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Are not some people homelss/nomadic by choice because they wanted to live off the grid? Does not idea like this conflict with their ideologues and individualism

Are not some people homelss/nomadic by choice because they wanted to live off the grid? Does not idea like this conflict with their ideologues and individualism? I am not discussing state of being homeless but one's choice to live independent from the majority of the society. Source: Once helped a college friend with her thesis by helping her conducting interviews with homeless people living near our university campus.

drewrv 8y ago
There are definitely some (mostly) young, carefree people who actually opt-in to that lifestyle. They're probably overrepresented near a University. They have friends and family they could go stay with to get back into society at a moments notice. I feel like they get conflated with people who "choose" homelessness because they have an addiction, or because the church that runs the shelter abused them as a kid, or because their schizophrenia makes them paranoid about social service workers. They need help to function in society, the same way an asthmatic would need help running a 5K.
- hopler 8y ago
  How do you help someone who does believe they need help? And what gives you any right to do so?
bluGill 8y ago
Yes there are some who are homeless by choice. However they are a tiny minority. The vast majority are homeless lack the ability to care for themselves.
macspoofing 8y ago
>Are not some people homelss/nomadic by choice because they wanted to live off the grid? I'm sure there are, but people who are nomadic by choice is not the problem that cities are trying to solve. The _public_ issue of homelessness results from mental illness and drug addiction and societal restrictions on enforced institutionalization, rather than resulting from free choice or even lack of income.
komali2 8y ago
Yes, check out /r/vagabond. It's an interesting culture. I remember one article where they were trading "markings" or their own little "hobo symbols," and one self-described "hobomedic" was sharing his extremely convoluted symbol, saying "if you ever see this, there's medical help available here!" No idea what "medical help" might mean, but based on his "kit pics" it would involve aspirin, Band-Aids, and holistic oils. Also, the choice of his own convoluted"symbol" over universally recognizable symbols like a + or something has its own implications.
- cmsj 8y ago
  Sometimes I look at "normal" society and wonder if the vagabonds are just ahead of the curve ;)
  - komali2 8y ago
    In the Cory doctorow "Walkaway" sense, they are the protagonists. However, until their culture merges more with open source Medicine and science and 3d printed farming technology, I don't think they'll be any more than relatively naive college aged people with potentially dangerous theories about surviving in the cold.

drewrv 8y ago

There are definitely some (mostly) young, carefree people who actually opt-in to that lifestyle. They're probably overrepresented near a University. They have friends and family they could go stay with to get back into society at a moments notice. I feel like they get conflated with people who "choose" homelessness because they have an addiction, or because the church that runs the shelter abused them as a kid, or because their schizophrenia makes them paranoid about social service workers. They need help to function in society, the same way an asthmatic would need help running a 5K.

hopler 8y ago
How do you help someone who does believe they need help? And what gives you any right to do so?

bluGill 8y ago

Yes there are some who are homeless by choice. However they are a tiny minority. The vast majority are homeless lack the ability to care for themselves.

macspoofing 8y ago

>Are not some people homelss/nomadic by choice because they wanted to live off the grid? I'm sure there are, but people who are nomadic by choice is not the problem that cities are trying to solve. The _public_ issue of homelessness results from mental illness and drug addiction and societal restrictions on enforced institutionalization, rather than resulting from free choice or even lack of income.

komali2 8y ago

Yes, check out /r/vagabond. It's an interesting culture. I remember one article where they were trading "markings" or their own little "hobo symbols," and one self-described "hobomedic" was sharing his extremely convoluted symbol, saying "if you ever see this, there's medical help available here!" No idea what "medical help" might mean, but based on his "kit pics" it would involve aspirin, Band-Aids, and holistic oils. Also, the choice of his own convoluted"symbol" over universally recognizable symbols like a + or something has its own implications.

cmsj 8y ago
Sometimes I look at "normal" society and wonder if the vagabonds are just ahead of the curve ;)
- komali2 8y ago
  In the Cory doctorow "Walkaway" sense, they are the protagonists. However, until their culture merges more with open source Medicine and science and 3d printed farming technology, I don't think they'll be any more than relatively naive college aged people with potentially dangerous theories about surviving in the cold.