Before people get too bent out of shape, obviously this sort of experience is built on a foundation of privilege and social connections that most people don’t have. In a modern western society you’d have a much harder time doing this as a less privileged person, and frankly governments and businesses do their best to make it impossible and illegal.

But I see these sorts of articles occasionally, and I’ve talked to one or two people who live sort of like this IRL, and I do still feel like there’s some interesting things to discuss about people that live like this and if some lessons from it can be applied to more people or society more broadly.

This caught my eye:

“I actually feel more secure than I did when I was earning money,” she says, “because all through human history, true security has always come from living in community and I have time now to build that ‘social currency’. To help people out, care for sick friends or their children, help in their gardens. That’s one of the big benefits of living without money.”

I think there’s an element of truth to that. This type of model isn’t a substitute for ending capitalism by other means and providing things like housing and healthcare and such for all, but I do think a society that makes room for more people to live productive and fulfilling lives at the margins would be a better society in some way that I’m having trouble articulating. (And a society where everyone has secure housing and healthcare and such as a right, would be one where more people are secure enough to be a benefactor to others)