It has become a matter of some faith in our society that more is better. A good majority of us tend to want more money, more stuff, more energy, more information, and so on down what can turn into a very long list. If some is good, after all, more is better. It's a common … Continue reading Less is Better

Last week's post didn't end up exactly where I intended it to, veering closer to polemic than I first envisioned. I'm okay with that; part of figuring out a response to your predicament includes identifying the problems, and part of motivating others to stay on an alternate path is reiterating the devastating consequences of the … Continue reading A Life in Debt

One of the key beliefs we have in this society is that we must always be growing. This is an economic belief, of course, but I often notice it reaching into other areas of our lives---into the personal, the professional, even the daily. We believe in growth, and we believe in progress, and we believe … Continue reading America the Exhausted

Back when I wrote my old blog, Of The Hands, I spent a fair amount of time discussing the concept of voluntary poverty. During the time I wrote that blog, I worked on a small-scale, off-grid (more or less) vegetable farm for room and board. A side job as a farm hand provided me as … Continue reading The Ways of Contraction: Compounding Consequences