A reader of my last blog posting, 'The Absurd Side of the 'Free Will' Debate', raised some interesting points and so I have decided to share part of my reply to him.
From his comments, I was uncertain if I had adequately conveyed the main point that I was striving to make regarding the absurdity of the 'free will' debate and so readdressed it in order to diminish the likelihood of confusion, as follows....
"When I say the 'free will' debate, I am referring to deterministic versus non-deterministic viewpoints of the universe. While some of the deterministic perspectives have come from a God-based view of reality, some have been strictly scientific. I, as you know, reject the God-based ones outright.
One scientific deterministic perspective is that the universe (universes?) has in its totality been an inevitable sequence of events beginning with the big bang (although what, if anything, predated the big bang? etc.) and thus everything that happens, including the most minute aspect of each living thing's behavior is completely necessary due to a domino-like playing out of things. Therefore, human choice is simply an illusion, as is, therefore, human moral responsibility etc., etc.
Due to quantum physics theory and its implications, the issue of randomness arises that can perhaps alter this analysis of things. That being said, based on my investigations into the present state of scientific knowledge, no human actually understands the intricate workings of the universe well enough to make any final statements about this topic, nor is that likely to change in our lifetimes or perhaps ever, due to the limitations of human mental abiilties and the enormity of the problem to be solved.
So, in the meantime, the point that I was trying to make in 'The Absurd Side of the 'Free Will' Debate' article was that although pondering the 'free will' issue is an interesting intellectual exercise, for caged human animals there is a much higher-priority issue relating to freedom which cries for our attention and energies - i.e. getting out of the cage.
Caged humans investing their limited resources on the deterministic free will issue while completely neglecting the reality of their domestication is as absurd as someone making sure to wax the floors while remaining in a house engulfed in flames. "
One scientific deterministic perspective is that the universe (universes?) has in its totality been an inevitable sequence of events beginning with the big bang (although what, if anything, predated the big bang? etc.) and thus everything that happens, including the most minute aspect of each living thing's behavior is completely necessary due to a domino-like playing out of things. Therefore, human choice is simply an illusion, as is, therefore, human moral responsibility etc., etc.
Due to quantum physics theory and its implications, the issue of randomness arises that can perhaps alter this analysis of things. That being said, based on my investigations into the present state of scientific knowledge, no human actually understands the intricate workings of the universe well enough to make any final statements about this topic, nor is that likely to change in our lifetimes or perhaps ever, due to the limitations of human mental abiilties and the enormity of the problem to be solved.
So, in the meantime, the point that I was trying to make in 'The Absurd Side of the 'Free Will' Debate' article was that although pondering the 'free will' issue is an interesting intellectual exercise, for caged human animals there is a much higher-priority issue relating to freedom which cries for our attention and energies - i.e. getting out of the cage.
Caged humans investing their limited resources on the deterministic free will issue while completely neglecting the reality of their domestication is as absurd as someone making sure to wax the floors while remaining in a house engulfed in flames. "
Additionally, my reader had a variety of questions regarding whether the whole exercise of discussing domestication and the coping mechanisms developed to tolerate its resultant discomfort might be a coping mechansim itself.
As well, he was interested in knowing more about practical issues such as the concrete effects of my own pursuit of wildness, whether the process that I am advocating is really more about become a little wilder rather than actually becoming wild (and regarding this, how far I am personally willing to go in the direction of becoming wild), and the place of technology within a wild society.
My response....
"A coping mechanism is a means that one uses to dull discomfort without actually addressing the problem causing the discomfort.
Therefore, using my model of civilized humans being caged/domesticated animals, each step foward in the process of regaining control of one's life in order to follow one's internal agenda rather than the agenda imposed by the domesticators represents one piece of the puzzle in the solving of the domestication problem.
That process begins by the individual recognizing that it is unwilling to tolerate the present situation and its accompanying discomfort any longer and thus deciding to change. In this case, it presumably eventually understands that the problem is its domestication and then embarks on the journey of self-liberation.
It continues with a multitude of internal and then external changes that ideally ultimately lead to its complete liberation with the reward being the opportunity to self-actualize and thus experience healthy pleasure and well-being.
Obviously any individual may decide to stop somewhere short of total liberation for different reasons (within the structure of the zoo, one may continue to exist without untaming oneself). So long as one is continuing the voyage forward on this path, however, that person is not coping but problem solving.
If, however, the individual is not doing anything to move forward but somehow simply uses the idea of self-liberation as a fantasy escape mechanism from reality, then that would represent a coping mechanism.
Getting rid of coping mechanisms would not generally be a coping mechanism since abandoning a coping mechanism results in one experiencing the pain that one had dulled before. Obviously one can replace one coping mechanism with another (eg. drugs for religion) but that individual will not make any real progress on the liberation journey.
The art of self-liberation is to give up coping mechanisms, attain at least the same level of comfort (or ideally a higher level of comfort), while becoming freer and thus not relying on new coping mechanisms, and in the process enhance one's self-actualization and obtain its accompanying benefits.
What I propose in my book and writings is exactly that. It is also what I personally do.
My personal objective is to become as untamed as possible in the time that I have left.
By 'wild', I mean to follow one's natural internal agenda instead of an agenda externally imposed by another human.
If one is conceived within the cage and subjected to a multitude of domesticating forces during the years of one's life prior to deciding to untame oneslf then it becomes necessary to free oneself from the layers of cages that one is surrounded with at that starting point.
In my particular case, I was a highly domesticated animal until I began up to wake to that fact and began my self-liberation process about 25 years ago. I have restructured my life virtually completely since then and in the process have evolved into a closer approximation of who I am genetically intended to be. As a function of that I am healthier, more confident, happier, more reality oriented, and make decisions that direct me towards a greater probability of looking after my personal interests while being able to better understand the realities of those around me.
I divorced myself from my family of origin due to the pathology of that system and the unwillingness of those people to take their lives in a positive direction. I left Canada due to my increasing dislike of its overwhelming socialist mentality.
I have raised two children who are now young adults and are far further along the path of self-actualization than I was at their ages, due in large part to the changes that I made within myself and in my life. As part of that, I homeschooled them in order to free them and our family from the industrial structure of the institutional school system.
I have addressed many of my issues that prevented me from being able to function well within a relationship and as a result of that have developed a positive and fulfilling relationship with my female partner and have very good and ever-improving relationships with my children.
I have changed my eating patterns, my activity patterns, my interests, and my sexual patterns, all in a healthier and freer direction. I have developed a better understanding of the order of things in human society and on the planet and thus act more responsibly and with more caring for what is important.
I am increasingly drawn to connect with the natural systems around me and am less and less interested in those which are divorced from being nature based or are unhealthy. In that regard I am about to build a small home on 12 acres of land in a manner and with the clear intent of being significantly able to provide many of the essentials of life on that place in a sustainable style.
I decided to build that home without incurring new debt so as not enslave myself further from a financial perspective (a step which represents a significant change on my part). I am organizing my life so as to be able to need less money overall and thus work less and less (particularly doing work within the structure of civilized society).
I speak my mind much more freely without being as preoccupied as I used to be about others' reactions while still being able to deal with people in a caring manner.
I have no end of things that I intend to do as I explore the new terrain in front of me. I have never felt more alive or more myself at any point in my life.
My overall attitude to the world has changed - I am more assertive and also more able to adapt to situations. I seek out challenges more than before rather than avoiding them.
While I anticipate cataclysmic changes to the order of things, I am preparing myself to be able to adjust in as efficient a manner as possible so as to ride the waves as they hit.
I feel an increasing sense of inner harmony, have greater emotional stability and clarity of thought, and note improvement of bodily function.
All that being said, I am still a domesticated human animal and have far from completed my transformation into a wild human, but I definitely am wilder and intend to become even wilder still. This evolution is the guiding focus of my life.
Clearly, for any individual involved in the process of untaming itself, it will transform in steps and stages to an ever wilder version of itself and seek and construct environments around it that match its level of wildness.
Wild does not necessarily mean primitive. It means untamed. I do not consider there to be one particular correct lifestyle for a wild human. It would vary from one individual to the next and from one ecosystem to the next.
Technology could be part of a wild human reality but it would be oriented to simplicity and meeting essential needs and in a manner that would be relatively non-destructive to the environment. Wild humans would seek ways of integrating with rather than dominating nature.
We would operate in small tribal groups which would be fairly egalatarian and dependent upon concensus for decision making.
Obviously, as you would have guessed from my writings, I would envision a non-patriarchal system with the fulfillment of females' healthy needs being of very high priority. A wild society in which female needs are well met will be one in which males will also enjoy and obtain fulfillment. This tribal society would function to facilitate each individual's self-actualization.
Human overpopulation is a tremendous problem but the events of the next century or so will likely start to look after that.
I do not anticipate civilization to just disappear in the near future, but I do expect it to recede somewhat due to its inherent pathology and so I am optimistic as this happens that there will be opportunity for those who wish to increasingly untame themselves to be able to do so with less risk than they would presently experience in an almost-completely civilized world.
Untaming oneself is an ongoing process and adjusts as circumstances change. It happens one step at a time. All I or anyone else can do at any moment is take that next step.
The fact that untaming takes place step by step does not make it a coping mechanism, but instead a process. For most of us, it has taken thousands of years to transform from our wild selves into the present domesticated version of ourselves. Although changing into a feral organism can happen relatively quickly, given the many factors involved in the case of domesticated humans I would expect it to occur reasonably gradually. Furthermore, an individual needs to be able to handle the pace of change for it to ultimately be successful.
I do not pretend to know what all of the steps would be for myself or for humans in general and am not too preoccupied with that. I am open to letting things unfold as I steadily push ahead as quickly as I can manage.
I get most of the direction regarding what's next from within myself by learning to listen to my 'inner self'. I didn't really start to do that until about 25 years ago (and was essentially lost at that point as a consequence) but since then I have learned that doing so is of paramount importance. I'm gradually getting better and better at listening and am slowly becoming more and more willing to trust what it tells me.
My goal is to consistently listen to, trust, and confidently, proudly, and comfortably follow this inner guide and enjoy the resultant voyage during which I will become myself. When I am doing this all the time and for long enough I will be wild."
Therefore, using my model of civilized humans being caged/domesticated animals, each step foward in the process of regaining control of one's life in order to follow one's internal agenda rather than the agenda imposed by the domesticators represents one piece of the puzzle in the solving of the domestication problem.
That process begins by the individual recognizing that it is unwilling to tolerate the present situation and its accompanying discomfort any longer and thus deciding to change. In this case, it presumably eventually understands that the problem is its domestication and then embarks on the journey of self-liberation.
It continues with a multitude of internal and then external changes that ideally ultimately lead to its complete liberation with the reward being the opportunity to self-actualize and thus experience healthy pleasure and well-being.
Obviously any individual may decide to stop somewhere short of total liberation for different reasons (within the structure of the zoo, one may continue to exist without untaming oneself). So long as one is continuing the voyage forward on this path, however, that person is not coping but problem solving.
If, however, the individual is not doing anything to move forward but somehow simply uses the idea of self-liberation as a fantasy escape mechanism from reality, then that would represent a coping mechanism.
Getting rid of coping mechanisms would not generally be a coping mechanism since abandoning a coping mechanism results in one experiencing the pain that one had dulled before. Obviously one can replace one coping mechanism with another (eg. drugs for religion) but that individual will not make any real progress on the liberation journey.
The art of self-liberation is to give up coping mechanisms, attain at least the same level of comfort (or ideally a higher level of comfort), while becoming freer and thus not relying on new coping mechanisms, and in the process enhance one's self-actualization and obtain its accompanying benefits.
What I propose in my book and writings is exactly that. It is also what I personally do.
My personal objective is to become as untamed as possible in the time that I have left.
By 'wild', I mean to follow one's natural internal agenda instead of an agenda externally imposed by another human.
If one is conceived within the cage and subjected to a multitude of domesticating forces during the years of one's life prior to deciding to untame oneslf then it becomes necessary to free oneself from the layers of cages that one is surrounded with at that starting point.
In my particular case, I was a highly domesticated animal until I began up to wake to that fact and began my self-liberation process about 25 years ago. I have restructured my life virtually completely since then and in the process have evolved into a closer approximation of who I am genetically intended to be. As a function of that I am healthier, more confident, happier, more reality oriented, and make decisions that direct me towards a greater probability of looking after my personal interests while being able to better understand the realities of those around me.
I divorced myself from my family of origin due to the pathology of that system and the unwillingness of those people to take their lives in a positive direction. I left Canada due to my increasing dislike of its overwhelming socialist mentality.
I have raised two children who are now young adults and are far further along the path of self-actualization than I was at their ages, due in large part to the changes that I made within myself and in my life. As part of that, I homeschooled them in order to free them and our family from the industrial structure of the institutional school system.
I have addressed many of my issues that prevented me from being able to function well within a relationship and as a result of that have developed a positive and fulfilling relationship with my female partner and have very good and ever-improving relationships with my children.
I have changed my eating patterns, my activity patterns, my interests, and my sexual patterns, all in a healthier and freer direction. I have developed a better understanding of the order of things in human society and on the planet and thus act more responsibly and with more caring for what is important.
I am increasingly drawn to connect with the natural systems around me and am less and less interested in those which are divorced from being nature based or are unhealthy. In that regard I am about to build a small home on 12 acres of land in a manner and with the clear intent of being significantly able to provide many of the essentials of life on that place in a sustainable style.
I decided to build that home without incurring new debt so as not enslave myself further from a financial perspective (a step which represents a significant change on my part). I am organizing my life so as to be able to need less money overall and thus work less and less (particularly doing work within the structure of civilized society).
I speak my mind much more freely without being as preoccupied as I used to be about others' reactions while still being able to deal with people in a caring manner.
I have no end of things that I intend to do as I explore the new terrain in front of me. I have never felt more alive or more myself at any point in my life.
My overall attitude to the world has changed - I am more assertive and also more able to adapt to situations. I seek out challenges more than before rather than avoiding them.
While I anticipate cataclysmic changes to the order of things, I am preparing myself to be able to adjust in as efficient a manner as possible so as to ride the waves as they hit.
I feel an increasing sense of inner harmony, have greater emotional stability and clarity of thought, and note improvement of bodily function.
All that being said, I am still a domesticated human animal and have far from completed my transformation into a wild human, but I definitely am wilder and intend to become even wilder still. This evolution is the guiding focus of my life.
Clearly, for any individual involved in the process of untaming itself, it will transform in steps and stages to an ever wilder version of itself and seek and construct environments around it that match its level of wildness.
Wild does not necessarily mean primitive. It means untamed. I do not consider there to be one particular correct lifestyle for a wild human. It would vary from one individual to the next and from one ecosystem to the next.
Technology could be part of a wild human reality but it would be oriented to simplicity and meeting essential needs and in a manner that would be relatively non-destructive to the environment. Wild humans would seek ways of integrating with rather than dominating nature.
We would operate in small tribal groups which would be fairly egalatarian and dependent upon concensus for decision making.
Obviously, as you would have guessed from my writings, I would envision a non-patriarchal system with the fulfillment of females' healthy needs being of very high priority. A wild society in which female needs are well met will be one in which males will also enjoy and obtain fulfillment. This tribal society would function to facilitate each individual's self-actualization.
Human overpopulation is a tremendous problem but the events of the next century or so will likely start to look after that.
I do not anticipate civilization to just disappear in the near future, but I do expect it to recede somewhat due to its inherent pathology and so I am optimistic as this happens that there will be opportunity for those who wish to increasingly untame themselves to be able to do so with less risk than they would presently experience in an almost-completely civilized world.
Untaming oneself is an ongoing process and adjusts as circumstances change. It happens one step at a time. All I or anyone else can do at any moment is take that next step.
The fact that untaming takes place step by step does not make it a coping mechanism, but instead a process. For most of us, it has taken thousands of years to transform from our wild selves into the present domesticated version of ourselves. Although changing into a feral organism can happen relatively quickly, given the many factors involved in the case of domesticated humans I would expect it to occur reasonably gradually. Furthermore, an individual needs to be able to handle the pace of change for it to ultimately be successful.
I do not pretend to know what all of the steps would be for myself or for humans in general and am not too preoccupied with that. I am open to letting things unfold as I steadily push ahead as quickly as I can manage.
I get most of the direction regarding what's next from within myself by learning to listen to my 'inner self'. I didn't really start to do that until about 25 years ago (and was essentially lost at that point as a consequence) but since then I have learned that doing so is of paramount importance. I'm gradually getting better and better at listening and am slowly becoming more and more willing to trust what it tells me.
My goal is to consistently listen to, trust, and confidently, proudly, and comfortably follow this inner guide and enjoy the resultant voyage during which I will become myself. When I am doing this all the time and for long enough I will be wild."
Please feel free to forward comments or questions to me either on this blog or by email to Hercules@untamedlife.com .
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