We the New Primal
Can You Go a Lifetime Without Sitting Down?
Your Home is a Bunker
For the last two years, since adopting a barefoot lifestyle, I’ve shifted to only sitting down to eat and sleep. My home has become a bunker—a place for rest, not a space for confinement. Sitting signals my body to enter a passive state, tricking it into thinking it’s time to digest and relax. But movement? That’s when I feel alive, fueled by energy.
Anytime I’m moving—standing, stretching, or contracting my muscles—I feel strength surging through me. Sitting, however, depletes that energy, as though it drains my body’s battery. It’s something I avoid at all costs. Anytime I’m in a vehicle, I begin to yawn, feeling confined and generally unwell. I don’t enjoy being trapped inside, such as in an office building, so I spend my days outdoors. If I need transportation, I take the bus and stand next to the door.
Become a Super Soldier
We are the super soldiers—the new Spartans—standing and marching throughout the day. If someone tells you to sit down, say no. We refuse to sit because it goes against our physiology and is detrimental to our health. Sitting is for the weak and the docile. The masses may sit for the entirety of their lives, but we, the elite super soldiers, refuse. Through physical strength, we find freedom. If you work in an office, request a standing desk. If you work from home, start a home gym and get a standing desk.
March Until You Die
Is it possible to live an entire life marching outside? How long can we go until the day we drop? For me, walking is bliss. The contraction of my muscles, the movement of my body—this fuels my mind. We often prioritize the mind, sitting down inside, thinking of what to type in front of the computer screen. However, while walking, your thoughts churn more, your ideas improve, and you strengthen your mind by strengthening your body. Walking also improves our photography. By walking more, we see more, and ultimately, photograph more, increasing our chances of improving our craft. As street photographers, it is our duty to march.
Solitude is Bliss
One of my favorite things to do on the street is listen to the conversations people have while I walk by. It provides a good insight into the sociology of modern people. As a street photographer, human behavior intrigues me.
Yesterday, while walking down Chestnut Street, I overheard a conversation between two nurses. The woman was describing her brother, who had been dating a woman for eight years. The woman decided she wanted a break from the relationship, and so the man agreed. One week later, he received a text from his ex asking if she could still use his credit card, which was linked to her Uber Eats account. He agreed, but when the driver arrived, he made a FaceTime call to verify the drop-off address. When the door opened, and the man confirmed the address, another man opened the door. The woman was already hooking up with someone else. How brutal is that? Ha ha ha. Imagine going eight years in a relationship, only to find out the woman you were with was cheating on you all along.
Another observation from yesterday’s walk:
Every day, since school has been back in session, when I pass through the tunnels of City Hall, Dilworth Plaza is filled with hooligans, always fighting amongst each other. There are easily 100+ students gathered in droves, always aggressive, screaming, shouting, and physically fist-fighting, whether male or female. The most shocking thing is how the women fight, like animals. Yesterday, however, the fighting was extreme. So many pockets of fistfights were going on, and eventually, one young man, a high school student, started fighting a cop. Next thing you know, cops arrived in droves, drawing their batons and tasers, creating a police line with their bicycles. They arrested many of these young men, especially the ones being very aggressive toward the police. It amazes me how this occurs almost every day, but yesterday was different because a young man had the nerve to fight the police.
Who in their lifetime thinks it’s a good idea to fight a cop? What is the cause of this chaos we see in urban cities like Philadelphia?
We Are Spiritually Sick
My theory of industrialization is that it led to the decline of God and spirituality in modern life. With the automation of work, factory labor, and the implementation of media like television, we’ve strayed further from what gives life deeper meaning—contemplating notions of God, the universe, or something greater than ourselves. When humans are put on a grid, living on top of each other in shoeboxes, there’s a lack of community, a byproduct of the way we live. Even the workplace, confining the individual to a cubicle, atomizes man, separating us physically, emotionally, and spiritually by removing us from the natural environments of the outdoors and placing us in the artificial environments of the indoors.
With this new modern way of life comes a toll on the masses’ souls. There’s a spiritual sickness amongst us, and it all starts at home. The lack of spirituality, a guiding moral compass such as church, religion, or faith, leads to the decline of human behavior in general. With the death of God comes the death of the family and the absence of fathers from homes. With the nuclear family separated, the next generation will have stunted growth—spiritually, mentally, and physically—leading to behaviors like fighting and bickering amongst themselves in the streets after school.
The death of God leads to the lack of religion, and the lack of moral structure leads to a generation of animals.
Finding Meaning
Is industrialization to blame for all of this? Not entirely, but I do know the primal way of life was much simpler. Think of how we lived as hunters and gatherers, spending maybe 10 to 20 hours per week gathering what we needed for the next week or two. This way of life led to the formation of communities, where we had more free time to sit around the campfire, tell stories, form families, and embrace spirituality. With this free time, people in the community could strive for something greater than simply slaving away with the “hard work ethic” that modern education systems program into entire generations as the ultimate meaning in life.
I love when people say the Dark Ages or medieval times were bad, because they always picture peasants as these futile slaves with no power, joy, or happiness. However, these peasants, who tilled the land, had more vacation days than modern men. Because the king of a kingdom submits to God, they feel ownership over their entire community. This king will do everything in their power to have a prosperous community, with spirituality or God at the forefront. Because of this, peasants, workers, and everyday folks had way more days off, recognizing all the religious holidays and feast days, prioritizing church, community, and family over work.
Peasants in medieval Europe had 80 to 100 days off throughout the year. The typical 9-to-5, 40-hour-a-week worker gets 25 days off per year.
“But the peasants had to work so hard outside with physically demanding labor!”
Yes, but they were much healthier, happier, and more prosperous than we are in this modern world. Industrialization has created a slave class.
The Body is Made to Move and Improve
You can change your body. You can improve your health.
My favorite aspect of health and fitness is the fact that the body is democratic. Anybody can achieve a beautiful physique and good health through discipline and hard work. Yes, you must physically demand of your body each day, challenging yourself through weightlifting, walking, eating the right foods, and drinking enough water to achieve good health. The simplest way to improve your body is to eliminate all toxic things from your life—unprocessed foods, sodas, sugar, carbs, cookies, pizza, etc.
The carnivore diet is a godsend. If you want to change your body, your life, your health, your mind, your spirit—give it a try.
- 100% red meat
- 8 hours of sleep
- 30,000 steps per day
- One meal a day
- Water and black coffee only
It’s never been so simple to change your health, body, and well-being. By eliminating all the food groups that keep you hungry and dependent on eating, and by satiating your soul with the most nutrient-dense food—red meat—you will reframe the way you view health. By satiating your body, you are no longer hungry and can fast for the entirety of the day. Fasting puts you in a state of autophagy, repairing your body and sharpening your mind. Simple weightlifting practices, such as farmer’s walks, pull-ups, and push-ups, will be your best friends and go a long way. I spend only 10 to 15 minutes in the gym per day, but I also walk throughout the day, barefoot, and wear a 40-lb weighted vest for one hour each morning while I do my weightlifting routine in the afternoon.
Just know, the power is in your hands, and you can and will change your body with discipline.
Remove the Phone
Talking on the phone just makes people stressed and angry?
Every time I see someone talking on the phone while I’m walking on the street, they always seem to be angry, screaming bloody murder, or just stressed in general. One of the funny things I’ve noticed is that sometimes when people get a phone call, they get upset about it, groaning, moaning, or sighing deeply before answering it apprehensively. I think having a phone on you at all times—constantly checking or refreshing your email, waiting for a bell to ring, a notification to ping, or a phone to ring—is very unnatural. These devices, while argued to connect us, disconnect us more than ever.
Remove the News
One of the greatest things I’ve done is to remove the news from my life entirely. By removing the news, I have no idea what’s going on in the world. Some may call this ignorance, but I’m not ignorant, because I’m open and always looking and listening with my own eyes and ears in my hometown, in my city. I’m also not afraid to glance at the newspapers now and then to stay in touch with what’s going on in Philadelphia. The point is, eliminating the global news, the noise, the boneheaded politics, and the ultimate division it causes in society at scale has been freeing.
Whatever is happening in your hometown is what truly matters. Everything else is noise and irrelevant. Treat your hometown like it’s the only thing in the world. Yes, it may seem ignorant, but why do other states, cities, or countries matter to you when you have a community immediately in front of you? We get so wrapped up in worldly affairs that don’t affect our immediate lives. Without social media and the internet, we wouldn’t even know about these things until the newspaper arrived at our door. When you deliberately remove it from your life, it’s as if life becomes better, more blissful, and more joyous. Without constant distractions, you can stay focused on what truly matters in your everyday life.
Childlike Spirit Forever
Think of how a child is not hardened by modern life or societal expectations. A child is pure, full of bliss, following their emotional whims. While we may want to clear our emotional state and not be so childlike in our perception of emotions, there’s something special about a child’s instinctive feeling toward life in general. A child revels in both the ups and the downs with full passion and glory. Think of a child crying and moaning at the shoreline when their favorite ball gets swept away by the ocean, or think of when a child successfully swings the baseball bat and hits the ball into the outfield. The child is full of joy, reveling in the feeling of overcoming a physical challenge. Children embrace life in all its emotional intensity, good or bad. I find this inspiring in a modern world full of sedated lifestyles, where we suppress how we feel through drugs, alcohol, or numbing media.
Transmute Your Energy
One emotion a man must conquer is anger. By transmuting anger into compassion, happiness, or something physical like weightlifting, you can transform that feeling into fuel for life. When you feel anger, channel it into productivity or creativity, such as making art or practicing street photography. If you feel anger, go for a long walk by yourself and conquer yourself physically. If you feel anger, hit the gym, lift something heavy, and transmute that energy into physical power. Anger is something that man tends to succumb to, but I believe we can use it for good. Transmute your energy and give it meaning.
Justified Aggression?
If someone comes up to you on the street and pushes you, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to turn the other cheek?
One day, while walking down Chestnut Street, a man came up from behind, pushing me aggressively and telling me to get out of his way. I turned to the man, stood my ground, and stared him straight in the face. He tried to press me, threatening to fight me, so I removed my shirt. With my shirt off, I began to get really mad, almost ready to hurt the man. My anger was visible on my face, and I began to grunt like a wild animal. The poor sheep, looking me up and down, seeing my Spartan physique and vicious face, decided to walk away from the wolf. Sometimes, justified aggression is necessary if someone tries to stunt on you or get physical with you. Other times, turning the other cheek is the right move, like dealing with words thrown at you by the weak or homeless. We mean no harm and do not use physical force unless justified. If someone is physical with you, perhaps it’s best to be physical back? Personally, I’m not going to let anybody stunt on me, flex on me, or push me around. I won’t turn the other cheek if someone slaps me. I’ll at least show my dominance and use my justified aggression accordingly. Honestly, when I think about the police officers yesterday, slamming those fools to the ground for fighting the cops, their justified aggression was necessary. The cops needed to be physical, as these young men were being physical toward them. Maybe Philadelphia truly needs 300 Spartans. The city is getting out of control with wild animals in the street. If everyone else is a wild animal, maybe it’s time for you to unleash your wild animal if needed. Be the wolf, not a sheep.
Life of a Warrior
Let’s live our lives as warriors, marching outdoors throughout the entirety of the day. We never sit down and embrace the primal way, guarding the gate, the halls of City Hall. We need to revive the myth, the legend, the inner hero within each and every one of us men. When I think of America as the land of the free, the home of the brave, I think of men like Washington, crossing the Delaware River with courage at the forefront. The main virtue worth championing in this world is courage. Courage breeds bravery, and bravery leads to freedom.
We live in a very, very safe world, a world of comfort, and actually having way too much more than we need. Maybe our big problem is having too much? With safety comes kindness. Kindness is at the forefront of modern society, but it will ultimately lead to mediocrity and equality. Do you want to be a mediocre equal among the masses? If we were living in ancient Greece or Sparta, would you want to be one of the elite Spartans or a helot slave?
Personally, I can’t pretend to fit in or even get myself to try to. You can’t put me in a box, and I refuse to obey. If you’re ever wondering where I am or what I’m doing, just know that I am outdoors, marching endlessly.
Can you go an entire lifetime without sitting down?