Living in a city is like living inside a kettle.
You don’t realise it but slowly over the years limescale accumulates on you. The longer you stay in the city the thicker that layer of limescale becomes, slowly desensitising you to anything external to you.
If you were born in the city and lived in one your whole life, you will think this is normal. You think having thick layers of limescale is normal and part of being an adult. Empathy is something to learn rather than something that should come naturally. You notice the hardness and defensiveness in in other kettle-dwellers, and see the same when you look in the mirror.
But spend a bit of time outside and in nature and you’ll slowly de-scale and start to see the world again. You’ll see that the city isn’t a natural place for us to be. You’ll start to feel again and have more empathy towards the world and nature. You realise that possessions weigh you down instead of making you happy.
I’ve been fortunate enough to escape city life and the rat race after years of living in London and Kuala Lumpur. For the last year and a half, I have spent less than 3 months in total in a big city and have for the most part been living either in small villages or towns.
Now, even a short period back in the kettle feels uneasy and de-humanising.
If you live in a city, take time out to get out. Make time. No excuses.
Or better still, get out permanently, and stop living inside a kettle.
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Originally published at https://vidvam.com on August 29, 2019.
