Life is easy. Why do we make it so hard? | Jon Jandai | TEDxDoiSuthep

Summary

The speaker, originally from a poor Thai village, shares a profound transformation in perspective from viewing life as hard and complicated in Bangkok to embracing simplicity and self-sufficiency. They recount their disillusionment with conventional success and education, leading to a return to their roots where they discovered the ease of fulfilling basic needs like food, housing, and clothing with minimal effort. The narrative highlights the importance of self-reliance, community, and reevaluating societal norms to achieve a life of true freedom and happiness.

Takeaways

• 😀 Life can be simple and enjoyable, contrary to the common belief that it's inherently hard and complicated.
• 🏙️ The speaker's early life in a Thai village was carefree, but exposure to outside influences led to feelings of inadequacy and the pursuit of 'success' in Bangkok.
• 📚 The pursuit of education and success in Bangkok was challenging, with long hours of work yielding minimal returns and a sense of dissatisfaction.
• 🌾 A return to a simpler life, reminiscent of childhood, provided the speaker with a sense of fulfillment and self-sufficiency through farming and minimal work.
• 🏡 Building a house was achieved with minimal effort and time, highlighting the absurdity of societal expectations that require decades of work for such basic needs.
• 👕 The speaker questioned the need for material possessions, such as fashionable clothes, and opted for a lifestyle of using what is already available.
• 🧘‍♂️ Self-reflection and understanding one's true desires can lead to a life of happiness and contentment, rather than chasing societal standards.
• 🌱 The concept of 'Pun Pun' in Chiang Mai was born from the desire to preserve seeds and promote a lifestyle of simplicity and self-sufficiency.
• 🛍️ Rejecting consumerism and the constant need for new things can lead to a life free from the stress of keeping up with trends and materialistic desires.
• 💊 The speaker learned to rely on natural remedies and self-care for health, rather than solely on modern medical systems.
• 🌐 The current societal model is criticized for making basic needs difficult to obtain, which the speaker views as a sign of an uncivilized era.

Q & A

What was the initial perception of life in the speaker's village before the influence of television and outsiders?

The speaker's initial perception of life in the village was that everything was fun and easy, with a sense of simplicity and contentment.

How did the introduction of television and the arrival of outsiders affect the speaker's view of their life?

The introduction of television and outsiders brought the idea of poverty and the need to chase success, which made the speaker feel bad and poor, prompting a move to Bangkok.

What were the speaker's experiences and feelings when they first moved to Bangkok?

The speaker found life in Bangkok hard and complicated, requiring a lot of studying, working, and living in poor conditions, which led to questioning the purpose of their hard work.

What was the speaker's opinion on the knowledge taught at the university?

The speaker felt that the knowledge at the university was mostly destructive, contributing to environmental degradation and not providing productive knowledge for a better life.

Why did the speaker decide to quit university and return to their village?

The speaker felt that the university education was not fulfilling and that life was becoming too complicated. They wanted to return to a simpler and more fulfilling way of living as they remembered from their childhood.

How did the speaker's lifestyle change after returning to their village?

The speaker adopted a lifestyle of working only two months a year for farming, maintaining a small garden, and living in a self-built house, which provided them with enough food and a comfortable living.

What is the significance of the 'Pun Pun' project initiated by the speaker in Chiang Mai?

The 'Pun Pun' project aims to save seeds and serve as a learning center to teach people how to make life easy, focusing on reconnecting with oneself and others, and promoting self-sufficiency.

What are the four basic needs that the speaker believes must be cheap and easy for everyone according to their understanding of civilization?

The four basic needs the speaker refers to are food, house, clothes, and medicine, which should be accessible and affordable for a civilized society.

How does the speaker view the current state of human civilization in terms of meeting basic needs?

The speaker views the current state as uncivilized, as basic needs have become hard to obtain for many people, leading to a complicated and difficult life.

What personal realization did the speaker have about buying clothes and following fashion?

The speaker realized that buying clothes and following fashion did not change their life or make them feel better. Instead, they chose to use what they had and not follow fashion trends.

How did the speaker approach the issue of healthcare and sickness after leaving the conventional lifestyle?

The speaker began to use natural methods such as water and earth to heal themselves, learning basic knowledge to rely on their own abilities for healthcare.