Culture is powerful. As you may have noticed, those who step outside existing norms can face a bit of resistance or criticism. Our parents, friends, teachers, and peers can be limited by their own limited experiences, so exploring a new lifestyle like the 15kchallenge will likely invite significant commentary. We have also internalized a lot of these same voices, so it can be hard to break out and try something new.
Some specific areas where one’s choice to live simply might push some buttons in our culture:
Insurance – All sorts insurance are expected, especially health insurance. While one might want to choose to invest in some of these at some point, they each have a cost and can limit your freedom to be fully human and compassionate. Just on health insurance – Is it really a priority – given all the needs in the world and many are desperate for lack of clean water for example – for a healthy educated middle class 24 year old to have health insurance?
Future comfort – Our culture equates one’s income and wealth with well-being and security. This can be big for parents. There’s also an interest in making sure your future is secure economically and that you will have plenty of resources (life insurance, savings for retirement, etc) down the road. But there seems to be an inverse relationship between comfort and compassion, between safety and freedom.
Family – Each of our families has its own expectations and norms. In some families it’s fairly easy to step outside this framework, while in others it’s a huge challenge. Many times these family expectations are arrived at without much reflection. People just end up living a certain way and rarely (it seems) step back and ask if this is really the life they desire or if their choices reflect their values. So, to live differently one needs to recognize that there might be some educating/explaining to do to friends and families.
Fear – We live in a culture of anxiety. Corporations and governments use fear to sell and motivate, and it creeps into our collective psyche. We are taught to live as if each day is a risk. There is little telling us to celebrate abundance, trust and community.
Faith communities that should be centers for alternative, compassionate living are far too often very conservative and support ‘normal’ behaviors. They often have little in common with the challenging teachings of Amos, Isaiah, Jesus, Buddha, etc.
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