Stay Wandering

The first humans were wanderers. Nomads, hunter gathers, both anthropological labels describe a core part of our being.

We had to be. We knew so little about the world around us. Around each bend, through mountains and between valleys, across lakes, seas and oceans, in forests, fields and across deserts, laid a world full of knowledge and resources yet to be discovered. We evolved specifically to venture into the unknown, to discover those rewards, and to further the existence of ourselves and our future generations.

We moved away from that way of life around 12,000 years ago, by harnessing nature to feed our species. Roughly 8,000 years ago we began forming more advanced civilizations–and so our story goes on.

Regardless of how ancient our ties are to more advanced forms of being, in our initial, primitive form, our first go at life in this Universe, we survived through wandering.

Recently, our quality of life has progressed at a nearly exponential rate. We live over 3 times longer (on average) than the first hunter-gatherers. We can better tend to our wounds and ailments with advancements in modern medicine and science. Our species transformed the planet and earth around us, feeding our own, creating new technologies, and building beautiful villages, towns, and cities.

We also waged war, enslaved our own species, and still have a tendency to commit atrocities so grotesque that we question why we did everything that came before in the first place.

Somehow we arrived at where we are today.

Wandering is a term that may seem out of place with our time. Many of us have our basic needs a click away. We don't need to leave our homes for food or groceries, for “social” interaction, or even some forms of healthcare. Our desire for entertainment is fulfilled algorithmically, with any content we want instantly delivered to us through whatever device is next to us. We don't need to look around a bend or cross a mountain to survive anymore. We're thriving.

Yet we keep scrolling. We get consumed by content that by design plays to our worst instincts and fears. We are presented with homogeneous color schemes, food choices, shopping experiences and living experiences.

We aren't just scrolling on our phones.

There is a part of human nature that will never be satisfied by remaining in the same place, doing the same thing. At a certain point, we crave something different. A new show, a new car, a new house, a vacation perhaps. What we crave is a novel experience. Modern consumerism and its prevailing algorithmic culture provides that to a certain point, but never fully. This craving originates from some deeper place.

A part of our design, is a desire to roam.

Stay wandering.

• To walk or move in a leisurely, casual or aimless way. (Oxford/Google)
• To walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction (Cambridge)
• To move or go about aimlessly, without plan, or fixed destination; ramble; roam; To be disjointed, disordered incoherent, etc. (Collins)

In English, the word “wander” has gone through a subtle yet important transformation. Now associated with ineptitude, laziness and incoherence, it has many negative connotations. “Stay in school”, “Work hard in your job”, “Settle down and start a family”. These all are usually fundamental aspects of a fulfilling life. To “wander” now means to many, to disregard these truths, and to neglect the fundamental parts of life.

There is even some notable research regarding “wandering” and its detrimental effects to your mind and livelihood. It seems both modern science and modern language indicate that there are negative effects to “wandering”. If you go back far enough, though, “wandering” didn’t stem from a delirious place.

“Wander” has West Germanic origin, and ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European word “wend”.

• To go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route (Oxford)
• To direct one's course; to proceed on one's way (Merriam Webster)

“Wend” in many uses, has intention. Its definition indicates a conscious direction of movement. It also implies that the movement may be indirect (e.g. “wending around the city”).

It is direct indirectness.

It is indirect, yet intentional.

The use of the word “wander” from here on out will be a mesh of the two meanings. It will simultaneously imply a lack of structure, which itself is the structure.

Combining the definitions, wandering should be defined as follows:

• Leisurely, relaxed movement of the mind and body, in a direction that is intentionally indirect.

By engaging in wandering, you enter into a transitional state away from the current order of your life. It frees you from it, showing you all the paths previously unnoticed–hidden away by the brush of your current life's order. Wandering clears the brush and shows you the other paths. When you consciously choose to go down a path, take a different path, or stay where you are, you make the choice to leave the state of wandering.

Order forms once again.

Wandering itself is far from removed of structure. Just as a jazz piece has time and key signatures, swing rhythms, and instruments like the saxophone, drums, and bass, wandering itself has some guiding features. And like a jazz piece, its most interesting moments occur when the underlying structures undergo change. Just as the most interesting moments in life are the shifts away from your old existence, into something new, and just as beautiful.

We don't always need to be looking for those other paths that are available to us in life. The number of possible paths, and sheer length of many of them can make us feel a range of emotions. Paths with seemingly peaceful destinations can be long and daunting. Paths leading to a supposed paradise are often distortions–mirages formed by others or yourself. Fully realizing the sheer number of paths, or number of paths with positive destinations is exhilarating, daunting, and perhaps overwhelming.

If there are so many different places we could end up in this Universe, why even focus on them at all? Because remaining blind to the many paths that the Universe presents you, even if daunting, ignores much of the beauty and complexity of life itself.

Perhaps the harder task is often walking down those paths with unexpected turns and difficult bends to cross. Being able to choose the path, and find your way along all the forks within it, though, is also important, and not necessarily easy. When you wander, you choose to look around, for other ways through and the paths not always taken.

There are a large number of paths of life in which you can choose to explore. What is described here is simply a subset of how to go about choosing those paths. It’s an attempt, not a doctrine, on how to wander.

Some of us are forced into a wandering lifestyle through no fault of our own. Regardless of circumstance, when it’s in your power, wandering should be intentional. When wandering isn’t a choice, you leave some of the conscious choices of which available paths exist up to others, society, and the Universe itself.

Sometimes others will help you and the world will be forgiving.

Sometimes the world is really mean.

Misfortune and fortune are often accredited to fate. Regardless of your beliefs about fate, nearly every moment in your life is a set of choices. Many events, often rooted in tragedy, are not in your direct control. For the moments that are in your control, you can get good not only at selecting a good path from the set available, but also at determining which choices are available to you.

When you wander with intent, you will find there are often more choices available than you originally thought.

Parrots are incredible animals. They possess one of the most advanced vocal systems of any bird humans have studied, and are one of the most intelligent species of birds.

You shouldn’t be a parrot, you should be a human. Conventional knowledge is passed down to humans generally by institutions, and they do a pretty good job. We go to school, we read, we learn, and come into the world as young adults.

New knowledge is created by interacting with institutions. By working with them, for better or worse, to push something new out into the world in a safe and effective manner.

You can also create something new by playing on your phone.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re doing, we live in the information age. You can learn about and do anything you put your mind to.

It’s exhilarating.

You don’t need to get imposter syndrome however if you haven’t accomplished all of your dreams or learned about everything you had a remote interest in. Whether you specialized in one area of study or have not studied intensively at all, there is a limit to what you know. It’s likely a lot. And that’s ok.

Wandering intellectually allows you to see beyond the current limits of your knowledge. You can learn about subjects you were asleep for during school, or about subjects that school never really taught. And the best part is, you can go at your own pace. In the age of information there’s no tests, no deadlines, and nothing stopping you.

These days, whenever you need to use your brain for a task, thinking about the “why” and “how” matters exponentially more. Maybe it used to be known as “critical thinking”. Some prefer to call it “reflective thinking”.

Regardless of what it is, or what you’re doing, it’s often important to question the status quo of your knowledge. You don’t need to despair if the answer to why you believe something is “I don’t know”. You should think, however, “is it correct”, and if not, “what else is out there”.

And then you can search.

We’ve reached the beginning of what may be a great period of acceleration. To enjoy it, you can’t act like a robot, or a parrot, or a dog or a cat. You have to be a human, and arrive at conclusions using the available information around you, by yourself.

Humans wander.

There are many adages about people and friends that have become commonly re-stated. “Family is everything”, “Who you marry is the most important choice you will make”. Whatever influencers are in your feed may be saying something else.

I like this one : “Friends come and go… but the good ones come back”

Social wandering isn’t just about forming new connections. A key aspect of wandering socially is reconnection, and making amends with those who’ve grown apart from you. And that may be hard. It doesn’t matter what kind of person you are, people change over time. You can reach out to 10 old friends and only have 2 respond. And that’s life.

It is very important to wander socially, reconnecting with old souls while searching for new people and groups of people to build a life with. It may be more important now than before.

We are the first humans to be brought up on group chats, Yik Yak, and short form content. We’ve seen a number of interesting phenomena that, if not directly caused by the digital era, are most certainly associated with it. One of them speaks volumes.

With the advent of the internet, and the very real ability of being able to talk to anyone in the world anytime you want, the loneliness epidemic seems like a backwards result. There may be a number of explanations for this, but the sad truth is that many of us feel lonely.

It may not even be for a lack of friends. With the interconnectedness of a messy digital world, sometimes we virtually “bump” into people at the wrong times and rub each other the wrong way.

But that’s ok. We’re just trying to be human. When you wander socially on an individual level, you can give space to connections that need them, and strengthen bonds with others who want to spend time with you.

It seems for many–especially many young people–that wandering socially isn’t always enough to make strong connections with others. In our current time, there will be friction as you socially wander. We haven’t been forming the strongest of social bonds with each other since before COVID, and maybe since before the digital age really commenced.

That’s why seeking out group interaction with different types of people is important. Networks of people tend to travel together. With that said, you should not be friends with only iPhone or Android users. Your friends shouldn’t only drive the same type of car, like the same posts, or only do the same things. Your friends should be similar, but different.

A good group of friends compliments each other. They make up for each other’s blindspots and collectively represent a larger part of the world while maintaining some sense of shared identity.

Every member should be able to think for themselves.

One of the best ways to socially wander is to consciously try to find new groups of people who you want to become more like. Maybe they’re into fitness, or they are a bit more scholarly. Maybe they’re just really cool. You don’t have to try as hard as possible to be someone you’re not, but you should see what else is out there socially.

Human group dynamics are complex and can get very messy. Groups of people aren’t always nice to their members. Wandering socially across groups can help.

There is also the blunt reality that you will encounter bad faith actors in life. All your energy shouldn't be on fitting in with them or fixing them. When you can wander socially, you can simply just look for other people or other groups of people to spend time with.

And contrary to what some platforms may say, you don’t need to have 1000s of “friends”. Malcolm Gladwell may like people who can maintain 100, but if that seems tiring, finding the right fit for yourself is probably a better goal than any arbitrary number.

Wandering physically is one of the best ways to recapture the attention that may otherwise get sunk into technology. Physical wandering is likely the first idea that comes to mind when you hear the word “wander”. And it’s for good reason. It may be the most powerful type of wandering.

Going someplace in three dimensions and five senses is far better for your soul than staring at another place through a screen with maybe no more than two to three senses at best.

Physical wandering helps you focus on what’s real, and grounds you in an environment and its reality. It displaces noise and misconceptions from online with sounds and fresh ideas about the place you are in.

There is scientific backing for why physical wandering–and wandering in general–can be one of the best activities you engage in. Unexpected reward is one of the highest forms of dopamine release. And physical wandering is the easiest way to start recognizing unexpected rewards.

They’re everywhere.

Once you start noticing them, you’ll start to fully realize the ordinary beauty of everyday life. It can be a good cup of coffee, a smell or sound that reminds you of home, the fresh spring breeze on the back of your neck, the way the rain hits the leaves on a tree.

You don’t need to wander far to physically wander. Many unexpected rewards are hidden in plain sight.

You also don’t need to spend money to physically wander. You don’t need money to admire a sunrise over a lake, or to see the sunset and the stars emerge. A new product won’t make the first sip of water on a hot summer day any better. Given that phones are a basic need now, you don’t even need money to listen to a new song in a new place.

Most park benches are free.

While there isn’t a limit to how far you can physically wander, there is also a lower barrier to entry than most people may think.

Wandering means so much more than the conventional idea of a vagabond bound hopelessly to roaming our Earth. Physical wandering is rooted in our shared identity as explorers of the world around us. It’s such a large part of what makes us human.

We’ll never know what is around each bend. It might be scary, but perhaps that’s what makes us alive.

Through practice, you can get good at finding and taking paths that lead you to simple yet amazing rewards. If you live in a place where safety is a concern, or within an extreme environment, physical wandering is not always something you can normally engage in. That being said, using your best judgment, you can likely still physically wander, and you can always still wander in other ways.

You don’t need to be playing minesweeper in the real world to wander. You can look for “tiles” around you that you almost 100% know are safe and seemingly good.

You can wander within a space–physical, virtual, or internal to you–that you know and like. You can trust intuition to find more of what you like such as sets of ideas, authors, places, etc.

What you find is not always a reward. But you can reduce the risk of catastrophic failure by using well grounded intuition. It doesn’t hurt to listen to your Mom, parents, or trusted family members. It’s also healing, often, to listen to yourself.

Learning lessons from past mistakes will help you learn to avoid new ones. When wandering intuitively, you engage in learning the situations in which you should trust your intuition, and in which situations you may need to go down a different path.

Part of Wandering Meerkat is to share those ideas, authors, places, people, and other random assortment of things of experience which I have found and have made my life more full. There may be some bad turns along the paths I take, and I won’t shy away from reflecting on them too.

• "You have to wander alone."

You’re never alone. No matter where you are in your life, good friends and family will accompany you as you wander. With the internet, they are never more than a call away. If you feel like you don’t have any, you’d be surprised.

• "You have to wander all the time."

Part of why I decided to name this Wandering Meerkat, is that sometimes I like to go back and “burrow” in my home. I’m not wandering all the time, even if I like wandering a lot. I take breaks from wandering in some aspects of my life. Intellectually, sometimes I’ll focus on something for months at a time. Some aspects of wandering I’ll engage in nearly everyday, as I tend to do with food. Wandering is often best when done on your own time. There’s no rush, and you can always stop.

• "You have to destroy your means of sustenance."

You should never wander to a point where your basic needs as a human are not met. Regardless of how far you wish to venture for whatever you are searching for, you need food, water and shelter. You also need some source of income.

• "You need to let go of discipline."

Wandering and discipline are not antonyms, but they can be counter-intuitive at times. Wandering offers quite literally the highest form of dopamine release in unexpected reward. When you don’t want to do something you need to, wandering can be used as a form of escapism from reality, which isn't good.

When wandering, I like to make sure that I’m at the very least working out, sleeping well, and eating healthy (with of course tasty exceptions). While some people may give it criticism, I find literature on habits to be somewhat useful in maintaining discipline.

• "You need to use drugs."

Drugs are often the worst part of what people associate with wandering. You don’t need to do drugs to wander. At all. They are destructive and can quite literally lead you down paths that result in death.

• "You have to wander to the fullest, or the same amount at all times."

You can wander regarding what level of wandering you engage in. Climbing a mountain is much harder than trying a new item on the menu. Varying the degree to which you wander is like getting a good sample of data for life; you will develop better intuition each time you are faced with a new set of choices.

If you don’t know where to start with wandering, wandering to a small degree may be the way to go. Physical wandering is often a great way to start wandering, and for physical wandering it’s generally easiest to start small.

• "There's one 'way' to wander, or a specific method to wandering"

There are definitely ways to not wander, some of which are stated above. What was outlined was areas in which you could wander, and some of the core underlying principle of wandering There may be other areas of life to wander in and maybe I’ll discover those for myself. If so, I’ll be sure to share my thoughts. Regardless of how you wander, I hope that in some form or another, you stay wandering.