http://public.shns.com/content/study-suggests-life-expectancy-could-rise-during-recession

This is something I've been thinking about a lot. On the news, I keep hearing these alarming stories about how much worse everything is going to be for our children and grandchildren because the economy is not going to get back to where it was a few years ago, ever again.

But I think the state of the economy is a pretty poor indicator of the overall health and happiness of a population. When GDP is up, that just means more people are working more hours producing things that then need to be consumed and discarded in an ever-accelerating fashion. I can't think of a surer road to misery and disease. And here are these studies emerging, saying that recessions and depressions are actually good for health, wellness, and life expectancy. Just as I suspected! Fewer hours behind a desk or cash register translate into more hours jogging in the sunshine or working in your vegetable garden, growing healthy, local, pesticide-free, sustainable food.

I think finding a new equilibrium, wherein the stress on productivity is lessened in favor of a stress on balance, sustainability, community and well-being can only mean great things for our children and grandchildren.

I don't know about most people, but I'm much happier when I'm behind a desk than when I'm not. For all of my working life I've been miserable when I'm at home and happy and cheerful in the work place. I don't know what it is, maybe I just like what I do.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100303/ARTICLE/3031019

While I remain mystified as to who is going to pay our bills as we jog and putter in the collective garden until The Government gets the kinks worked out of the Universal Welfare System, there is something to be said for slowing down the merri go round of commerce.

Linked article describes how business people of various levels are developing a fear of calling in sick to work lest they lose their edge or fail to satisfy the instant gratification demands of their clients and customers. Many are turning to technology, cell phones and conference calls from sickbed in order to avoid falling behind. This might be understandable in critical industries or highly time sensitive projects, but give me a break. One of the folks profiled in the article works for a company that makes training wheel accessories for kids' bicycles, fer Chrissake. It ain't exactly a shipment of antidote for the Ebola virus. Take a break, peeps, and get your priorities straight!

thrice wrote:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100303/ARTICLE/3031019

While I remain mystified as to who is going to pay our bills as we jog and putter in the collective garden

Well I guess I'd also advocate for fewer LCD big screen TV's, McMansions, plastic surgery, and other fruits of mindless consumerism. Then, magically, the bills aren't quite so daunting. I cut back to part-time at work this year, and yes, I work almost constantly between writing, acting, and my admin job, but I still make well under $35K per year, and I'm happy as a damn clam. I also don't have a TV, bike almost everywhere in the summer, and enjoy growing food and cooking for myself and friends. And I have zero debt. Nada. And I've never gotten a dime from the government except what they owe me back come tax time. A simple lifestyle is definitely possible, sustainable, and happy-making.

Your philosophy and approach are utterly sensible, Dora, and I'm glad it works for you. I aspire myself to a simpler life at a point in the future. Where I got hinky was when you linked the increase in spare time to the recession and less economic activity. By and large, folks who find a lot of spare time on their hands due to those issues have that time because they have lost their jobs and have unemployment benefits for a limited amount of time. I have some difficulty celebrating that.

I completely agree- far too much of our economy is based on producing stupid, unneeded products and artificially stimulating pointless spending. Hard to legislate common sense and self esteem that would make such industries extinct. But I do feel the distinction has to be made between those who voluntarily and consciously simplify and downsize their lives, and those who were simply tossed out in the street from falling demand and production. Maybe the overall answer is to get people focused again on producing things we really need, rather than pinning their hopes to knitting attractive dust covers for invisible widgets and/or appealing to their basest instincts.

Driving down the road yesterday, I saw an advertisement at an auto stereo installer's shop that read "Track Your Spouse Or Kids, $499". I assume it's some kind of GPS monitoring system for locating cheating partners or sneaky teens. When we've got money to spend on crap like that installed in our cars, maybe we do have too much of it...



Last edited by thrice on Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:42 am; edited 1 time in total

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100303/ARTICLE/3031028

Hard to find a better example of the struggle between modern consumerism and the urge for self imposed austerity than this charming story of a Pennsylvania Amish man who just happens to be a passionate fan of major league baseball...