Extreme actions to promote a mild and universal message

If you haven’t had a chance to read the last post, this summer, Spencer Mondshein, Beny, and myself will be leaving our respective urban lifestyles to live off the land for 30 days.

We all have obligations that prevent us from going on 30 day ventures into the untraversed wilderness. I’m starting my third year of law school. I’m on law review. I intern full time. I’m studying for the bar. The list goes on. The idea of this trip is not to abscond from real life challenges but to better appreciate and confront real life challenges.

What is the point of leaving modern society to venture into the unforgiving bowels of Mother Nature? What are we seeking to accomplish by this documentary of us living in the wild? How will this equip us to live as better citizens, fulfilling our duties to country, self, family, and friends?

It’s hard for me to admit but truth be told that the means and goal of the trip are not inextricable linked at all times. There are two forms of civil disobedience. Direct and indirect. Direct civil disobedience occurs when norms are directly violated in order to show its injustice. For example Rosa Parks sitting in the white only section of the bus. This act was directly protesting segregation by violating the law that is being protested against. Indirect civil disobedience occurs when the protest is indirectly related to the problem. For example, the act of trespassing on government property to protest the nuclear arms race would be an indirect action that is taken to spread awareness on a particular issue. The trespassing itself is not the point of the protest; rather the point is trespassing in order to spread awareness of a greater cause.

I see our expedition into the wild as a form of indirect civil disobedience. By doing something extreme, we are accomplishing our goals in sending a message to the world. Sometimes you have to do something extreme in order to shed light on global and personal issues, even if those issues are mild and universally recognized. Alain Robert, for instance, scales skyscrapers in order to draw attention to his radical environmentalist message. In a similar way we are going to live in the wild for 30 days in order to shed light on issues this world is facing. What are these issues you ask?

1) Physical health improvements through contact with nature.
We are facing a major health crisis. Studies show 58 million Americans are overweight and 40 million clinically obese. According to the American Heart Association, heart diseases, that can be traced to our diet and lifestyle, are directly linked to over 910,000 deaths a year in the U.S. Going into the wild, living off low fat meat and wild edibles for 30 days will be a healthy experience. In contrast to Morgan Spurlock, promoting a health message in Super Size Me by ravaging burgers for 30 days to shed light on the health crisis this country is facing, we are doing something healthy to promote a similar message of the health epidemic in this country. It will be an experience that others can model in a small way in order to better take care of their physical health – even if it means eating low fat meat and chicken instead of fast food. Even if it means going for a stroll in the park. Getting more exercise at the gym. When people see how our bodies are transformed from exercise and wild veggies, people will invariable be inspired to start living healthier lifestyles.

2) Mental and emotional health through eco-therapy.
On a similar front we are facing a mental health crisis in this country. A staggering 25% of Americans will have a major depressive episode in their life, with millions taking anti-depressants. Going into the wilderness will serve as a form of eco-therapy. Eco-therapy is the term used to describe using nature as a remedy for reducing stress. Being out in nature significantly decreases stress levels. Some studies show that being in nature decreased depression in as much as 70% of patients. We want to promote mental health and stress reduction through contact with nature. Yes, we could probably get the same health benefits by staying in a fully decked out cabin in the woods but we want to get our message across in an extreme and provocative way. If we, city slickers, can go out for 30 days, with just the clothes on our back, in order to improve our health, certainly others can take a weekend or two a year to go on a healthy camping trip that will reduce stress and improve mental health.

3) Taking steps to reduce environmental degradation.
On top of those internal crisis’s that we are seeking to alleviate in ourselves and perhaps inspire others to alleviate in them, we are facing an external crisis. Whether global warming is man made or not is irrelevant. We are clearly facing an environmental crisis. New U.S. research demonstrates that pollution has been linked to over 200 different diseases, ranging from cerebral palsy to testicular atrophy, as well as more than 37 kinds of cancer. Our life sustaining resources are limited. We hope to shed light on those issue. Perhaps inspire others to make changes in their own lives even if it’s starting a compost pile or starting to recycle. Small changes when taken collectively make a global impact.

4) Achieving self-actualization and internal happiness.
There is nothing wrong with acquiring material goods and appreciating the benefits of modern technology. The greatest inventions that have offset the most pain and suffering in the world are a product of civilization. Regenerative medicine. Vaccines. Antibiotics. Hygiene. Penicillin. Wonder bread. (Disclaimer: Keep in mind that with those positive technological inventions also came the atomic bomb and other destructive devices.) I’m in no way diminishing the importance and value of these inventions but nevertheless those innovations cannot alone bring us internal happiness. Once we start viewing technology as an end in itself to achieving happiness we are doomed to be miserable. That is why celebrities, like Britney Spears, with more material goods than the average person could dream of can still live miserable wretched lives while the patient dying of terminal cancer lives a deeply meaningful and happy life. Research shows there is no correlation between material goods/money and happiness. More material goods does not mean more happiness. The message of this expedition is not to shun materiality but to recognize that materiality is only a means to a greater end. At the end of the day we have family, loved ones, and humanity to rely on. We often forget this when caught up in the hustle bustle of every day life. Sometimes it takes an extreme experience to reawaken this in us.

This trip will inspire us (and hopefully others) to take care of their physical and mental health, to recognize and work toward creating a cleaner environment, and to recognize the simple precious things in our lives by moving beyond acquiring materiality for its own sake and hopefully becoming closer to achieving internal happiness.

We look forward to you comments and reactions. Critique is welcomed and encouraged.