Surf the System

Dave Pollard wrote a piece, THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING COMMUNITY, in his blog, How to Save the World which expands on his ideas for building intentional communities as a framework for moving away from culture of dependence toward a more self sufficient model.

The idea of building an intentional community conjures up in my mind an image of a physical community separate from the prevailing culture. I agree with Dave that it is probably not possible to physically build self sufficient communities on any significant scale in todays resource scarce world. Perhaps the only place left is to commune in the interstices of the web of the prevailing culture, living ones principals quietly, setting an example for others if they are interested.

In a comment to Dave's article laodan writes:

... It is never the will of man that brings fundamental societal change. That does not mean that individuals and groups can do nothing. They can indeed have a dream and surf it on the waves of the complexities of reality...

<snip>

But we are nevertheless still free to have a dream and then to surf this dream on the waves of the complexities of reality. The dream for me is to be personally autonomous from the system of modernity, completely or at least, as much as possible. It all starts with being free from debts, for, if you have to pay the bank every month you have already given up on your freedom to rest and to DO.

Surf the system. I like this metaphor; it reframes the problem of how to live a life principled largely outside the prevailing culture in a non-threatening way. No more swimming against the current. Shape your board of the principles and skills you hold dear, paddle out, and ride the wave.

Posted June 3, 2006