Hi Ant, Inserted ... [IG] On 2/3/07, Ant McWatt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ian, > > Thanks for your comments. > > You stated February 2nd: > > >I think the positive value of the Hodgkinson message is a no brainer > > OK but I don't think you clearly explain why you think this. > > >... the world would be a better place if ..... etc. (and as the quotes > >indicate, this is continuing an age old theme.) before any us of > >needed to "know why Gavin why was so keen on these movements". Anyway, > >the problems are pragmatic ... > > This paragraph is obscure. It looks like it was written in a hurry (for > example, there's a full stop in an odd place) which is one behaviour > Hodgkinson regards as being of low quality.
[IG] Zzzz. No shit Sherlock :-) (BTW I could point out the gobbledygook of the two "why"s in your original sentence that I qioted .... if I was a pedant.) > > >We can all do our little bit, that's the point of course, and I think any > >of us with an ounce of aesthetic and humanity probably already does. > > > >The problem is always the one of "freeloaders" > > I think you have to define what you mean by "freeloader". Using > Hodgkinson's "philosophy", I think it would depend on how much you create vs > how much you consume (so someone (with their full faculties etc) who creates > little but consumes a lot would be considered a freeloader). [IG] See, I didn't have to to define it, you knew full well what I meant :-) > > .... we can debate > >exactly what the ideal long-run outcome is, in terms of "down-scaled" > >sustainable utopian societies, but in reality, we have to get there > >through existing systems of governance (political and economic) > > Do we? Is that what the brujo did in LILA? [IG] The point is IF you can't isulate yourself from freeloaders, your society has to deal with them ... in a quality way. > > >and all the short-term consequences of our choices, and "protect" the > >interests such a society from all forms of regression, social or > >bio-physical - if we aspire to goals more than a self-sufficient > >hippie commune on an isolated (metaphorical) island ? > > I think that point is irrelevant. Hodgkinson is talking more about > independence of mind rather than isolating one self from the wider world. > > >I'm not the person to deliver a lecture on this, but do you believe > >Hodgkinson answers any of this ? > > As I mention in my post (pasted below) Hodgkinson draws on movements such as > the situationists, romantics and "permaculturists". Like Pirsig, it doesn't > mean he has "all the answers" but I do think he is part of the "metaphorical > elephant" that points toward a generally higher quality of life or what > Hodgkinson would describe as moving from being a (passive) consumer to being > an (active) creator. [IG] I appreciate that. My real point here (starting with the pejorative "no brainer") is that spotting that these are quality behaviours is the (relatively) easy bit. The hard bit is the - but how do we get more than a few committed like-minded enthusiasts there from here. I was genuinely asking if H had anything to say on this, not being critical. Regards Ian > > Best wishes, > > Anthony > > > > On 1/2/07, Ant McWatt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear all, > > I don't know whether anyone else (other than Dean Summers who contacted me > about it) checked out BBC Radio 4's series "Books to Change Your Life By" in > January when ZMM was featured (on Tuesday 2nd) but another useful book in > the series was "How to be Free" by Tom Hodgkinson (which was the book > featured on Friday 5th). > > Due to the rather intriguing clip I heard of Hodgkinson's book, I bought a > copy. The first line reads "This is a book about good living…" which, of > course, is a good start! Anyway, the key point is that consumer society > (especially in the UK and US) has not led to a widening of freedoms but > entirely the opposite; that the key to a free, higher quality life is to > stop consuming and to start being creative (whether that's painting, making > your own music or growing your own vegetables). The situationists and > permaculture (now I know why Gavin why was so keen on these movements!) are > drawn on with a good dose of anarchy, medievalism, Romanticism, G.K. > Chesterton, Ken Kesey, Oscar Wilde, Whitehead and Bertrand Russell. > > Hodgkinson's Freedom Manifesto includes: > > FIND YOUR GIFT > CAST OFF YOUR WATCH > FORGET (CENTRAL) GOVERNMENT > MAKE MUSIC > BAKE BREAD > QUIT MOANING > STOP CONSUMING > START PRODUCING > HAIL THE CHISEL > GET BACK TO THE LAND > LIVE FREE OF THE SUPERMARKETS > EMBRACE BEAUTY > LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR > BE CREATIVE > BE MERRY > BE FREE! > > > And here are a couple of reviews I found on Amazon (notice the emphasis on > Quality rather than Quantity in the second one!): > > This book beautifully rides the zeitgeist of self-fulfilment. Tom > Hodgkinson has written a lovely little book that attempts to help you > reassess the world we all take for granted. In life we blindly accept the > 9-5, rules, laws, even the local council telling us that we put the wrong > rubbish in the bin! Its time to say 'ENOUGH!' This book ask the right > questions and tries to stop you from blindly stumbling through life. As > traditional beliefs in religion matures, people want more from the life they > lead today… If you have had enough of society telling you what to think, > and want some original thoughts, then this book is a brilliant buy. > > Reviewer: Jenna "Jill" (Ealing, London) - Jan 6th 2007 > > > What can I say??!! EVERYONE should read this book. My sister bought it a > couple of months ago and her enthusiasm encouraged me to buy a copy to see > what all the fuss was about. Am I ever glad I did!! I cannot praise it > enough. It is written in adequately sized chapters to enable you to delve in > randomly for snippets of information. The range of point of view is vast, > but so well written and inter-woven that I guarantee that everyone will be > able to find something that speaks to them - you just pick out what you > need/agree with and apply it to your life. These small changes can alter > your life in a big way! > > Tom covers all sorts of topics but the underlying themes are similar these > all point toward a simpler life of less work, and more freedom, with a focus > on quality rather than quantity. To me one of the most important things Tom > promotes - that everyone should be made aware of - is taking back your own > freedom of choice in life. We are lulled into a false sense of security that > we have freedom of choice, yet there are more rules today than there has > even been. Not just in a legal sense, but also societal rules, not to > mention the powers of money! These ideals are so realistic and simplistic > that small efforts make big differences - this is the author of "HOW TO BE > IDLE" after all. > > Check out www.idler.co.uk > > Reviewer: Katie Nolton (York, England) - Jan 5th 2007 > > http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Free-Tom-Hodgkinson/dp/0241143217 > > > And in reference of "How to be Idle" (Hodgkinson's first book): > > This is a great book. At heart it shares the ethos of books like 'In Praise > Of Slow' that champion a rejection of high pressure high speed modern > lifestyles in favour of a calmer more contemplative approach. However, > Hodgkinson's tack is more radical and polemic, suggesting that a lot of the > things that people naturally do and society labels as idle or lazy are > exactly the things we should be doing to take life more slowly and > paradoxically become more alive... The book has made me more determined than > ever to pursue a freelance lifestyle, working when I want to and devoting > more time to life affirming pursuits like playing music, reading and > spending time with friends and family. > > By the way, reviews such as 'I only read two chapters then I 'got it' and > couldn't be bothered with the rest' and 'buy it if you can be arsed' have > totally missed the point - idle and lazy are not the same thing, the book it > about reclaiming your right to do what you want. Spending a long time > savouring a good book to its finish is exactly what the book is about, and I > recommend you do just that. > > Reviewer: N. Canham "whistful skeptic" (Guildford, UK) – Jan 16th 2006 > > http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Idle-Tom-Hodgkinson/dp/0141015063/ref=pd_sim_b_2/202-6323147-1698242 > > > > . > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get Hotmail, News, Sport and Entertainment from MSN on your mobile. > http://www.msn.txt4content.com/ > > > moq_discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
