The Longevity Experiment

This is an experiment to disconnect from the conventions and try building a sustainable living philosophy. The idea is to maximize the life of my existing clothes, devices, and assets so that I start leaving a lesser individual footprint on the planet.

The tipping point came while reading this book by my long-time favourite businessman and philosopher (me claiming that), Yvon Chouinard. I am drawn towards how he had set the guiding principles of his company Patagonia Clothing and Patagonia Food Products (yes, he has two…or even more). And, also how he has lived his own life and the philosophy by which the lives were individually enriched while being gentle to the planet and environment they have been living in.

The irony of me writing this is that I’m doing so from a super affluent hotel in one of the most segregated metropolitan city in India, Kolkata.

Reflections

1. I have lived my life with utter oblivion of where I get my food, clothes, or products that I consume.
2. I’m driven by the common and unconscious desire to just acquire more stuff. That, just to feel nice, or cool, or in trend.
3. I’m a part of the digital world where most of my time and online behaviour are consumed and informed by corporations such as Facebook and Google.
4. I hoard by giving in to the basic animalistic desire to acquire more and save for a leaner time which has still not arrived in my 27 years of life on earth.
5. My actions contribute to the billions of people in the planet who are obliviously pushing the global warming trend towards a dangerous and nonreversible future.