The Biggest Problem with Utopia Is Not What You Think It Is

What even is a utopia? Are we thinking of the same thing? Are you sure?

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The story before you was sparked as a comment to the “Battle of Ideas” Between @ellegriffin and @phasmatopia, but a topic this vast is impossible to process in a short sentence. If you aren’t yet following this interaction, take a peak and chime in. If we are ever to build a utopia, we might as well start by exploring ideas and disagreements, which brings me to this post. 

Utopia is not a technical problem but a human one.

Problem Nr. 1 - We can’t even agree on what utopia looks like

We all have a firm blindspot on our heads when looking at the world. We believe that everyone sees the world as we do. They do not. What may be heaven for us is hell for others. What may be the perfect socialistic utopia will be nothing more than a prison for an ambitious soul wanting to conquer the world.

Free spirits will shun any authority, feeling like they’re being oppressed even if it truly is in their best interest. Others like to be guided through life by some higher authority. For some, less work, more time, and minimalism are far more appealing than working hard, making a name for oneself, and getting rich. Others would die of boredom without competition and chasing materialistic goals. I have been on both sides, at one point or another, and the two worlds are entirely incompatible. 

Is it a utopia where all we eat is veggies, harm no living being, walk everywhere so as not to anger the carbon dioxide-hating Gods, and stick to our immediate surroundings not to waste unnecessary resources? Many seem to think so. I disagree wholeheartedly, and I know I’m not alone. 

To sum this problem up in a few bullet points:

• We can’t agree on anything, much less things of such a grand nature.

• We all have different beliefs, needs, and desires that are not compatible.

• There is no universe where we can all be happy with how things are set up.

Problem Nr. 2 - A true utopia needs the cooperation of the whole planet to work

That may not seem obvious, but some pretty good ideas are floating around regarding how such a utopia looks from an engineering, philosophical, and functional perspective. 

All have the following thing in common:

• It’s a form of advanced technocratic socialism without money or, at the very least, without much individual ownership.

• High technological development enables near-free energy, highly-developed medicine, and, with unprecedented productivity (robots, AI, technology), releases humanity from most of the work we do today. 

• Everyone’s basic needs, such as shelter, food, and accommodation, are taken care of by the collective.

• They assume a peaceful people, a species that has evolved past our basic instincts.

• They propose a drastic change in our values, from power and possession to sharing and reputation, which I applaud wholeheartedly.

• They promise a life free of suffering and toil, focused on cooperation, selflessness, and striving for the common good.

• They are stipulated on the condition that everyone has to be on board with the idea (more on that later).

To achieve such a state:

• It requires unrestricted access to all the planet’s resources to be sustainable. Good luck with that.

• There can be no local sovereignty and separated authority for numerous reasons (scattered resources, competition, required unity), no borders, and no countries.

How do people like the idea of a “One world government?”

Barring some unforeseen speedy human evolution or an unimaginably tragic event wiping out most of the planet’s population, it’s not happening. I think, realistically, it will take a few more millennia and a couple of apocalypses to get us there. Resource-wise, it makes sense, though.

Problem Nr. 3 - Forced coercion of the populous

Since there is no way everyone in one country, much less the whole planet, would agree even on the vision of a perfect utopia, using force is the only way to enable that kind of system.

Communism and socialism had similar problems. Everyone had to agree and do their part for the system to work. Disagree, and you had to be eliminated as quickly as possible in order to maintain the illusion of unity. These systems were ruthless, with good reason.

Unfortunately, even in the best possible system, only a certain percent of the people will be happy. It’s just a fact of life. The rest will have to be silenced. Otherwise, the others might get the same funny ideas. Ideas are like viruses; they infect the few and keep spreading until isolated and starved out.

My family lived in socialistic communism, and truth be told, most liked it. Not all, though. In time, people began wanting more things and craving the life they saw on TV. The American dream and the whispers of untold prosperity from their Western neighbors. 

In socialism, by definition, all have enough, and all are taken care of regarding their basic needs, but not much more than that. Ideas of utopia tend to mimic this idea.

Not everyone is okay with this. In the last couple of years, capitalism has left many a lot worse off, but the top 5% are thriving in a way they never could before. They just happen to be the ones with all the power.

If we are to enact a utopia for the whole world, that would mean that:

• We all become drones and begin agreeing on everything for the first time in our species' existence. No more individualist and personal desires. Can that ever come naturally and without force?

• Everything we know needs to change. Everything. The idea of borders, sovereignty, and private possession of the bigger things (resources, housing, land, transportation). How does one transition to such a planetary society without a grand conflict with only one ultimate winner?

• The majority has forced the issue and their ideas on the rest and will do whatever it takes to maintain their new system’s health, including cutting out the weeds.

Problem Nr. 4 - Building a small utopian island amid a world of chaos

Should we decide that one world government is undesirable and impossible, we would attempt to find a solution locally. We could build specialized communities. Like-minded tows and even countries could combine and pull their resources, forming their own little utopia. This is more realistic and achievable. It’s also fair as long as it would be an opt-in option and not a forced participation.

Such experiments have been mildly successful in the past but had a timer hanging over their heads.

I had lived in one, and were it sustainable, I might prefer it to the one we currently operate in. Therein lies the problem. It wasn’t sustainable. But then, neither is an ever-growing economic model of capitalism, so there’s that.

As an isolated land, the community, country, or a group of countries would always be susceptible to outside forces. They desire to manipulate, destroy, or harvest them from the inside and the outside. Take your pick. These forces are never lacking in this world. 

Then there is the problem of competition. If a country decided it was to become a socialistic utopia, it would inevitably fall behind the “power and capital” hungry competition. In a world where countries must work together, this would lead to poverty and degradation, as it always has. 

Could technological advancements help solve this conundrum? 

Yes, but only if they (the utopians) were the only ones in their possession, but then, as holistic pacifists, they can quickly become the prey for other, less “fortunate” countries. Think “the Kingdom of Wakanda,” if you will, or some other isolated land that doesn’t want to participate in global affairs but sits on significant deposits of much-needed resources.

Democracy and capitalism (or whatever else) are coming, baby, and they’re coming with tanks and bombs as their envoys! No more pacifists; the utopians now have to become a technologically advanced force to be reckoned with!

Should we then just give up on the idea of a utopia?

No. Think about it and dream it up in vivid colors. Saturate the books, internet, social media, and television programs everywhere with ideas of a better life and a better system. Let us ponder these ideas, and perhaps one day, enough of us will desire such a life that we will find a way to make it happen.

To hell with “someday” and future generations - I want my utopia now while I’m alive!

Here’s the good news. While we can never “save” everyone and help all of the people in the world (it’s just not possible), we can save a few. We can create a little utopia for ourselves, wherever we are. In fact, at this moment, that is the only utopia we can ever achieve in our lifetime.

Do you want to live a life connected with nature, working the land, free of a 9-5 and chasing material goals? 

Great - go for it. Find a nice, cheap, secluded peace of land and move there. Build your own utopia. All your effort should first go into acquiring knowledge and then building a self-sustaining home for yourself and your family. Ideally, you will attract more people to your idea and create something beautiful together. While not a futuristic utopia, it’s probably as close as you can get right now.

Do you want to live a minimalistic lifestyle and just sort coast through life without working hard?

No problem. Millions live like this. If you choose such a lifestyle, don’t hold to any illusion of luxury and comfort. Minimalism and compromise will be the name of the game. But you can be free, almost without needs, and have complete control over your time.

In reality, humans need surprisingly little to survive. A simple roof over our head (a tent, a wooden shack, or a hole in the rock), very little food, some water, and that’s about it. If you’re happy with that, you can live with minimum effort invested. The freed-up time can then be spent on your philosophy, spirituality, studies, or playing with your phone. 

You have options, but all choices have consequences. What price are you willing to pay?

Do you want to live in a socialist or communist country and hate the evils of capitalism?

Well, you’re in luck. That’s easy - simply pack your bags and move into a socialist country. There are still a few out there. Venezuela and Cuba come to mind, for example. Just don’t force your ideologies on the rest of your country. If you don’t have such a system already in place, the majority doesn’t want it. 

Live and let live. You are free to explore other possibilities. Luckily, you still have that option. In proper communism or socialism, you probably wouldn’t be able to. So there’s that.

Do you want free healthcare and social transfers resembling UBI (Universal Basic Income)?

Move to Europe and join millions of government-smooching migrants who live off other people’s toil by taking advantage of all the possible social services and transfers. One can support their entire family like that without moving a finger. 

Yes, you’ll exploit a system designed to help the unfortunate, but you have that option. Whether that’s the life you want to live is another question altogether.

The ultimate utopia - the real, tangible, and achievable heaven on Earth!

Things are even simpler than that. The fact of life is that we can’t all desire the same things, we can’t get all that we want, and we will have to endure some suffering from time to time. Each and every one of us. This is not in our power to change. We can resist it and suffer needlessly or accept it and learn to deal with adversity in life. I strongly suggest the latter. It makes all the difference.

Having said that, you can create a little slice of heaven just for you, a paradise right where you are now.

Think hard about what is most important to you and prioritize it at the sacrifice of less important things. If you want self-sovereignty and time, then the new iPhone or a 50,000 dollar car might not make the cut. You can live on a tiny budget and lose minimal time working to support such a lifestyle, or you can work without end to fulfill your more ambitious material desires. Either way, you will pay a price.

Always be aware that, to a large extent (not in its entirety), this is indeed a choice, a choice you make every day, so don’t whine about how the government isn’t taking care of you. Take responsibility and rearrange your life following your priorities. You’ll be surprised how well and free you can live if you’re willing to pay the price for it.

Alternatively, you can sacrifice the first couple of decades of your life in the pursuit of riches to live the remainder in luxury, freedom, and peace. Unfortunately, this calculation only works out for a handful of people. The odds of dying before reaching financial independence or retirement are not great. I wouldn’t recommend postponing anything on old age.

But I want to live in a utopia right now!

You’ve come to the right place. Close your eyes and ignore the thoughts, images, and sounds that come up. Keep at it until they subside. When you have achieved perfect silence, you’ve reached heaven. 

If you want some action in this newfound heaven of yours, visualize living in the utopia of your dreams. In reality, the difference in how you experience the illusionary utopia from the real one is marginal. Still, one is possible, and the other is a distant dream/nightmare, depending on your personal beliefs.

Design your own utopia

This is a mental exercise best practiced in writing. Think about what the perfect world you want to live in would look and feel like.

Then, put yourself in the seat of the “Supreme Leader Kim of North Korea Jong Un,” with limitless power, and design every detail of how such a system would operate. Think of the problems and the solutions. Decipher the resources, day-to-day operations, housing, food, and societal needs of such a society. Who will be happy here, who won’t? How will you solve disagreements? Is this a small town, country, or a global system? How does that work, etc?

Pay special attention to how it makes you feel when you imagine living in such a utopia. 

The feeling is critical in this exercise, despite calling it mental. Why? Because while you probably won’t be the ultimate commander of the whole planet anytime soon, you can identify how you want to feel living in such an environment. Once you know how you want to feel, you have the key to finding happiness and replicating those feelings directly. Without having to rule over the whole planet, imprison about a billion people, and tackle impossible problems simultaneously. 

Here’s what we have to understand about our desires:

• We desire something because we believe it will make us FEEL a certain way.

• We can achieve and reach for that FEELING directly without attaining those desires.

• Desires are ultimately irrelevant and only serve as impediments to happiness. The less we desire, the more content we are, the happier we will feel.

• Happiness is an inside job, and while you may think you want the manifestation of the perfect utopia, what you really want is to FEEL HAPPY.

• One is nearly impossible to achieve. The other is free and accessible at any time by rearranging your mind.

I wish that your particular utopia becomes a reality for you, but not for me, as I’m pretty sure we won’t agree on the particulars, and I don’t want to end up in some prison or worse.

So, I wish you find peace and happiness in the here and now while striving to better humanity with your unique footprint.

Thank you for reading. You are appreciated.

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