Different living: Who is really wandering?

  The phrase “Not all those who wander are lost” refers to those who appear to live a detached, nomadic lifestyle, as J.R.R. Tolkein originated this phrase in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of the Lord of the Rings sequel, to describe the strider “wandering” from his responsibilities as king, which can not be “lost,” due to the idea that his lineage will follow and haunt him forever (Smith). After being written in the 1930’s, then published in 1954, Tolkein’s themes of feeling disorientated or astray from a society heavily focussed on war, rooted in his experience during both world wars (Gale). This feeling of confusion lingered into the 1960’s, as baby boomers popularized the series and used the novel as inspiration for their permissive culture and anti-war efforts (Spencer). As this quote is used today to describe individuals who are “lost” or “wandering” through society, this saying is entirely incorrect, especially in a capitalistic society. Below I will prove how the quote “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost” is a false narrative to follow in a capitalistic society by: describing the harmful relationship between capitalism and mental health, and how capitalism causes the working class to alienate themselves and others from autonomy, utilizing Albert Camus and philosophical ideas of absurdism, the evidence of correlation between positive mental health correlation and acceptance, and applying Marx’s and Camus’ ideas to the mistreatment of citizens during Hurricane Katrina. 

  The negative relationship between capitalism and mental health originated in the mid-19th century, as Karl Marx claimed he observed an increasing population of those suffering from negative mental health as a direct outcome of capitalism. When analyzing the problematic and destructive relationship between a capitalist and a worker, Marx contemplated a common theme of his economic studies: “Why do we participate in our own oppression?” (Roberts).  To discover this answer, Marx utilized the idea of alienation, the separation of humans and the possibilities of human nature, as a consequence of capitalism. He applied the idea of alienation to the loss of autonomy the working class experiences. In a capitalistic society, individuals lose the ability to consider themselves as the administrator of their actions, due to the psychological discipline utilized in the work environment that caters to mass-production and consumers. This absence of autonomy, then, limits our creative abilities and role in the use of our labor production. When considering alienation and industrialization, Marx believed that the “human worker becomes ancillary to the machine: a cog in the clockwork manufacture of commodities for use and want, but not need” (Roberts). Thus, describing the objectification of the working class, as they are regarded by society as “machinery” to be used and discarded as needed for their own mass-consumption.  

• By using social media, society allows the details of their intimate lives, to be shared, profited, and used as entertainment, to cater to the vast population of social media consumers. This intimacy can range from allowing large corporations access to your electronic’s tracked data to openly sharing life events through various social medias. The population limits itself to be “mere flesh and blood extensions of their smartphones. As ‘they’ become smarter, we become dumber: an appendage to the machine” (Roberts). As society enables a capitalistic society by isolating themselves from their own autonomy, humans will disconnect themselves from others as well. By objectifying and commercializing our own lives, we define other humans’ value on how they can be manipulated by capitalism as well: “They appear only as objects to be ‘consumed’ that they may satisfy us” (Roberts). As society continues to capitalize itself through alienation, they fail to consider the negative psychological effects of dissociating the autonomy of themselves and those around them. Due to this fact, those who are “wandering” and “lost,” are those who enable and actively participate in a capitalistic society. 

  In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus defines the absurd as a datum and a concept, by describing the feelings of absurdity to be a prominent experience of our reality that we fail to recognize and interpret. Camus describes this absurd person as “not the one who senses the absurd, since this feeling is a typical feature of human reality; the absurd person is the one who is aware of, and draws inevitable conclusions from this state of affairs” (Sagi 48). Thus, meaning the absurd person is aware of his/her/their alienation from the universe, as the environment of an individual is inconceivable. By evolving into an absurd person, humans dismiss the idea that unveiling the meaning of life is “part of an overall, unified organization of existence” (Sagi 48); This denial allows humans to grasp a genuine sense of reality, where this feeling of despair is recognized and accepted (Sagi 48). 

• Despite Camus’s pessimistic perspective of humans’ existence within their reality, the psychological concept of acceptance reveals the positive effects of absurdist thinking. The concept of acceptance is “understood as a self-regulation strategy based on an open and welcoming attitude toward one’s own emotions, thoughts, or external events”  (Wojnarowska, Kobylinska, and Lewczuk 1). During the 1990’s, acceptance-based therapies gained vast recognition, resulting in the research of the role of acceptance and its effectiveness to broaden greatly and include various acceptance-based therapies. Overall, acceptance-based programs resulted in individuals experiencing decreased levels of stress, pain, anxiety, and depressive symptoms (Wojnarowska, Kobylinska, and Lewczuk 1). When applying the ideas of absurdism and acceptance to the quote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” in a Western society,  the idea of who is “wandering” and “lost” is reconsidered, as those who are participating and seeking meaning in a hierarchical, capitalistic society are the ones who are “wandering” and “lost.” 

New Orleans underwater, homes flooded after Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Glen B. Stewart – Flickr)

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, the effects of this storm on New Orleans’ citizens unveiled the reality of capitalism, and its harmful effects of maintaining extreme class disparities that continue to regard vulnerable communities as helpless and culpable for their unfortunate situations. During this storm, those with access to transportation or to adequate funds had the opportunity to escape the dangers of the storm; however, a lack of resources or planning, provided by the government, coerced the rest of the 200,000 citizens, which mostly included the working class, into staying in New Orleans. During this time, the federal government was “preoccupied” by 9/11 and the War on Terror, which resulted in the government’s inadequate responses to this disaster. An absence of assistance from local, state, and federal governments left citizens to seek asylum in insanitary areas (Superdome and Convention Center), lacked resources needed to stay alive, such as food and water, and protection from potential threats in the city, or they were completely disregarded and died as a result. This situation resulted in citizens looting and stocking the necessities they needed, which resulted in society characterizing these victims as “criminals.” While society was judging and ostracizing these defenseless people, they failed to hold accountable the true culprit of the crime: those who have the power to help, but chose not to (Race, Class, & Katrina). 

• When applying Marx’s philosophy of Marxism to the situation in New Orleans, the government’s role of mishandling and mistreating vulnerable, working class citizens proves that capitalism solely regards workers as objects wanted, not needed. Individuals who had access to the power and resources needed to help these citizens, chose to abandon them in a life or death situation, while also being judged and criminalized. When applying the quote “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost,” to this situation, those who are “wandering” or “lost” are the individuals who cultivate capitalism and this class, social, and racial disparity, as they fail to acknowledge the alternative perspective to capitalism. 
• When utilizing Camus’s philosophy of absurdism in the effects of Hurricane Katrina, citizens perceived the government’s lack of assistance and alienated themselves from their capitalistic society. These citizens accepted being ostracized and stole resources that were needed for their survival. When applying the quote “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost,” those who are “lost” and “wandering” are those who submit to the laws and normalities set by leaders in power within a hierarchical society. 

Picture of citizens traveling to grocery store during Hurricane Katrina. Credit: unknown.

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https://poemanalysis.com/j-r-r-tolkien/the-riddle-of-strider/. Accessed 7 November 2022. 

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