One of the worst situations in an individual’s life is becoming homeless, which means living on the streets without having a regular job and not following ordinary hygiene rules. A terrifyingly high number of people do not have adequate housing (Ayano et al., 2019). For example, more than 100 million persons worldwide are considered homeless; and some of the most common causes for them to lose shelter are domestic violence, unemployment, addictions, family breakdown, and psychiatric illnesses (Ayano et al., 2019). Moreover, this population group is at greater risk of developing various diseases for which they may not receive proper treatment. Unfortunately, some of them become accustomed to the thought that being homeless is not a bad idea.
Position Summary
Many homeless people believe that they are not in a bad situation. However, individuals without shelter do not have an opportunity to follow sanitation norms, maintain adequate nutrition, and have healthy sleep patterns. Homelessness creates an unhealthy habit of ignorance about legislation and indifference to fundamental problems in society and the country. Overall, I think that becoming homeless is an unfortunate circumstance that has adverse consequences for a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.
Ironic Exaggeration
Being a homeless person is a good idea because it liberates people from many troubles of life. It allows one not to wake up early, wash teeth, get dressed formally, and go to work every day. Being homeless also means that an individual does not have an obligation to shower every day and buy new clothes. Moreover, it is an excellent opportunity to spend more time outside, days and nights, during every season of the year. Since doctors recommend patients with many chronic illnesses to go outdoors, becoming homeless solves the issue of not having enough fresh air. Another benefit of living on the streets is a chance to be withdrawn from the misery of modern life and technological advancements. It means that these people do read frustrating news about corrupted politicians, a declining economy, and endless pandemics appearing on every screen owned by an average person with the burden of having a home. Furthermore, homeless individuals do not waste their time on social media; instead, they can enjoy nature and think about the meaning of life.
Another substantial benefit of everyone becoming homeless is a resolution of environmental problems and preventing future catastrophes. People who live on the streets have low demand for electricity, water supply, new gadgets, and other inventions of the civilized world. Imagine if all toxic plants are stopped, and the environment will not suffer from waste byproducts generated while making new cars, laptops, or smartphones. Moreover, it can significantly reduce the prevalence of many chronic diseases because so many toxins and stressors will be eliminated from people’s lives.
If everyone were to become homeless, the problems of environmental pollution and climate change would resolve. Consequently, there would be no need for electricity, water supply, sewerage, and the Internet. Similarly, various forms of mining and production could be stopped because countries would no longer have a high demand for minerals after the rate of industrialization and technification will drop substantially. Since factories and plants terminate their functioning, toxic wastes and greenhouse gases would not be released into water, soil, and atmosphere, preventing issues associated with the adverse influence of humanity’s progress on nature and public health.
If industrialization is stopped, people living on the streets will be affected by the substantial rise of infectious disease outbreaks. The lack of antimicrobials because of stopped production may result in humanity’s extinction. Pharmaceutical companies will no longer have an opportunity to produce vaccines, and all the diseases that were defeated by mass vaccination in the twentieth century will re-emerge. Furthermore, hospitals will not have the electricity to perform surgeries or any simple procedures to help patients due to the terminated production of equipment, instruments, and other medical supplies. Overall, nobody is going to be left to enjoy the fruits of clean air and restored nature.
Reductio ad Absurdum 2
If all people become homeless, nobody will suffer from anxiety and depression caused by the stressful modern world. Indeed, suppose every person quits an office job and becomes a beggar. In that case, one will be liberated from many obligations like paying bills, worrying about appearance, choosing health insurance plans, and communicating with unpleasant bosses, colleagues, and neighbors. Moreover, homeless people have more free time to rest and think about themselves, which means they are less anxious and depressed. However, it is challenging to remain relaxed in the constant state of scarcity; thus, anxiety and depression are inevitable in this case. Mendicants are at greater risk of developing alcohol or drug addiction. Notably, many studies show that the prevalence of schizophrenia among homeless groups is higher than in the general population (Ayano et al., 2019). Although patients with this psychiatric condition have an increased tendency to leave their houses and involve in vagabondism, alcohol and illicit drug use can also trigger hallucinations and delusions that will persist without appropriate intervention.
Being homeless is not a bad idea because it can make humans kinder to each other and reduce the felony rate. Since individuals living on the streets no longer need many worldly things, they will lose their mercenary features. Therefore, they will not want to steal or murder for money. Furthermore, homeless people are dependent on each other; thus, they share goods and food with their counterparts. Still, they need money to purchase essential items, and the absence of income due to unemployment, together with hunger and survival instinct, can stimulate them for a criminal act. Elimination of governments and financial relations cannot resolve this problem because humanity will return to a primitive lifestyle of hunter-gatherers, destroying wilderness at the same rates as climate change and industrialization. Overall, food scarcity will eventually initiate violent behavior among homeless people, erasing genuineness and eliciting the rise in criminality.
In summary, this satire about the benefits of homelessness was a nudge to prove that the opposing position, which claims that this lifestyle is dangerous and unacceptable, is true. Although these statements about the benefits of the homeless lifestyle were jokes, they help to reveal some problems that exist in these communities. Physical and mental health disorders are among the most crucial issues in people living on the streets because they cannot afford proper sanitation, nutrition, and medical help. Finally, unemployment, poor quality of life, and constant state of scarcity switch survival mechanisms in the human brain, resulting in a person being involved in criminal acts; hence, homelessness can threaten individuals and society.
Reference
Ayano, G., Tesfaw, G., & Shumet, S. (2019). The prevalence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among homeless people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry, 19(1), 1-14. Web.