Simple Living

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Live better, with less

Ideas and inspiration for living more simply. A place to share tips on living with less stuff, work, speed, or stress in return for gaining more freedom, time, self-reliance, and joy.

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Your value is not determined by your productivity. (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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In a capitalist world, it can be hard to remember this. But despite what you are pressured to think, your value as a person does not come through what material value you create for others.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I’d like to humbly suggest that your points may actually support the notion that runaway modern capitalism does not effectively determine a person’s value

Therefore, a person should not allow their financial status (the value capitalism has assigned them) to be the measure of their personal value

My point is that how your society treats someone is a reflection of how it values them, that is more important than self-esteem. You can say how people should be treated, but it doesn't mean much to say that if they aren't.

Pushing the cynical bit aside, for clarity I would say it'd be better to say potential value here, as yeah pretty much everybody would have more value if they weren't suffering most of their life.

Yet (maybe not so) oddly that doesn't matter to the same society with an economy and political system based on speculation.

undervaluing work (which is absolutely true) making it harder to lead a simple life
I’m not sure the two are connected

The systems in USA was an important bit of my comment. The healthcare system and car-centric design (zoning+spread out) complicates life (and work) on top of being a monetary drain. Add in low pay and expensive housing/food and it's even worse. And most people don't have great diet/health etc.

You can ignore those, but that gives you more of a simple existence than a simple life, particularly as you are giving things up/living within limits. Staying home due to poor travel and high cost limits socialization and enjoyment options.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I hear you, and I've really enjoyed our discourse. I think we're about 95% on the same page here, but you know how difficult trying to clearly communicate through text can be. I'm not sure I agree that how a society treats someone is more important than their internal sense of self worth, and that may be our sticking point that we can't reconcile, but I'm not saying your wrong. That point is completely defensible, but not how I see things.

For what it's worth, conversing with you has added value to my life and expanded my perspective. Though we've never met, and I'll most certainly never shake your hand or look you in the eye, I value you.

I wish you and anyone reading this to be well and have peace 😊