Most people do have to live in the modern world with cars and phones and banks and all the rest, or they will die under a bridge somewhere.

Total cop out.

You don't know what you're capable of because you haven't actually tried to do it. You say you want to, but you actually want to live in the gilded cage that's being provided for you, where you don't have to grow, shed your weakness, and take on responsibility for your situation.

Do you know who actually does live without "cars and phones and banks and all the rest"? Homeless people, and they're fucked in the head. You think a functional adult couldn't do it if they wanted to? Of course they could, but they'd rather be comfortable than stick by any sort of principle, because it's easier.

Let me give you an anecdotal example. I live in a shitty apartment owned by a slumlord corporation. Every week there's something new over which I need to fight them. I constantly say "no, I refuse" and, guess what? I usually get away with it. I have completely renovated my unit, without their permission, which they full well know, and they haven't been able to do anything more than threaten me. I do this because, living here as long as I have, my rent is dirt cheap. And, because my rent is dirt cheap, I'm able to spend the majority of my time raising my kids, forging bonds with them, rather than working for money.

I could easily have shipped them off to some fucking daycare and had someone else raise them while working full time. If I did that, I'd be in a house now, no question, and they'd have the latest smart phones, video games, clothes, sports, etc, and they'd probably have zero respect for me at the same time.

But that's not what I want. I want to have kids that will have my back, as I have theirs, when shit hits the fan; which it regularily does in our lives. I want them to know that they matter, and I matter, more than "cars and phones and banks and all the rest". And they do, because I made that my priority.

Everybody thinks they have to go along to get along, and so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I know it doesn't have to be because I did something different from almost everyone else. I didn't know I could do it when I started, but I do now. And if more people were willing to take that risk, we wouldn't have all this pressure to conform that we do.

Tl;dr: if you believe in something, nut up and live it out. Otherwise, your words are meaningless excuses.

Most people do have to live in the modern world with cars and phones and banks and all the rest, or they will die under a bridge somewhere.

Total cop out.

You don't know what you're capable of because you haven't actually tried to do it. You say you want to, but you actually want to live in the gilded cage that's being provided for you, where you don't have to grow, shed your weakness, and take on responsibility for your situation.

Do you know who actually does live without "cars and phones and banks and all the rest"? Homeless people, and they're fucked in the head. You think a functional adult couldn't do it if they wanted to? Of course they could, but they'd rather be comfortable than stick by any sort of principle, because it's easier.

Let me give you an anecdotal example. I live in a shitty apartment owned by a slumlord corporation. Every week there's something new over which I need to fight them. I do this because, living here as long as I have, my rent is dirt cheap. And, because my rent is dirt cheap, I'm able to spend the majority of my time raising my kids, forging bonds with them, rather than working for money.

I could easily have shipped them off to some fucking daycare and had someone else raise them while working full time. If I did that, I'd be in a house now, no question, and they'd have the latest smart phones, video games, clothes, sports, etc, and they'd probably have zero respect for me at the same time.

But that's not what I want. I want to have kids that will have my back, as I have theirs, when shit hits the fan; which it regularily does in our lives. I want them to know that they matter, and I matter, more than "cars and phones and banks and all the rest". And they do, because I made that my priority.

Everybody thinks they have to go along to get along, and so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But I know it doesn't have to be because I did something different from almost everyone else. I didn't know I could do it when I started, but I do now. And if more people were willing to take that risk, we wouldn't have all this pressure to conform that we do.

Tl;dr: if you believe in something, nut up and live it out. Otherwise, your words are meaningless excuses.