On "Klumnikism" -- What It Takes To Not Be Worthless
Updated: Mar 10
(Note: Written in 2020, renovated in 2024)
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Rebellion for Sanity
A long time ago, I made the unfortunate decision to remain unemployed for the time being. I am tired of the External World's disapproval of my inborn eccentric behavior, and I am tired of the stress and anxiety these disapprovals force me to experience, at the price of my wellbeing.
This is why I despise the authority of norms and conformity. It believes it knows what is good for me, but it really doesn't. Whenever I choose the path that I know is good for me, it condemns me and sometimes even tries to make me feel guilty for going my own way, for knowing myself what is best for me, regardless of the controversy that may follow.
I don't need that much of an income anyways given that I practice asceticism. My welfare is sufficient for me to live. People may say that working and socializing with the External World might make me feel better. The truth is that so far, socializing and working, even if it made me smile and laugh for time to time, had ultimately a bad impact on my wellbeing. I do not wish to deteriorate it any further, as I need to stay sane for my work -- my life's work -- to be efficient.
Tranquility at a Price
Given my strong desire to preserve my wellbeing, while wanting to live a peaceful and stress-free life. I feel that it is my duty to do whatever it takes to protect myself, from the toxicity and from the triggered behaviors of the External World. It will move on with its life even if I die. For not caring whether or not I am to die, despite my altruistic nature, much of it is my enemy by default.
I don't believe that the External World can bring me the stress-free life that I so desire, as evident in my previous encounters with it during my lifetime. However, this thinking may be flawed by a fallacy I call the Victory fallacy. However, I may be wrong on that self-criticism.
Therefore, even if a lot may disagree with me, I conclude that it's beneficial for me to seclude myself even further, in order to live the way I want to live. In peace, in serenity, and in no fear of aggression from those who fail to understand my condition. I may regress from this decision due to peace being a liability in part.
It seems that regardless of what I try to invest in, eventually I come into the conclusion that I'd earn more if I didn't do anything in the first place, financially, educationally, or something else (like working orthodoxically). People often say it is better to do something than to be a "Klumnik".
A klumnik's someone who doesn't do anything. Someone with little to no achievements in their lives. But come to think of it, if I were more of a klumnik, my life would've been happier. That's because the voluntarily good-for-nothings are carefree. And being carefree can relieve you of much stress, anxiety and even depression.
My heart would have been less broken, my bank account thicker, and my mind less filled with anxiety. If I were religious, I would say that I have been receiving many signs from a cosmic entity that my life would be better if I were even more of a hermit and just learned to live sufficiently with my kind welfare pay and with even less of an online presence.
But I refuse to. I choose to have obligations, and thus suffer, because I care. I view this as granted.
All of this is to provide one important, yet underrated, insight: Sometimes it is preferable to do little with little loss, than to do much with heavy losses. One should not always aspire to rise up after all the falls. One should question if it is worth it to hit one's head so many times, just for ambitions they do not need. It is just not worth it, all the collapses to the earth. Escapism, to an extent, can be logically justified.
Not worth it unless you choose to care. To feel guilty for caring mainly for yourself, and no one else.
Playing the Klumnik's Devil's Advocate
While I am not a klumnik, I do find some wisdom in having the freedom from costly investments. It's where success is either too hard, too excessive in demand, or both. Many of us are afraid of being klumniks, hence why we try to reach for whatever will give us the respect of others, since no one respects klumniks. It's also because it's hard loving ourselves whether loved by others or not.
In a world where there is too much of everything—and everyone—a hard truth is that there are too many people in the world in comparison to what is needed to be done, as many companies begin prioritizing top talent over helping the need with jobs.
Had job providers had been more compassionate, people won't need to have several jobs just to make end's meet. Likewise, there wouldn't be as much competition for many job positions, and many would be unemployed for years in a variety of industries. Why contribute to such a remorseless world if some of us can afford being carefree klumniks?
Should we accept that there is a great imbalance, between the amount of population, and the lack of general workforce-demand from talent-prioritizing companies, klumniks would have a better opportunity to accept their condition. Altruist klumniks try investing in certain concepts, like, yes, philosophy, just to escape from their klumnikness.
And so many companies see lack of talent a problem. As such, they see many of the workforce, unworthy of their time. In 2020, 44% of the global population worked in low-skill positions.
However, where there is a will, there is a way. All it takes is to care enough to not regard people like pixels on a computer game.
Ms. Tamara Moskal's Review
"The article is interesting, and it’s precisely what I was thinking earlier. The future of humanity will be even more jobless and lonely than it is now and many people will become klumniks without goals and define the purpose for their existence. I see Philosocom as a place where this new reality could be acknowledged and give guidance and hope".
