Wildthings

[KTR]

People is afraid of whatever goes against the established order even if it is not going to hurt them. They might not be necessarily against barefootedness but they have just assumed "that's not normal" and that you'll get hurt and get infected —when having a Big Mac is even more dangerous and filthier.

 

[Jaqa]

I like your point!
Growing up and living on a farm in Africa till very recently I was constantly surrounded by wildlife. And pretty much all you did was observe, and carry on going your own way. We, myself and wildlife, made space for each other.
But, I think, we are living in an increasingly binary world, so wrt wildlife, its become an us vs them situation. You either hunt wildlife or you are animal molester like Steve Erwin.
Living in Singapore now, the majority of people are so disconnected with their surroundings. Even in the concrete jungle, because crime is so low and mild, people are disconnected from what is happening around them, instead glued to their phones. Literally people walk around watching movies.
I volunteer at an Open Farm Community and I get questions,' Is it safe to get my hands dirty?"
But there are some making a difference here. I went to a workshop run by these guys on Saturday http://humannaturallysg.com/ and it was pretty darn cool.
But the innocence of being wild has been lost now. Even at the best, it is textbook knowledge not being knowledge.

And that is a large reason I am loving barefooting here- it is a big FU to the system of enforced safety, patriarchal oversight and disconnect from nature.

 

[skedaddle]

People is afraid of whatever goes against the established order even if it is not going to hurt them. They might not be necessarily against barefootedness but they have just assumed "that's not normal" and that you'll get hurt and get infected —when having a Big Mac is even more dangerous and filthier.

I remember when I first went barefoot one of my friends giving me the dangerous lecture whilst he sat sedentary in front of the TV, stuffing his face with junk food.

 

[skedaddle]

I like your point!
Growing up and living on a farm in Africa till very recently I was constantly surrounded by wildlife. And pretty much all you did was observe, and carry on going your own way. We, myself and wildlife, made space for each other.
But, I think, we are living in an increasingly binary world, so wrt wildlife, its become an us vs them situation. You either hunt wildlife or you are animal molester like Steve Erwin.
Living in Singapore now, the majority of people are so disconnected with their surroundings. Even in the concrete jungle, because crime is so low and mild, people are disconnected from what is happening around them, instead glued to their phones. Literally people walk around watching movies.
I volunteer at an Open Farm Community and I get questions,' Is it safe to get my hands dirty?"
But there are some making a difference here. I went to a workshop run by these guys on Saturday http://humannaturallysg.com/ and it was pretty darn cool.
But the innocence of being wild has been lost now. Even at the best, it is textbook knowledge not being knowledge.

And that is a large reason I am loving barefooting here- it is a big FU to the system of enforced safety, patriarchal oversight and disconnect from nature.

I was amazed to read of the rise of mobile phone lanes across the world. Watch films of the wilderness from the safety of a 6in screen while you trudge in zombie fashion along a narrow strip of asphalt. The sad thing is many folk think it's a good thing, that's how disconnected we've become.

The site looks amazing, so much insight and fun! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Runlite01]

Cool and Groovy.
I love going out and witnessing nature on a run werever I may be.
I love looking at the moon and stars night critters and day critters.
It really takes me away from all the hustle and bustle of city life.
Thanks for the thoughts and letting my mind wounder.

 

[Sly]

hi

this anthropological essay about feet and hands and footwear is really interesting and gives somes keys to understand why people are feeling so uncomfortable with these bare feet

http://www.nyu.edu/classes/bkg/tourist/feet.pdf

"Is the conventional division of labour between hands and feet, then, as ‘natural’ as Darwin and his contemporaries made it out to be? Could it not be, at least in some measure, a result of the mapping, onto the human body, of a peculiarly modern discourse about the triumph of intelligence over instinct, and about the human domination of nature? And could not the technology of footwear be understood, again in some measure, as an effort to convert the imagined superiority of hands over feet, corresponding respectively to intelligence and instinct, or to reason and nature, into an experienced reality?"

 

[skedaddle]

hi

this anthropological essay about feet and hands and footwear is really interesting and gives somes keys to understand why people are feeling so uncomfortable with these bare feet

http://www.nyu.edu/classes/bkg/tourist/feet.pdf

"Is the conventional division of labour between hands and feet, then, as ‘natural’ as Darwin and his contemporaries made it out to be? Could it not be, at least in some measure, a result of the mapping, onto the human body, of a peculiarly modern discourse about the triumph of intelligence over instinct, and about the human domination of nature? And could not the technology of footwear be understood, again in some measure, as an effort to convert the imagined superiority of hands over feet, corresponding respectively to intelligence and instinct, or to reason and nature, into an experienced reality?"

Thanks for the article Sly. Interesting read.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Seems like a unique perspective, comparing hands superiority to feet. Hope to read this when I have some down time.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

hi

this anthropological essay about feet and hands and footwear is really interesting and gives somes keys to understand why people are feeling so uncomfortable with these bare feet

http://www.nyu.edu/classes/bkg/tourist/feet.pdf

"Is the conventional division of labour between hands and feet, then, as ‘natural’ as Darwin and his contemporaries made it out to be? Could it not be, at least in some measure, a result of the mapping, onto the human body, of a peculiarly modern discourse about the triumph of intelligence over instinct, and about the human domination of nature? And could not the technology of footwear be understood, again in some measure, as an effort to convert the imagined superiority of hands over feet, corresponding respectively to intelligence and instinct, or to reason and nature, into an experienced reality?"

Shared in the Studies & Articles About Studies forum, so it won't get lost.