From 23a56bd50b04211da3cab45f72c3390711b2416b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mitja Felicijan Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:35:08 +0200 Subject: Moved notes and posts into subfolders --- ...from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md | 103 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 103 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md (limited to 'content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md') diff --git a/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md b/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..100645b --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2021-07-30-from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.md @@ -0,0 +1,103 @@ +--- +title: My journey from being an internet über consumer to being a full hominum again +url: from-internet-consumer-to-full-hominum-again.html +date: 2021-07-30T12:00:00+02:00 +type: post +draft: false +--- + +It's been almost a year since I started purging all my online accounts and +going down this rabbit hole of being almost independent of the current internet +machine. Even though I initially thought that I will have problems adapting, +I was pleasantly surprised that the transition went so smoothly. Even better, +it brought many benefits to my life. Such as increased focus, less stress +about trivial things, etc. + +It all started with me doing small changes like unsubscribing from emails that I +have either subscribed to by accepting terms and conditions. Or even some more +malicious emails that I was getting because I was on a shared mailing list. And +the later ones I hate the most of all. How the hell do they keep sharing my +email and sending me unsolicited emails and get away with it? I have a suspicion +that these marketing people share an Excel file between them and keep +resubscribing me when they import lists into Mailchimp or similar software. + +It's fascinating to see how much crap you get subscribed to when you are not +paying attention. It got so bad that my primary Gmail address is a full of junk +and need constant monitoring and cleaning up. And because I want to have Inbox +Zero, this presents an additional problem for me. + +The stress that email presented for me didn't occur to me for a long time. I was +noticing that I was unable to go through one single hour without hysterically +refreshing email. And if somebody wrote me something, I needed to see it right +then, even though I didn't immediately reply to it. I can only describe this +with FOMO (fear of missing out). I have no other explanation than that. It was +crippling, and I was constantly context switching, which I will address further +down this post in more details. + +This was one of the reasons why I spawned up my personal email server, and I am +using it now as my primary and person email. I still have Gmail as my “junk” +email that I use for throw away stuff. I log in to Gmail once a week and check +if there are any important emails that I got, but apart from that, it's sitting +dormant and collecting dust. + +The more I was watching the world loose it's self with allowing anti freedom +things to happen to it, the more I started to realize that something has to +change. I don't have the power to change the world. And I also don't have a +grandiose opinion of myself to even think to try it. But what I can do is to not +subscribe to this consumer way of thinking. I will not be complicit in this. My +moral and ethical stances won't allow it. So, this brings us to the second part +of my journey. + +I was using all these 3rd party services because I was either lazy or OK with +the drawbacks of them. I watched these services and companies became more and +privacy policies and everybody is OK with accepting them, and they pray on that +more evil. It is evil if you sell your user's data in this manner. Nobody reads +flaw in human nature. I really hate the hypocrisy they manage to muster. These +companies prey on our laziness, and we are at fault here. Nobody else. And I +truly understand the reasons why we rather accept and move on, and not object +and have our lives a little more difficult. They have perfected this through +years of small changes that make us a little more dependent on them. You could +not convince a person to give away all his rights and data in one day. This was +gradual and slow. And it caught us all in surprise. When I really stopped and +thought about it, I felt repulsed. By really stopping and thinking about it, I +really mean stopping and thinking about it. Thoroughly and in depth. + +Each step I took depleted my character a bit more. Like I was trading myself bit +by bit without understanding what it all meant. What it meant to be a full +person, not divided by all this bought attention they want from me. They don't +just get your data, but they also take your attention away from you. They +scatter your and go with the divide and conquer tactic from there. And a person +divided is a person not fully there. Not at the moment. Not alive fully. + +I was unable to form long thoughts. Well, I thought I was. But now that I see +what being a full person is again, I can see that I was not at my 100% back +then. + +A revolt was inevitable. There was no other way of continuing my story without +it. Without taking back my attention, my thoughts, my time, and my privacy, +regardless of how too late it maybe is. + +This has nothing to do with conspiracy theories. Even less with changing the +world. All I wanted was to get my life back in order and not waste the energy +that could be spent in other, better places. + +I started reading more. I can focus now fully on things I work on. Furthermore, +I have the mental acuity that I never had before. My mind feels sharp. I don't +get angry so much. I can cherish the finer things in life now without the need +to interpret them intellectually. Not only that, but I have a feeling of +belonging again. Sense of purpose has returned with a vengeance. And I can now +help people without depleting myself. + +The last step so far was to finish closing all the remaining online accounts +that I still had. And when I was thinking what value they bring me, I wasn't +surprised that the answer was none. I wasn't logging in them and using them. I +stopped being afraid of FOMO. If somebody wants to get in contact me, they will +find a way. I am one search away. + +We are not beholden to anybody. Our lives are our own. So dare yourself to +delete Facebook, LinkedIn. To unsubscribe. Dare yourself to take your time and +attention back. Use that time and energy to go for a walk without thinking about +work. Read a book instead of reading comment on social media that you will +forget in an hour. Enrich your life instead of wasting it. It only requires a +small step. And you will feel the benefits immediately. Lose the weight of the +world that is crushing you without your consent. -- cgit v1.2.3