Why is being “Homeless” such a bad thing? Maybe it's not!

Now, let me say right off that I am NOT talking about being penniless and destitute! I am talking about people that find pleasure in being free spirits. Even though they may have funds to live, they are viewed as bums.

Why does society look on being homeless as a bad thing? Why are we so devastated and crushed when we become homeless? Does everyone need to have a permanent fixed address or dwelling to live in each night? How has it come to this? Are we made to feel devastated because society will view us as failures? Even though we may have money to support ourselves, we are made to feel less than than others around us.

The reason that I am sharing this question is that I think it is a form of conspiracy. It is a societal inforced slavery. How? By convincing us that not living like the world around us is a bad thing. We are made to feel less equal than others because we refuse to live like them.

It will seem to many that life has always been this way, but that is just not true. We humans are about exploration, about trying new things and about travel. We were nomads, plains dwellers, mountain men/women, we were sailors, adventurers. Until just a few hundred years ago, most people did not find having a permanent dwelling that desirable or even that important. In fact, we craved the change in locations, change in cultures and in scenery. Most world travelers looked disparagingly on society's town dwellers.

We have forgotten what has made us who and what we are. We have always thrived on change! How have we forgotten so quickly our heritage. Anyone that now becomes “homeless” for any reason is not only looked down upon by society, but is themselves crushed and demoralized to the point of desperation. They have become outcasts and are pitied. They see themselves as failures. They may still even have money for food or even transportation, but to be called “homeless” is a fate few can deal with logically.

The real tragedy of being labeled as homeless is the loss of perspective. There are many, many alternatives and choices open to these people, but they are so damaged by the stigma, they can't see the opportunities available to them. All is not lost. In our past we have faced worse dilemmas and challenges than this! This lifestyle change is about a loss of historical understanding.

And society adds to the damage. They view our new condition with the same seriousness as illness, accidents or the loss of a loved one. They make it seem that it is much worse than it really is. What is it about this condition that is so traumatic? Well, in truth, it does change everything! You now no longer have a mortgage, a monthly rent to pay, furniture to buy, things to clean, maintain or protect. You no longer have to maintain the house or keep insurance on the house or apartment. You no longer have to cut the grass or trim the hedge. You are in truth free! You are now free to go or live any way you like. To try new adventures. To try new places to live. Be who you want to be!

Now you can begin to understand why society finds this as such a revolutionary and dangerous condition for anyone to be in! This is a real threat to the complete societal structure! You are now an enemy of the state! Why? Because you no longer need or want to buy things, like furniture, or to buy home or apartment insurance, to buy a lawn mower or paint for the spare bedroom. You are a revolutionary trying to damage the state! This change in lifestyle must be put down, ridiculed and condemned as a terrible thing! You must be made to understand that you have failed in your duty as a member of society and are now an outcast. This is not just the view of the government, but it is the view of your societal neighbors also. They cannot tolerate anyone not following the same rules that they themselves must live by. No, this cannot be tolerated or to be viewed as acceptable behavior. You are a loser! You are less than equal. You have failed!

In truth, you have just broken your chains of slavery and you don't even realize it. That is the irony of this situation, you are being deceived into believing that you are a failure, when in truth you have just escaped your bonds and are being tricked into believing that this is a tragedy. Guess what, it is your way out and you can't even see it.

Let me give you some perspective on this condition, if I may. People buy very expensive recreational vehicles (RVs) to find some escape from their daily drudgery. They travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to find that “perfect” spot to forget all of their problems for a little while. They dream about some day retiring to some nice warm place or to travel with this RV for the rest of their days. Some day...

Why is that life not available now? Because of the need for money! Of course, money. That money that you spend daily on that permanent house, furniture, lawn mower, etc, etc. But someday it will be ok to leave that house, assuming some others sucker will buy it, and allow you to travel. As long as we do it in a way acceptable to society! You must plan. You must travel in style. You must prepare for this future by working even harder, by saving more money.

So, let's see if we understand this strange societal ritual. You need to maintain a house, have a mortgage, insurance, lawn care, maintenance, taxes, etc. Then near the end of your life you can then have adventures of seeing the world, ship cruises, RV travel, travel to exotic places, if you work hard, save your money and live the way society tells us to. Right?

What if you die before you get to this “golden age”? What if the world changes? Oops. Too bad. Maybe your mate will be able to do this great adventure alone. Or you can leave the money to the kids...

Let me give you the secret truth hidden from everyone. Are you ready? OK, here it is. This has all been a big, well thought out scam! A scam to keep you a slave! To keep you producing. To keep you on the treadmill. Don't believe it? I'm sure most won't. But, that's ok. Maybe you will when you are finally old and still haven't found that perfect life that you have been working for all of your life. Maybe then you will look back and see the game for what it really is. A trick...

So, in conclusion, you can view becoming homeless as a new adventure and as a new way to experience life or you can view it as a tragic failure. You can see yourself as a helpless victim. As a sign that you are not worthy of a home like the rest of society. If you see yourself as a failure then you really are. But, we as a the human race have faced many hardships more difficult than this trivial event. This is just another adventure in disguise.

But the choice is yours.

reply to post by Wanderer112358

Now, let me say right off that I am NOT talking about being penniless and destitute!

Isn't that what homeless means?

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by Wanderer112358

 

Now, let me say right off that I am NOT talking about being penniless and destitute!

Isn't that what homeless means?

Of course not. It means not having the desire to live like the rest of society lives. If I walk the world with a backpack, camp where I find a place and never sleep in the same place twice, that is homeless is it not? I may have enough money to not have to ask others for support, but have no desire to live in a stick built box for the rest of my life.

Homelessness is only considered bad by those who do not understand what it is to be free.

People fear what they do not understand,people avoid or destroy what they fear.

Homelessness is freedom,slaves fear freedom,they fear making decisions for themselves,they need to be led.

I know from experience,I am not just expressing my useless opinion in this anonymous place.

Homeless=Free

Originally posted by MyHappyDogShiner
Homelessness is only considered bad by those who do not understand what it is to be free.

People fear what they do not understand,people avoid or destroy what they fear.

Homelessness is freedom,slaves fear freedom,they fear making decisions for themselves,they need to be led.

I know from experience,I am not just expressing my useless opinion in this anonymous place.

Homeless=Free

Yes! Exactly! I wrote this thread because I never hear it discussed and in my opinion it is a major societal trap.

Thank you.

reply to post by Wanderer112358

Of course not. It means not having the desire to live like the rest of society lives.

Have you ever been homeless? I have. I've seen the homeless community. For a lot of them, it's a lot more simple than that. Alcohol addiction, screwed by the state, criminal background, family drama, that's what I've seen. I don't know where you got your ideas from, but it's not from experience.

If I walk the world with a backpack, camp where I find a place and never sleep in the same place twice, that is homeless is it not?

That's basically what you claim to not be talking about.

I may have enough money to not have to ask others for support, but have no desire to live in a stick built box for the rest of my life.

Homelessness has no particular cause. It is the condition of not having a home in the legal sense. It doesn't matter how or why, it is the condition itself.

reply to post by MyHappyDogShiner


And they recycle! And they use a lot less to survive, so all the rich people basically feed them with cast-offs. Those who are facing difficulties saved by those who aren't. It's a karmic trade, really.

reply to post by Wanderer112358

For the most part society has been indoctrinated from birth with certain mores. One story they taught all youngsters from my era was that when you came to a bridge you had to be careful of the "troll" that lived under there...

The Troll Under the Bridge

The evil troll, the dirty troll... the "homeless" troll.

Ask yourself why society shuns the homeless. It is because they are "less than" in our minds. I disagree... they are the only ones free from the "rat race" as it were. And that in my opinion is why they are so despised. Not because they are dirty or "homeless" (a misnomer, planet Earth is our home), but because to the "civilized" world they represent either the notion of utter failure (which is scary) or the notion of true freedom (even scarier) from our programmed perspective.

Just my experienced opinion.

I am a guy on a bicycle with a backpack on my way to work.

Most people stereotypically, reflexively assume I am homeless,and technically I am.

I am not broke,I do not steal,I am not on the prowl to take your stuff when you have your back turned.

You who assume I am bad,assume this because of the way you see yourselves if you were free,freedom is not desperation.

You assume that because I do not live the way you do,that I am an animal,or nearer to one than you are.

In reality,you target and pick on those weaker than you.

Like your government and other authorities do to you.

Peasants,Surfs,foreclosed on homeowners.

It's all the same.

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by Wanderer112358

 

For the most part society has been indoctrinated from birth with certain mores. One story they taught all youngsters from my era was that when you came to a bridge you had to be careful of the "troll" that lived under there...

The Troll Under the Bridge

The evil troll, the dirty troll... the "homeless" troll.

Ask yourself why society shuns the homeless. It is because they are "less than" in our minds. I disagree... they are the only ones free from the "rat race" as it were. And that in my opinion is why they are so despised. Not because they are dirty or "homeless" (a misnomer, planet Earth is our home), but because to the "civilized" world they represent either the notion of utter failure (which is scary) or the notion of true freedom (even scarier) from our programmed perspective.

Just my experienced opinion.

I agree. Most of the truly enlightened people that I have met would be seen as less than equal to others of society. They usually were humble, poor, and in some way troubled. They were the people avoided by society. These were the "special" people in my view.

That is why few people notice these earthbound "angels" of the world...

Thanks

Are we just talking soul-searching-on-a-road-trip homeless here? Let's be specific. Apparently, your definitions defy the other member's thoughts on the subject, yet you agree with him. I'm thoroughly confused.

I agree its not a bad thing. Its just when a person is abused, or has special needs and their homeless this is not fair. But if someone is capable and healthy then being homeless could be quite freeing. Id imagine. But then Im not big on being boxed in. Our home is earth, not some little plot with bricks around it.

reply to post by Wanderer112358 Very well put. I truly do not believe that people are designed to live this way
. We all are descended from nomads. Our world is for sharing, not for staying in the same box for X amount of years.
This puts stress on lower paid people to maintain a life they can not really afford.
And if they lose it, or have a mental breakdown, its perceived as a failure on their part.
We are all beeing manipulated.

This thread is not about me. but I want to say that I live what I talk of here also.

I used to have a 6 figure job in the city, big house and two cars, etc. I let it all go. I was feeling like I was losing my soul and to be honest. I was ready to end my life.

I said to myself in a moment of sanity, "Well, if you are going to end your life, why not go out and do live your life the way to want?" So, I did. My wife of that time had about 10 yard sales. we sold everything we owned or gave it away.

Well, to make a long story short, my wife and I now live life apart, still married, no hate, no anger, just love for each other. I now live in an old truck that I converted into a cheap and simple camper. No electricity, no plumbing. More like a metal tent really.

I have been traveling America for three years now living wherever I like. I sleep in Walmart parking lots, truck stops, empty lots, etc. Wherever I find a place for free.

I don't have a retirement, little money, no medical or life insurance, but I can honestly say that I have never been this happy in my whole life.

For me it is about less being more, minimalism and freedom.

I am continuing to shed things I no longer need.

I have done extended hiking, but in my old age my feet bother me some. So I walk some and sit some. *smile*

May we all find our own unique way Home soon.

Peace

I want to add too, that they found professional homeless people lol often made more money than working folk. I dont know how. But it was shown that a homeless guy who looked rather scruffy and so forth, got into a bentley car. So you never know, the free man is often more self-reliant. Arent these gypsies?. There is still tons of prejudice against the gypsy ideology. Plus look at gurus, very successful folk, and the sort, they often do not have a home as such, they wander alot. And maybe find more..

Think you really mean living "off the grid" not really homeless, I guess it is just semantics though.

I was "homeless" once for a short time, it sucked but I learned a few things from the experience (yea I saw what I did there)

There are different degrees of homelessness, as someone posted above, addiction, abuse, mental issues, criminals, bad circumstances, some prefer it (living off the grid), some are just lazy. Many seek shelter and help then live that way off the system, others use the system to help themselves out of it, some are just young trying to find their way in life, others are old and have gave up trying.

In my opinion, being homeless sucked, lost my job, wife, vehicle and I rebounded in three months, on my own with no help other than the bed and food the homeless shelter provided. Maybe I was just to use to the system, I like having my own place, shower, TV and vehicle, having a job and taking care of myself and buying what I want/need, what I saw as freedom others see as shackles.

Some see that life as a burden they believe the less they have the more they gain and wear it like a badge of honor, to each their own I suppose. Everyone has their own idea of what happiness is, a good or bad life and the path that leads them to that.

Personally, I think to truly live "off the grid" you would have to be very wealthy to begin with ...

I live a above average home, have a new car, have a decent job, but i feel trapped.

The same routine every frkin day.... wake up, go to work, come home, get on computer, random activity here, go to sleep. Repeat.

I'm so desperate to get the heck out of this place... i have money to go anywhere.... but all my friends are too busy.

Sometimes, i get so bored i drive around city at night.....


I would do anything to live in a new environment every 6 months. That would be life.

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
Are we just talking soul-searching-on-a-road-trip homeless here? Let's be specific. Apparently, your definitions defy the other member's thoughts on the subject, yet you agree with him. I'm thoroughly confused.

This is not an attack and I hope you don't see it as such, but sometimes it is best to talk less and listen more. You seem to have a need to question or confront people's view's in threads. I am not saying that I mind comments, but I don't feel a need to justify my views or my position to you. I am throwing out a topic to be considered. Feel free to tells us what you think, but I don't feel the need to defend anything that I have said here.

The purpose for this thread was for others to consider this philosophy. There is no right answer here. My way of living is not right for anyone, but me.

Peace

I always say to each their own, to live and let live-if you are not hurting anyone, taking care of yourself what's the problem?

I've been homeless a few times-not as a choice but because of "hard times"... I have learned through talking to many on my journeys that,
∞Some people-whether slightly afflicted or more with mental illness or none apparent at all at least to the untrained eye,

See freedom in the fact that they are not bound by modern society's restrictions such as;
∞credit
∞a job
∞home, car, etc., that they may find themselves not interested in or not interested in material items to live with in society
∞being tied down to one location
∞status quo
∞restriction on their personal freedom that is illegal in most places- use such as- drug use or other seemingly means of surviving which may entail into their life(sale of illicits, prostitution, theft)
∞The 60s flower children etc. lifestyle and what they are used to... See*

* ∞The 60s flower children who stayed on the fringe to other sub cultural subscribing to like lifestyle(from my experience as being homeless in San Francisco)
∞"run away" teenagers(or even adults) who find themselves stuck in their situation because that's all they know as life
∞"runaway" people that are hiding
∞situational...down on their luck


Also that,
Society sees it as a fault for many reasons;
∞Worry for their safety and or their community.
∞ The association of poor to harmful mental health on above as well as the person.
∞Also as Drug use, alcoholism, disease, crime...more, have been linked to the "homeless lifestyle"
∞The concern of city/count on people not paying taxes or letting themselves "be a burden" on society by welfare such as foodstamps(and collection of SS but not spent on their housing, mental care etc.), or community donation such food lines, "low income" medical care and homeless shelters for cold nights...to shower and rest accommodations.
∞Community cleanup to keep the city presentable to tourism for example or for proposed safety of their citizens
∞May contribute to crime in the area, drug use, prostitution.
∞"Keeping up with the Jonses" keep everything within society's "normal" bounds.




ps... My views don't reflect every person's situation as each is different though many conclude that they have similar characteristics in lifestyle.