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[-] Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 8 months ago

Even more extreme, actually. I knew one person who was actually, honestly, voluntarily homeless. For years. Living on the street, no car. No obvious mental health issues, had family who would have been happy to take him in, strong social network, active in the community. Didn't want to be tied to all of the things ownership of stuff brings, and was willing to make the many and extreme sacrifices that entails.

To be clear, this is not the normal homelessness experience. I've known too many homeless people, and the right-wing conspiracy theories of middle to upper class panhandlers on every corner are utter nonsense. Ideologically motivated self justifying cruelty inspiring bullshit. Even when homeless people I have known said it was by choice, I usually knew enough about their situation to recognize it as a face saving salve to their pride (a hard thing to come by in the lower rungs of society, and very precious). But there was that one.

[-] MadBob@feddit.nl 6 points 8 months ago

A modern-day Diogenes of Synope?

[-] Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 8 months ago

No, a lot less confrontational.

[-] LemmyRefugee@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Was he a retired investigator from the marines?

[-] Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 8 months ago

I seriously doubt it

[-] DrPop@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

I call them philosophers. Whether or not they are coherent is another thing.

this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024
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