Simple Living and Higher Thinking

[I-Ching]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

On a more practical note I think that adopting this lifestyle is a matter of survival for human society since we are completely dependent on oil at every level and when it runs out this current society will collapse.

 

[Thief]

Yeah...I think you're right.

I have plenty of ideas about getting...'off the grid'.
but I spend my hours chasing one pay check to the next.

The world wide web is not what you are looking at right now.
It's the monetary system that you are trapped in.

 

[darkendless]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

On a more practical note I think that adopting this lifestyle is a matter of survival for human society since we are completely dependent on oil at every level and when it runs out this current society will collapse.

It does sound good in theory but in reality we are far too over-populated to let go of our dependence on oil.

We simply do not have the means to survive on just crops. Sadly its not an option.

 

[I-Ching]

Yeah...I think you're right.

I have plenty of ideas about getting...'off the grid'.
but I spend my hours chasing one pay check to the next.

The world wide web is not what you are looking at right now.
It's the monetary system that you are trapped in.

What do you think would the ideal for of governance in such a community?

The Vedas offer a system called varna ashrama where human society is divided into four classes according to their talents: a priestly class, a warrior class, a merchant class and labourer class.

Democracy is dysfunctional system of governance since the majority of people are not very intelligent and therefore not qualified to elect a proper leader. They will simply vote for whoever offers them the most sense gratification. Our current oil dilemma is an example. The majority are not going to vote for the person who is prepared to make the necessary changes for this inevitable future.

 

[I-Ching]

It does sound good in theory but in reality we are far too over-populated to let go of our dependence on oil.

We simply do not have the means to survive on just crops. Sadly its not an option.

If human society would stop eating animals it could support twice the number of people. Giving our food to animals so that we can eat them is incredibly inefficient. Besides the problem is more one over concentration than over population. Modern urban lifestyle is very inefficient.

What do we need to survive besides crops? You can't eat computer chips, even if you deep fry them.

 

[darkendless]

If human society would stop eating animals it could support twice the number of people. Giving our food to animals so that we can eat them is incredibly inefficient. Besides the problem is more one over concentration than over population. Modern urban lifestyle is very inefficient.

What do we need to survive besides crops? You can't eat computer chips, even if you deep fry them.

We've gone beyond the point where we could implement such a style even if the worlds population was distributed well.

Simple fact is years of terrible crop rotation and adverse weather conditions have significantly reduced the growing potential. Then theres salinization, phosphate deficiency.... the list goes on.

Look at Zimbabwe, once the "bread-basket of the world" in terms of produce.

 

[bobhikes]

If human society would stop eating animals it could support twice the number of people. Giving our food to animals so that we can eat them is incredibly inefficient. Besides the problem is more one over concentration than over population. Modern urban lifestyle is very inefficient.

What do we need to survive besides crops? You can't eat computer chips, even if you deep fry them.

Go for it, please get rid of your computer.:sarcastic

 

[I-Ching]

We've gone beyond the point where we could implement such a style even if the worlds population was distributed well.

Simple fact is years of terrible crop rotation and adverse weather conditions have significantly reduced the growing potential. Then theres salinization, phosphate deficiency.... the list goes on.

Look at Zimbabwe, once the "bread-basket of the world" in terms of produce.

The land could be revived using ancient techniques of agriculture which I am busy experimenting with right now.

Zimbabwe's problem is more political than anything else.

 

[I-Ching]

Go for it, please get rid of your computer.:sarcastic

I'm using a thorn to take out a thorn

 

[bobhikes]

I'm using a thorn to take out a thorn

Thorns grow on some of our crops, in your world they will always exist.

 

[freethinker44]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

On a more practical note I think that adopting this lifestyle is a matter of survival for human society since we are completely dependent on oil at every level and when it runs out this current society will collapse.

Unnecessary regression.

 

[PolyHedral]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

I think the opposite. Technology has vastly improved the lives of immeasurable billions of people, given us an idea of who we are in relation to the universe, and will only continue to improve our lives.

In fact, something that might interest you is the concept of the Technological Singularity. Although I don't believe the estimates that it will happen by 2045, I can't rule it out entirely. When the singularity does come about, the resulting explosion of intelligence, processing, and manipulation ability will allow our descendents unprecedented control over the future. One scenario involving the Singularity I've seen involves all of Earth being destroyed by a radiation burst, and the vast majority of people simply not caring. (There was no interstellar travel in the story.) That is how powerful the possibilities are; all of the problems you have with technology are trivial to solve given sufficiently advanced technology.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

That wouldn't work well for us heathens.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

The planet will survive no matter how much we foul it.
Besides, it could be that technology will be needed in the distant future to deflect errant asteroids.
I wouldn't trust chanting or prayer for that.

On a more practical note I think that adopting this lifestyle is a matter of survival for human society since we are completely dependent on oil at every level and when it runs out this current society will collapse.

There are no permanent solutions for societal ills.
Every time we think we'll solve a problem, we'll need to fix the problem caused by the last solution.

Things happen.
We cope with them.
We survive.
It continues.

 

[I-Ching]

I think the opposite. Technology has vastly improved the lives of immeasurable billions of people, given us an idea of who we are in relation to the universe, and will only continue to improve our lives.

In what ways have our lives been improved? The majority of people on this planet are living below the bread line. Machines take peoples jobs so that the rich become richer and poor become poorer. Even those that have money are not particularly happier. They are still simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending in a more sophisticated way. Climate change is destroying the lives of many people.
It has simply given us the foolish idea that we don't need God.

In fact, something that might interest you is the concept of the Technological Singularity. Although I don't believe the estimates that it will happen by 2045, I can't rule it out entirely. When the singularity does come about, the resulting explosion of intelligence, processing, and manipulation ability will allow our descendents unprecedented control over the future. One scenario involving the Singularity I've seen involves all of Earth being destroyed by a radiation burst, and the vast majority of people simply not caring. (There was no interstellar travel in the story.) That is how powerful the possibilities are; all of the problems you have with technology are trivial to solve given sufficiently advanced technology.

I think you watch too much star-trek. By 2045 the planet will have run out of oil which your artificial intelligence will not be able to manufacture it. Our society consumes an incredible amount of energy that we will not be able to supply by alternate means.

 

[I-Ching]

That wouldn't work well for us heathens.

Yes you would have to become God-conscious.

The planet will survive no matter how much we foul it.
Besides, it could be that technology will be needed in the distant future to deflect errant asteroids.
I wouldn't trust chanting or prayer for that.

The planet may survive but we wont. Everything in the universe is being controlled by higher entities. When human society neglects to worship God then nature punishes us.

There are no permanent solutions for societal ills.
Every time we think we'll solve a problem, we'll need to fix the problem caused by the last solution.

That's because our solutions are based on our own concoction rather than coming from God. I'm sure God knows the solution.

 

[Revoltingest]

Climate change is destroying the lives of many people.
It has simply given us the foolish idea that we don't need God.

Belief in God hasn't served us too well either.
You guys have given us such things as The Crusades, theocracies & the auto de fe.

I think you watch too much star-trek. By 2045 the planet will have run out of oil which your artificial intelligence will not be able to manufacture it.

You've been watching too many doomsday movies. There will be oil in 2045.
The price will be higher though....& it might smell like french fries.

Our society consumes an incredible amount of energy that we will not be able to supply by alternate means.

Of course we'll find other sources. In 2045 you'll be eating your words....if you remember them.

 

[idea]

I think that human society would much happier spiritually and materially if we were to go back to living a more simple agrarian God-conscious lifestyle.

I don't think that technology has offered any significant benefit to human society. In fact it is destroying the planet.

On a more practical note I think that adopting this lifestyle is a matter of survival for human society since we are completely dependent on oil at every level and when it runs out this current society will collapse.

I've traveled to parts of the world where people still live the simple life... it is a beautiful thing.... so when this society does come toppling down, there is no need for alarm - may we all remember the joys of minimalism .

 

[Revoltingest]

The planet may survive but we wont. Everything in the universe is being controlled by higher entities. When human society neglects to worship God then nature punishes us.

Funny thing about punishment. When tornadoes & floods hit, they seem to prefer churches & Bible Belt areas.
This heathen must be one of your god's chosen people.....I suffer no flood, no drought, no plague, no pestilence,
no ill health, no depression, no poverty, no hunger, no tornado/hurricane, no...you get the idea. I'm better off
than the vast majority of believers. Perhaps your god thinks that unfounded belief in him deserves punishment, eh?

 

[PolyHedral]

In what ways have our lives been improved? The majority of people on this planet are living below the bread line.

Do you have stats for that? Because I bet that if you look, you'll see that, in general, people have gotten steadily richer as time has gone on.

Machines take peoples jobs so that the rich become richer and poor become poorer.

But also so that everything becomes cheaper. If you wanted something even as trivial as a ring before the industrial revolution, you'd either have to make it yourself or buy someone's valuable time to make it for you. Now things billions of times more complex sell for a billionth of the cost, because robots don't need to be paid.

Even those that have money are not particularly happier.

Well, humans are irrational anyway.

Climate change is destroying the lives of many people.

Climate change is a solved problem. You can't blame the science if nobody's implemented the solution.

It has simply given us the foolish idea that we don't need God.

God didn't really help. Sure, it made people ostensibly happier, but it didn't stop anyone dying. It didn't stop a lot of disease, compared to germ theory. It didn't show us where we stand in the universe with any degree of credibility.

I think you watch too much star-trek. By 2045 the planet will have run out of oil which your artificial intelligence will not be able to manufacture it.

Oil can be manufactured. It's just very expensive compared to pulling it out of the ground.

Our society consumes an incredible amount of energy that we will not be able to supply by alternate means.

I don't think you understand the scale of what technology can do. Some have hypothesized about how to meet the energy requirements of far-future civilization, and a fairly mild proposal was to cover Mercury in solar panels. That would provide the energy for a couple of hundred modern civilizations.

 

[I-Ching]

Belief in God hasn't served us too well either.
You guys have given us such things as The Crusades, theocracies & the auto de fe.

Your perspective on history is limited. According to the Vedas we are in the age Kali, the age quarrel and hypocracy, which started 5000 years ago. What you see is the influence of materialism in religion and society in general.

You've been watching too many doomsday movies. There will be oil in 2045.
The price will be higher though....& it might smell like french fries.

That takes a lot of faith.