Summary

The author contemplates the appeal of abandoning contemporary life for a simpler, more self-sufficient existence, inspired by Henry David Thoreau's Walden.

Abstract

The article delves into the author's recurring fantasy of giving up modern conveniences and societal pressures to live a life of solitude in a shack, reminiscent of Thoreau's Walden. The author weighs the romanticized notion of self-reliance and the desire for a less complicated life against the practical challenges and personal conflicts such a lifestyle would entail. Despite acknowledging the potential loneliness and the stark contrast to their extroverted tendencies, the author is drawn to the idea of building a sustainable, minimalist home, such as an A-frame tiny house or a shipping container house, as a means to reduce environmental impact and gain control over their life. Ultimately, while the dream of a "Full Walden" remains appealing, the author recognizes that simplicity and a reduced digital footprint can be pursued without completely rejecting modern society.

Opinions

The author views the "Full Walden" as an escape from the complexities of the modern world, including economic pressures, the pandemic, and the digital overload.
There is a skepticism about the practicality of such a lifestyle change, given the author's balanced introvert-extrovert personality and previous experiences with countryside living.
The quality and expense of modern housing are criticized, with the author advocating for more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives like tiny homes and shipping container houses.
The author admits to a fascination with shipping logistics, which adds to the appeal of a shipping container home.
Despite the allure of the "Full Walden," the author acknowledges the importance of community and the potential loneliness of isolated living.
The article suggests that achieving simplicity and reducing one's environmental impact can be done within the constraints of modern life, without necessitating a complete withdrawal from society.
The author encourages readers to take concrete steps towards simplicity, such as reducing possessions and uninstalling distracting apps, as a start towards living on their own terms.

Sometimes I Feel like Giving It All up and Living in A Shack

The economy, Covid, the Metaverse — it’s enough to make you go Full Walden

Quitting has always been my safety net.

Or at least, the thought of quitting. If I screwed up at work, I’d think I can always quit.

If a friendship went south, I would fantasize about quitting people entirely, seeking comfort in solitude, maybe writing a best-selling novel whilst I’m at it.

Nowadays, my quitting daydream is what I like to call the Full Walden, named after Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden which documents a simple existence in a cabin in the woods.

The Metaverse, Covid, the apparently impending death of humanity, none it would touch me because I would be largely removed from it all.

Some might say it’s a silly romantic idea. No one goes around living in shacks anymore, and those that do are weird and shouldn’t be trusted with your children. After all, the Unabomber rejected technology and lived in a shack, and it didn’t end well for him.

But I’m not so sure the desire to go Full Walden is so bizarre.

I think I’m simply getting tired of this uber-connected, exhausting world and am yearning for something simpler. Something easier to understand and control.

And I don’t think I’m alone.

What do you think it would really be like, giving it all up?

In my head, I would learn how to fish, forage, and build fires. I would write by day and read books at night.

I would be reducing my impact on the climate with my 300 square foot cabin (renewable energy sources come as standard, naturally). I wouldn’t be spending all my money on heating a McMansion and running four cars for a two-person household.

I would do a Jared A. Brock and strictly limit what technology I have access to. No Facebook, no Twitter, no Netflix.

I would reset my brain in the quiet stillness.

That’s the dream. But I’m rooted in reality enough to know that it wouldn’t all be dancing naked in the moonlight and sugar-free, naturally sourced marshmallows around the fire.

For a start, it’s me. And I know me.

On a Myers-Briggs scale, I am 50–50 introverted-extroverted which means the Full Walden only appeals to 50% of my personality. The other 50% wants to sit drinking cocktails in a megacity until 2 am like I did last night.

Not so easy in the middle of nowhere.

And I’ve lived in the countryside for enough of my years to know how lonely it can be. I mean, I literally just published a story about the importance of community and here I am advocating isolated living. *Well done, Charlie.*

But still, the idea continues to tug at my soul. For one thing…

Self-build house > sh*tty, expensive, regular house

The quality of many modern houses sucks. I have friends who live in abodes younger than 10 years old — bought for $750,000 — that feel like they are made of cardboard glued together by Pritt-Stick. Upstairs will literally shake when someone downstairs closes a door.

And old houses and apartments can be expensive to maintain, with their “character” being used as an excuse for real estate agents to slap a premium on the price.

Instead, just LOOK how cool an A-frame tiny house could be:

Or how about a shipping container house? These are my personal favourite thanks to my weird (but deep) fascination with shipping logistics:

The costs are super attractive too. A small shipping container house can cost no more than $10,000-$30,000. And I rather like the delicious irony of turning a symbol of consumerism into a sustainable home.

No wonder so many people are turning to self-builds and alternative living arrangements. It’s cheap, sustainable, and yours to control.

For now, I’ll have to find simplicity elsewhere

Running off to the woods is a rather extreme way to disconnect from our batshit crazy world. I’ve never been a fan of slowly-slowly-catchy-monkey. I like to go all-in on my decisions. The Full Walden is basically going cold turkey on modern life, so it appeals to me big-time.

But for now, it’s just a dream. Full-time travel and going off-grid in a house of my own would hardly mix well.

If I want to reduce my environmental impact, I can rent a small apartment, I can jettison my car, I can remove all useless things from my life. Anyone who has read my work for a while will know I’ve already done exactly that.

The Full Walden is really a cry for simplicity and control more than it is a desire to reject everything and everyone. And in reality, if I want to arrest Facebook’s reign over my faculties, I can do it anywhere, not just in an off-grid tiny home.

The same goes for you, mate.

Now pass me my phone. I’m uninstalling that app, once and for all.

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