Downshifting
27/1/12 19:16![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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talkpoliticsDownshifting literally means switching to a lower gear in life. It is a curious social movement that promotes a new, or should I call it, old lifestyle, and in a way is a utopian escape from the realities of modern urbanised life. People who "downshift" are often ones who have been very successful, who have made building a career the purpose of their life, and who have very little time for having a personal life. Then suddenly something dramatic happens in their life, a major shift in their thinking, possibly some cataclysm which makes them make a complete 180'. The idea underpinning downshifting is that if people could remove their focus from all the useless stuff that they buy just because they can, and if they reject blatant materialism and mindless consumerism, even from a purely pragmatic standpoint they would be having much less expenses, and would therefore need to work less. Only then would they be truly free to do the things they have always dreamed of doing. So the motto of downshifting is "Being, rather than having".
Downshifting was born as a reaction to the post-modern society which is trying to convince us that those who make the most money, who drive the shiniest cars, who live in the most modern homes, are the truly successful people. With time, our society has put social status and career-making on a pedestal, and turned it into god.
But, the downshifters ask, what is the point of having state of the art furniture at your home, insanely expensive paintings, and the latest scream of technology, when you can barely spend a few spare hours in that home, you have no chance of enjoying all that, but instead you just get there to have dinner and sleep, and then go back to work early the next morning? Isn't it sad when the only time you can see your children is when they are already asleep, and in order to silence your guilty conscience, you would rather buy them expensive clothes and fancy gadgets, as if all that stuff could substitute the time you could have spent with them yourself? Isn't it stupid to have all the money that could buy any vacation in any place around the world, but not to have the time to actually go there? Is it worth it to work every evening until 10 p.m. and return home crushed with work, without having the time and desire for anything, just to give most of that money for food and transport to the workplace, and maybe a few gadgets we would easily do without anyway?
Those are the questions posed by downshifters, and to a great extent they make sense. Unless you have no other option but to work hard to make ends meet, of course. Meanwhile, the advocates of this lifestyle are using the main argument in its favour: the rapid decrease of stress as a direct consequence from downshifting, or at least "living slowly" (which is another similar lifestyle movement). When you do not work until late evening, when you regularly have full rest on the weekends and when you have enough time tp spend on your favourite occupations, you would certainly feel less exposed to stress. This instantly reflects on your health. Additionally, when we are not under pressure, when we cut down on the alcohol and smoking, that too has a positive effect. The more time for sport, going out in nature and good food shared in good company (and eating slowly), the better for our body and health, and for our life overall. Surely it is not always possible to afford that, but when it is present as an option, and we choose the reversed instead, then there is a problem. Downshifters criticise modern society mainly for turning constant growth and expansion into a purpose rather than a means, and they propose a more sustainable lifestyle instead.
Sometimes people decide to slow the work tempo and break this day-to-day routine only after life has already pressed them tightly against the wall, either through a heavy disease or some other serious problem. The truth is that we shouldn't be waiting for that to happen, and instead, even if we do not exactly embrace the downshifting lifestyle like some people have done in the most extreme cases, we should still gradually learn to live more adequately, and to find ways to get more time which we could dedicate to ourselves and the people around us. Otherwise, life would have passed without a trace, and without us having enjoyed it.
Downshifting was born as a reaction to the post-modern society which is trying to convince us that those who make the most money, who drive the shiniest cars, who live in the most modern homes, are the truly successful people. With time, our society has put social status and career-making on a pedestal, and turned it into god.
But, the downshifters ask, what is the point of having state of the art furniture at your home, insanely expensive paintings, and the latest scream of technology, when you can barely spend a few spare hours in that home, you have no chance of enjoying all that, but instead you just get there to have dinner and sleep, and then go back to work early the next morning? Isn't it sad when the only time you can see your children is when they are already asleep, and in order to silence your guilty conscience, you would rather buy them expensive clothes and fancy gadgets, as if all that stuff could substitute the time you could have spent with them yourself? Isn't it stupid to have all the money that could buy any vacation in any place around the world, but not to have the time to actually go there? Is it worth it to work every evening until 10 p.m. and return home crushed with work, without having the time and desire for anything, just to give most of that money for food and transport to the workplace, and maybe a few gadgets we would easily do without anyway?
Those are the questions posed by downshifters, and to a great extent they make sense. Unless you have no other option but to work hard to make ends meet, of course. Meanwhile, the advocates of this lifestyle are using the main argument in its favour: the rapid decrease of stress as a direct consequence from downshifting, or at least "living slowly" (which is another similar lifestyle movement). When you do not work until late evening, when you regularly have full rest on the weekends and when you have enough time tp spend on your favourite occupations, you would certainly feel less exposed to stress. This instantly reflects on your health. Additionally, when we are not under pressure, when we cut down on the alcohol and smoking, that too has a positive effect. The more time for sport, going out in nature and good food shared in good company (and eating slowly), the better for our body and health, and for our life overall. Surely it is not always possible to afford that, but when it is present as an option, and we choose the reversed instead, then there is a problem. Downshifters criticise modern society mainly for turning constant growth and expansion into a purpose rather than a means, and they propose a more sustainable lifestyle instead.
Sometimes people decide to slow the work tempo and break this day-to-day routine only after life has already pressed them tightly against the wall, either through a heavy disease or some other serious problem. The truth is that we shouldn't be waiting for that to happen, and instead, even if we do not exactly embrace the downshifting lifestyle like some people have done in the most extreme cases, we should still gradually learn to live more adequately, and to find ways to get more time which we could dedicate to ourselves and the people around us. Otherwise, life would have passed without a trace, and without us having enjoyed it.
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Date: 27/1/12 19:17 (UTC)Downshifting assumes a certain common experience, of this busy life of school, work, aquisition, etc. I have never felt the need to downshift, or even be in that position. My life has only seemed to upshift from poverty to prosperity.
My brother and I took opposite routes in life. In my youth I travelled, partied and had a lot of fun before following a career path. My brother took his education seriously and is finally only now in his fifties starting to enjoy the fruits of his labour as he downshifts. I will probably never match his financial success, but I wouldn't have done anything any differently.
While downshifting requires restraint for working, acquiring, etc. So does the upshifting. Although I really should be saving to buy a house, put away for retirement, etc, I'm currently looking at all-inclusives in Havana for only $1400 for the two of us (www.netholidays.ca) which is certainly very affordable. But if we wait until last-minute, say two days notice, it should be about $400 cheaper. I rationalize these frivolous decisions thinking I could get hit by a bus, get cancer, whatever. Then what's the point of having a bunch of bonds in the bank?
Downshifters really want to slow down and do what's really important, but there this beckoning call to familiarity. How can they pass up that profitable job? Or that new Android phone or Apple product? While there's good intention to spend time at home and watch the kids mature, it's often more comfortable to do what we've always done and give life a little more acceleration. Just like I really don't want to try to keep working 12hr.s a day, everyday.
(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 20:12 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 20:17 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 21:00 (UTC)Another book (Danial Pink's Drive) noted an experiment by William Kellogg a hundred years ago. He took one factory and reduced the number of hours in a shift by an hour a day, but paid the workers the same. The result: No loss of productivity; in fact, it went up in the short-shift factory, almost enough to pay for the loss to the employer. A better result was not expected. The community outside that factory flourished; small shops opened, the workers created small side businesses, and they were obviously happier.
Which brings us to today (http://www.worklessparty.org/web/index.php):
There's no reason we should cash in on these labor-saving technological advances and take it easy. Nope. No reason at all.
(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 21:07 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 21:11 (UTC)If you get it, let me know how Relax is. (It's not at the library yet, though I did hear the author interviewed well here (http://www.extraenvironmentalist.com/episode-4-technological-inefficiency/)).
(no subject)
Date: 27/1/12 22:10 (UTC)This one impressed me the most.
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Date: 28/1/12 10:38 (UTC)I already live in a small enough town where I can bike to everything three seasons out of the year. I work a mile away. I have few needs, and the only thing I really want to do is travel.
Got to get my debt paid off first. We'll see if it happens.