I’ve occasionally met questions such as how would you fare with living under a bridge? This may follow one of my misconstrued philosophical musings concerning the necessary elements for a fully content life, provided certain minimal necessities.
That implicit latter point I probably fail to adequately communicate. It might instigate a bit of confusion. And yet I find related questions plain whimsical.
What is the purpose behind the inquiry? The circumstances that led me to seek the bridge abode?
Be this a temporary calamity due to a hardship? Am I there by choice? Part of an experiment? Indentured to pass a fixed or indefinite period? In absense of alternate housing, how long do I remain in the said predicament? Am I to take redress measures? If not, why do I willingly compromise my existence?
What about the surrounding conditions? Nutrition? Tools are at my disposal? Freedom to range, exercise?
How are the noise levels? Are the parameters static or subject to upgrade? What about hostility or other physical threat? My prior training? Has my consciousness conditioned for the eventuality in this realm?
Essentially, am I at liberty to make rational decisions, affect the environment? Or am I fettered to this arbitrary state under pessimal conditions towards both physical and mental well-being?
So why should I address such a singularly ambiguous question? Is the interlocutor interested in a philosophical exchange? Or blabbering on pure whim, with no purpose or foresight?
Similarly occurring questions:
- What if you suddenly find yourself on the streets?
- Why have a bank account at all?
- Why not live entirely outside the system?
- Do you like weapons/firearms? [In what sense?]
- Do you like music/sports? [In what sense? Across what dimension?]
- Do you like such or other food? [Again, to taste? To smell? To stare? To gorge daily?]
- Do you like –insert activity of choice– ? [In theory? In motion? To spectate? To actively pursue?]
These are not necessarily poor questions, provided that asked with purpose. Be that an engaging philosophical debate, I have few qualms. I take pleasure in the philosophical.
If it be on a whim, to merely fill a conversational void, lacking any desire to further ruminate, why the mindless, irreverant inquiry?
One possible fruitful avenue might proceed as follows. As a generalization, how is a person emotionally equipped to handle an ill turn of tide?
- Sudden inability to walk unconstrained
- Blindness, hearing impairment, muteness
- Loss of immediate possessions (ie, wallet, phone, keys, identification)
- Sudden depletion of funds or the inability to access for some extended period
- Homelessness for a time
- Compromising nutrition for an extended period
- Inability to exercise
- Long-term, close-quarters coexistence with rascals and scoundrels
- Any circumstance debilitating towards basic happiness or effective cognitive functioning
Much of the above hardly represents the really devastating. Much of it is a mere frustration that concerns you alone. Yet even there I wager most of us feel uninitiated.
Is it beneficial to contemplate bad-case scenarios? The stoics affirm. I largely agree.
The habit need hardly render you a cynic or a troll. You need not indulge in the deed. Rather, strive to maintain a largely optimistic attitude, a lesser portion directed towards the anticipation of trials.
The stoics recommend to really visualize how you would receive such and such situation. Alternatively, how might a role model, or an internal guiding figure approach the same? The idea is that with time, you become more impervious, better equipped psychologically to deal with unexpected hardship.
Questions, comments? Connect.