From reading about this guy, I think the real miracle is the peace and joy he finds from not dealing with money.  This isn’t about welfare or about criticizing you; the lesson is about letting go, fearlessness, simplicity, and taking time – things that are much more valuable than money.

It would be nice if you could just join in without having to sharp-elbow everyone else just because they have a different take on the subject than you.

Different is good and interesting. Arrogant  and reactionary is not.
None of us takes more than we need..it’s just that your measure of what I need and my measure of what I need might differ.

From my perspective, whatever. Don’t think he isn’t a leach on society.

I don’t think this should be something that is portrayed as inspiring or particulary positive.

As an social experiment on what is money, it is sort of interesting, and sparks the above debate. However apart from that, it is wholly lacking in any value (pardon pun).

If you want inspiring, check out the story/movies of Dick Proenneke, who retired from his job as a welder in his 50′s, then moved to the wilderness of Alaska and lived there alone for 30 years into his 80′s. He of course used money, and bought supplies.

He’s taking advantage of the system – that’s all.

I’m quite certain of it.  In two years, nobody will remember this guy.  For the next 50 years or so, I’ll be paying taxes that support libraries, hospitals, public services, and other infrastructure that will still allow him to live.  Not to mention the social value of volunteering, being a good neighbor, and an all-around nice guy. ;-)

My problem is that this video presents money as something that is separate from value. Even if ‘money’ where to be gone things would still have value.  Everything has value – from the time it takes to grow food to the effort to create art. Some things are more valuable than others. Value varies based on whats happening (water is more valuable in a drought than a flood). In the end you just end up chasing the same problems. Money is a convenient representation of value. Perhaps the way we have chosen to represent value is broken – our monetary system is broken. The idea of value is intrinsic to the world we live in. 

The man in the video has chosen not to use the representation of value that we all do but he is still a participant in our value based society and uses “money” as a straw man. 

Monks and renunciates in many cultures have lived on dana, or generosity. When monks in other countries vow not to handle money and sit with begging bowls, no one spits on them, or calls them bums. In our relatively young and materially-obsessed culture, we throw away more food than any other country. We get tired of things long before they wear out.

If you think he sponges off others, and is a bum, I’ll argue that he doesn’t take or use more than he needs, or than is freely given. How about you?

If you watch the clip, you can see that it’s about illustrating the contrast between the way this guy is living vs. the way the average American does (the narrator says so) and that seems to be the point of the filmmaker.

I personally think the barter only society the guy is hoping for is naive, but I think that’s obviously only one facet of the story, and doesn’t take away from the larger picture of simpler living.

Column 2. 

I’m not aware of any advanced civilization that functions/functioned without either money (or some other valuable object that could be traded) or forced labor. Not quite sure what the alternative to money would be; it’s not like money is a recent invention dreamed up by eeeevil capitalists.