Eric’s last post about the email criticism we received of our lifestyle choice got me thinking about all the misconceptions out there about people who live off the grid. The person who sent him the rude email did not like seeing our “small and sad” life in the media. They hated that off-grid life would be associated with our “rudimentary” lifestyle. Obviously, this has nothing to do with us, but their own projections. Our life is intentional and in integrity with our beliefs.
One Facebook commentor on our last newsletter spoke to what I was feeling. She said, “Just bc your solar life is off-grid doesn't mean that one is not buying crud and crap and calling it real living, doesn't mean you've done your part. I get it that there's a fear in America of slimming down. Fear of not being able to buy expensive sport shoes and cars and clothes. I would trade so much stuff for $ independence…”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
A couple of years ago, I was listening to a podcast and the woman on the podcast said, “People who live off grid have such hubris.” This comment seemed to come out of nowhere and without context. I wrote a note to the podcast host, pointing out her hubris for making that comment. I was perplexed as to where she got this idea from. Did she know one person who lived off grid who was cocky about it? I explained to her that no one in my community acted better than anyone else, superior, arrogant or haughty. The people I knew were humble and doing the best they could to live in a way that was low impact and in service to the greater good, far from hubris. (However, our email critic mentioned above may be a good example of off-grid hubris.)
She invited me to be on her show. I did an entire episode about my off-grid life. The podcast and the episode no longer exist.
More recently, I was taking an online class with a spiritual teacher that I highly respect and out of nowhere she said, “That’s why people who live off the grid are drug addicts.”
I was completely in shock and had no time to respond. Where did this conclusion come from? Does she know multiple off-grid drug addicts? What is the connection between living off grid and doing drugs? I think I wrote in the chat, “I live off the grid,” and someone sent me a heart emoji. They probably thought I was high.
I did a poll on social media with friends and off-grid groups to hear what some of the stereotypes are that they have or have heard of about people who live off the grid and here are some of the responses:
· Criminals
· Jobless
· Living off handouts
· Anti-government
· Paranoid doomsday preppers
· Hippies
· Conspiracy theorists
· Dopers
· Married to their cousin
· People that are sick of other people
· Cults-in-training
· Communists desperate to prove it actually works
· Hungry
· Rich trust fund babies looking to get rugged and enlightened
· Hermits
· Wacko environmentalists
· Leaf lovers/tree huggers
· White
· Unabomber types
· Drug addicts
· Felons hiding from the law
· Anti-social
· Poor
· Batshit crazy
· Dirty
· Naturalists
· Idealists
· Brave
· People who think they have special status/are better than others
· Trendy and “super cool” techies
· #Vanlife
· Wealthy
· Hillbillies
· They poop in the woods
· Hairy
· Stinky
· Rugged
· Free-thinkers
· Militant gun-lovers
Phew, that’s aplenty. And many of these stereotype contradict each other. This is not an exhaustive list, by the way.
(As a side note, some people I polled on social media did not think you were actually off-grid if you were on the internet. Others were upset that I was writing about living off the grid because it was exploitive or unwanted exposure.)
This article on Eco Build Lab taps into some common stereotypes of people who live off the grid such as, hippies, DIY mountain men, New Age crackpots, gutter punks, survivalists, fugitives, cult members, the “Super Wealthy who are not permanent residents but have their multimillion dollar escape palace,” and my favorite, people who are “testing out living methods for the colonization of the other planets.” The irony of the last one is that people who live off the grid on this planet are not banking on Planet B.
I don’t mind calling myself a hippie and when I’m feeling really sassy, which is usually, I call myself a dirty hippie, because goddess knows there is a lot of dirt out here on the Mesa and no way of avoiding it. Eric, however, does not like this label. I think DIY mountain man better suits him.
Some of these stereotypes match people I know. My neighborhood certainly has its share of hippies, punks, environmentalists, hermits, communists, and preppers. I would bet on drug addicts and a fugitive or two, as well. But it goes without saying that stereotypes make for flat characters and in reality people are much more complex than any label we could put on them.
One thing the rude email Eric received about how we “live in the dark ages” does confirm is that there are a diverse group of people who live off the grid. From pimped-out beachfront homes in Mexico to tiny desert strawbale homes in New Mexico, off grid living contains multitudes. Prior to 1882, no home in the United States had access to the electrical grid regardless of whether you lived in a mansion in New York City or a shanty in Kansas.
Living off the grid is a lifestyle choice. For some people, it is about caring for the earth, about decreasing our carbon footprint, about independence from corrupt systems. For others it might be about preparing for the apocalypse or more privacy or escaping the authorities. And for others it might be about living inexpensively or colonizing a remote Mexican beach or planet. There are many reasons, even including drugs and hubris.
Let’s normalize off-grid sustainable living. We need to get more people on board, no matter what their reason or lifestyle choice, it’s good for the planet and good for all of us. I liked what one person on Facebook said about stereotypes, “Everyone will have their own opinions, regardless. The reason/passion behind it seems more relevant.” I agree. If people really want to go off the grid, they won’t give a shit what other people think about them. And neither do we.
What stereotypes do you have, or have you heard about people who live off the grid?