Learning to Live Again: Simple Doesn't Mean Easy
When I say, "we've forgotten how to live like humans," I'm not talking about deep, esoteric stuff — I'm talking about some really basic and simple things: how to sleep, eat, and move.
But here's the thing, while those are really basic, the truth is, as they say, "simple doesn't mean easy". Some of these things we've "forgotten" have been replaced by deeply habituated behaviours — not just in ourselves, but in our cultures. And changing habits takes real work.
If you want to get started on that, check out our free book. In the meantime, you're here, at ReanthReflections, where we ... well ... reflect.
I hope that some of this will be funny, and some of it will be useful, and all of it will be interesting. So, without further ado, let me start with an example.
Please Keep Taking Showers!
So, if I'm to judge by Twitter (X?), there's a thing going on where people are no longer showering.
When I talk about "living like a human", that does not mean foregoing modern amenities! That said, maybe you should stop taking showers — at least for a little while. Why?
While yes, the Romans had baths so we've been bathing regularly at least a few thousand years; and yes, if you get on a subway in the middle of summer, you will wonder why so many people aren't bathing; but equally, we were around a long time before modern plumbing, and ... we're still here — which at a minimum means we didn't smell so bad that we all started avoiding sex.
Certainly, you'll still have body oder, so why stop? Is stopping daily showering going to make you a happier, healthier, more fulfilled person? That is, is it going to help with the reanthropize mission? Um ... no. At least not directly. But it might help you realise something that will make you a happier, healthier person.
How bad do you smell?
If you stop showering, then after a few days you'll start to notice your body oder. You may be surprised by how ... not bad ... it actually is. But if it is bad, then you've learned something. And for the vast majority of cases, it will be directly tied to diet. So, if that happens to you — if you stop showering and end up smelling really unpleasant in a matter of days — first step? Start showering again. But then, change your diet. You don't have to change your fundamental diet. Don't go vegan if you're not already. But try this — cut out all processed foods for a week. I mean everything. No candy, no chips, no eating at restaurants, nothing from a can or a jar, no bread from the supermarket (you don't have to start making your own bread, but if you eat it, go buy it from a local bakery that makes their own from scratch). Yes, that'll be hard, but go back to paragraph 2: "simple doesn't mean easy". After a week, try the shower thing again. How do you smell now? For almost all of you, I bet you'll be surprised by the change.
Eat real food
The moral of the story? If you eat real food, you can help save the planet by taking fewer showers. Kidding! Feel free to go back to taking regular showers — but in all seriousness, think about the results of your experiment, and what your food is doing to you. The real moral of the story is, eat real food.
