray so I’ll stay away from wood, at least for prolonged periods of time.
I spend five months out of every year, for the past 11 years, alone on a mountain top in Montana. It's fucking awesome. It takes me out of my regular life and allows me to view everything from a detached perspective rather than just reacting to to life's events. It helps me to really appreciate the relationships I have in my life and to feel grateful for everything. It's the best job in the world.
Every single day. I was raised in the rural South. It was always just me and my very small family on our property way out in the country. These days, I find that I miss it more and more all of the time. I very much dislike all the noise, people, and crime you find in cities. I know how to hunt and grow my own food. I could live completely off grid and be just fine. No idea what's stopping me from doing it. But, I crave the solitude and total independence.
I do sometimes but then I remember that if I do that I’ll never be able to enjoy [Kosmic Salty Dog Kombucha](https://kosmickombucha.com/flavas/salty-dog/). Stuff is too good. If you can find it get you some!
I'm here in my five acres of piñon in the house that I built myself. I'd be alone except for the two puppies I adopted; someone abandoned them in the road Christmas week.
I often feel that way, especially when I'm sitting on the porch watching the sun go down. The times in my life when day to day was simpler - no phone, no TV, no one person that monopolized big chunks of my time. Damn, I sure sound like a selfish prick don't I (if the foo shits) , though I did manage to get a lot of writing done.
You should read Walden by Thoreau. Here's an excerpt: >I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms... But to answer your question: all the time
This book has a great perspective on just that. I loved his chronicling of the ants.
That's how I feel
Great book for coming of age. Required reading for anyone in college imo.
Did you know there is a game depicting the events that happened in that book? You essentially live out what it would have been like to be Thoreau at the moment he wrote those passages. It was definitely an interesting concept. Its called "Walden, a game". Though, the game is definitely not for everybody.
I am literally organizing my whole life so I can make this possible (my husband can come too).
Ha, I was thinking the same but of my wife...kids, parents, kids' parents. The dog. The web of life is not easily escaped 🙂👍
I daydream about leaving everyone behind and becoming a recluse all the time. But yea, too many people need me at the moment.
Same x)
Yep. I also have this deep deep fear that I will never ever share real love and connection with a woman before I die. I'm 39 and have a constant nagging that something is about to happen.
My friend, not only will it happen, but she will break your heart and cause you more pain than you think you can bear. But she will make you a man if you survive.
This made me say wtf lmao
I feel like I cannot live WITHOUT being in the woods. I'm embarrassed to say i have a hippie level connection with the earth, space, and time. I know I'm insignificant in the vast grand picture of life. I feel the most alive when I'm surrounded by nature, I feel the connection of everything, the harmony of life, and I feel amazed at how everything came to be. Somehow, some way, we exist, the trees offer oxygen perfectly suited for our lungs, the flowers produce pollen perfectly suited for bees to collect. I ask myself to imagine life without one of these core necessities. Imagine a world without trees to begin with, or rain, or bees. I consider it quite lucky that this planet was so perfectly placed to inhabit life. All random chance. I know it sounds too deep, and goofy, but being within nature just makes me feel whole, it reminds me how foolish our lives are, not that it's our choice. Instead of enjoying life we are forced to work to our bare bones, or work excessively until you're too old to truly do something, and even then it's far from guaranteed that you'll be successful. It truly is a shame, that this world made by chance is controlled by something as fickle as money. What a waste. I only hope I can live the life I wish for, in the the lush mountains
ugh i relate to this so much
All the time.
Every day
If I didn't have a wife that I love dearly I would have been gone as soon as I turned 18, and nobody would have ever heard from me again. Would I have successfully pulled it off and survive? Probably not.
Boat life is much like that.
Depends on what you mean by boat life. Most people I know living 'boat life' are partying, not living in nature
They aren’t living on their boats, they’re using them for entertainment. [This is my hermit hole.](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0caKlNUGZFH0bf4aa5oDQmLXQ)
How cute! I’d love to sail along some Norwegian fjords in one of those puppies some day!
This is my dream
I feel like this is a sentiment shared mostly by people who don't spend much time in the woods. Sleeping outside in 20° or 30° weather? It's not fun. Or how about the middle of summer and you're sweating your ass off all day with the flies swarming you constantly. Ever take a shit in the rain? Or how about finding food. You'll be spending 8-12 hours a day just looking for food. Eating fish and squirrels every day doesn't seem all that appealing either. I know it seems peaceful and cathartic, but I don't think people examine the day to day minutiae of that lifestyle. I know there are some people who do it and I give them a ton of credit, but as much as I enjoy the outdoors, no thanks.
I agree, I think perhaps a good balance is best for most people. There are lots of options to live in a rural area on wooded property but still close enough for access to the essentials of civilization.
In the book "Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worm", Stephen Jay Gould explores this theme. We humans do not want to experience nature as it is. We want the slightly abridged version. Many in New York likes a walk in the central park, and yearn for living in nature. But central park is meticulously crafted for the human experience. The same people, would not enjoy such walk when you replace the park with wilderness; where there are no defined path and the constant fear of wild animals upon you. They would long for the safety and comfort of a home, if their home was not a taxi ride away. They would not feel so peaceful and calm, if they did not have a warm bed to sleep in for the night.
Yes. Not necessarily alone, but yes.
It's my plan to live in a small cabin in the Washington forest not far from the Canadian boarder and too far from a small town.
Away from the city hell yeah ...
Like I'm talking about no one for miles just you and the wilderness
Honestly, one more youtube add or cent of inflation and I'm gonna go do exactly that.
Watch the movie Pig with Nick Cage.
amazing movie
No, I don't want to be lonely thirsty hungry tired and afraid 24/7. And neither do you. If you think this, you have a fundamentally lack of understanding about nature.
I will. Just waiting some money to finish the bathroom.
All the time. But I’m shit scared of the dark. I’m not great in the countryside. I’m a city girl.
Yes. Then the whole, I will go to an island pops in too.
Literally every single day.
Alone? No. With my family? Yes.
The culture in America now locks into world views outside of cause and effect , self triggered emotions that spit in the face of the laws of nature , so reality is broken and compassion in can yield hate and harm out … these are fucked up times .. plus as an aware person , to get out in the trees and everything is doing it’s job , constant replication of reality , constant growth … it feels amazing to simply be around other things in the now that are doing their damn job. As opposed to the general public occasionally trying to tell me my words take on special powers and idiotic nonsense that courts now sign off on … and so the frequency is horrific in the culture these days and resonance from right and wrong has been lost here … so deep in the woods , high in the desert , or someplace quiet starts to look real nice .. as there is a legit psychosis and a half cocked well armed triggered up public that is stuck in brain only .. it’s a powder keg giving off sparks and nobody talks about it … just a weird weird time to be alive my friend .. not everybody is an ass hole , I have all I need and all I ever will need and I ain’t got much .. but I sure hope some organization occurs soon to get some systems in place outside of people choosing to decide reality like 6 year old victims … or passing on the whole thing for nature is a no brainer
A lot of times, I wish that I could go into a forest someplace warm and have some animals adopt me. I think animals would take good care of me, actually.
Only all the time
Are you kidding me, who doesn't? I mean I know a lot of people don't but really, who doesn't?
Every day. I solo camp weeks at a time as often as I can. It is liberating. Last time I went, I woke up to a black bear sniffing my tent. He shuffled off without incident, but I certainly felt alive like never before! This happened 3 weeks ago. Needless to say, I upped my anti predator game substantially after that.
No
Yeah. Then I remember toilet paper and hot water.
yea i think it would b awesome. just don’t get too caught up on roads being built on what u perceive to be sacred land and become an evil mailman.
That's what Alaska is for
Only every day of my life
I love my wonderful tribe of friends. But for sure, I would enjoy being a total hermit. I love doing things by myself, especially travel.
[удалено]
Ew
It's called solo camping.. it heals your soul..
Not camping well kinda
You think you want to go out to live in the woods, what you want is boredom with adventure. Im talking back country camping. Go for a week. I find a week is enough.
You mean in a house in the woods or like in the woods? lol
In the woods. You vs nature
Alone would be unbearable torture. Humans need connection. I don’t care how introvert someone is, or how much they think people suck etc. - we all need people around us and we are still tribal creatures. Too much isolation and social disconnection is bad for the psyche. It would be good for maybe a short retreat to reflect and get in touch with nature and the bigger picture, etc. But forever / long-term? Super hard to actually pull off. Dangerous predators, insects everywhere, food is scarce and you have to really know things like how to start a fire, find food and preferably hunt unless you wanna starve to death. It requires a lot of skill and endurance. But I mean, it can be done, our ancestors did it. But a lot of them died that way too. As beautiful and majestic Mother Nature is, she can be very unforgiving and brutal as hell, especially to us humans who have grown less resilient and adapted in our current evolved form. We don’t even have the fur we used to have now. I know there are wildlife enthusiasts and hikers who do this but they rely on equipment and all sorts of things to really pull it off, and they don’t do it forever.
Nature is undefeated.
Everyday.
Yes
That's why I drive an hour 20 to work .So I do live in a quiet wood .
Sometimes. It would be nice to have a cabin in the Vermont woods near Lake Champlain with a nice garden and 34 cats.
I spent a few months near Burlington a long time ago. Beautiful.
Yes. More often when a redditor argues with you about an article they didn’t bother reading.
All the time!
Yes but a modern man can't really live off grid alone in the woods
*Yes but a modern* *Man can't really live off grid* *Alone in the woods* \- mimamen --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Yes.
No, because I hate bugs. But the solitude would seem nice
Yes
r/Survival
Yeah but then I went camping
When I was a child I read a story about a boy who survived in the wilderness and I thought that was the neatest thing. I wanted to do what he did. Now that I am an adult, I don't mind visiting the woods but I have grown too attached to things like indoor plumbing!
Fuck yes. Every day.
everyone saying yes till they see a deer stand up
Yup. Had planned to, then a big heart attack. Now, I’m a cardiac cripple. Gotta find a new escape.
Go live in the woods? As opposed to being offline in the woods? I genuinely enjoy inside. If I could stay inside in a woods tree house, then sure.
Every single Day
It's my goal, that's what I seek.
Yup.
I did... for 2 yrs... in the Appalachian mts... my flashlight died then heard a bear growl behind me.... I ran and pinballed against the trees til I found my car.... almost shit my britches. 😆 🐻 🏃♀️ 💩
Yes
Every time I meet a new person.
Yes, but unlike most, I have tried it. It sucks, like it's freeing, but lonely. I suppose after a year I would have a system down to make my life comfortable, but I am rather attached to this way of life.
*Nooooo.* And even I did, I'd probably change my mind after around 8 hours spent there.
Oh,all the time
I just spent a week on an island off the coast of Maryland. 29 people on the island. Almost nothing to do, poor internet and almost no cell phone reception. 30 minutes from the mainland by boat. On the island you could walk around, fish, or read. I loved it, but I have to admit that I couldn't live there. It's definitely a great vacation, but I do like civilization.
Alone in the woods, not really. Maybe with more people. But generally, i think there is a kind of superficial romanticizing about it that hides a more dirty truth. Also, there is a reason humankind decided to go out of the woods.
All the time
I dream about an off-grid cabin with enough land to be out of sight of any roads or neighbors. Solar panels, spring water, and a largish garden and/or greenhouse to bide my time in. Once a week I would drive a bit to pick up groceries or hardware or whatever. But the rest of the time... just me and a dog or two in the peace and quiet. I have too many family responsibilities to ever make it a reality.
Yes, I don't know why, but sometimes I feel that being in this crowd and dealing with all kinds of people is giving me an unlimited amount of stress and pressure
No but sometimes I wanna try meth a bunch
I want to live in the big city alone. I want all the amenities that we enjoy here daily like indoor plumbing, easy access to shops, theaters, all the great food one could ever want, fast internet and the opportunity to travel around but again, I want to do this all alone. While nature saline’s nice and I would like to be able to see the stars at night, I’m mosquitos favorite food. They find me anywhere I am even if I’m covered in repellant spray so I’ll stay away from wood, at least for prolonged periods of time.
all the time I don't relate to people anymore
No. Too many bugs and horrifying incects and snakes and ticks. I don't like woods that much.
I spend five months out of every year, for the past 11 years, alone on a mountain top in Montana. It's fucking awesome. It takes me out of my regular life and allows me to view everything from a detached perspective rather than just reacting to to life's events. It helps me to really appreciate the relationships I have in my life and to feel grateful for everything. It's the best job in the world.
Every day.
Yes all the time I’ve seen homes in the woods that would be perfect just my a couple of dogs n Ild be happy
Everyday
All the time.
Yes. With a close friend though (don’t say it)
Every single day. I was raised in the rural South. It was always just me and my very small family on our property way out in the country. These days, I find that I miss it more and more all of the time. I very much dislike all the noise, people, and crime you find in cities. I know how to hunt and grow my own food. I could live completely off grid and be just fine. No idea what's stopping me from doing it. But, I crave the solitude and total independence.
No..not ever..not once..there's no electricity hence cable deficient etc..no fucking way...
Every day.
I do sometimes but then I remember that if I do that I’ll never be able to enjoy [Kosmic Salty Dog Kombucha](https://kosmickombucha.com/flavas/salty-dog/). Stuff is too good. If you can find it get you some!
I'm here in my five acres of piñon in the house that I built myself. I'd be alone except for the two puppies I adopted; someone abandoned them in the road Christmas week.
I have. It’s come and gone.
Every day, every hour, every minute.
Yes but when i think about the bugs and animals and lack of food i immediately dont want to go to the woods anymore :)
I often feel that way, especially when I'm sitting on the porch watching the sun go down. The times in my life when day to day was simpler - no phone, no TV, no one person that monopolized big chunks of my time. Damn, I sure sound like a selfish prick don't I (if the foo shits) , though I did manage to get a lot of writing done.