Mark Manson (the author of ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’) traveled to the California desert to visit Brent Underwood at Cerro Gordo. Brent bought a deserted mining town in 2019, originally just for kicks and the occasional visit. He wound up escaping there when the pandemic struck. Now he lives there full time – mostly by himself.

So, how has living alone for years gone? What follows in the video is a little bit of a philosophical exploration of leaving it all behind and discovering the ancient Greeks were probably right – and modern society is wrong about what freedom really is.

Interesting quotes:

Loneliness is intoxicating.

I’m sad to report that my dopamine fueled monkey brain did not find peace and solace among the rocks or dirt. I mostly just found boredom.

It’s escapism. That’s the big appeal of the idea of lone man in the wilderness. All my problems are left behind wherever I leave them and I’ll go to the woods. But the same anxieties, the same stress, the same issues still exist. Running to a mountaintop is not going to solve any of your problems.

What he is referring to (leaving Austin behind and committing to his ghost town) is the freedom of commitment. Freedom is not the ability to do what you want – it’s the freedom to not be distracted by the things you don’t want.