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A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

nationalgeographic.com

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Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#31

Post by shostack »

Rodeoclash wrote: post #21
eej71 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are probably thinking of this guy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale

That was it. The site that I read the story on was here: http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/index.htm If you can look past the garish design of the site, it's great reading.

I have a large stack of paper with that story that I printed out. Excellent read for anyone with deserted island escapist fantasies. Also excellent because of the depth of his preparations and how he applies science and logic to his situation.

Can't recommend it enough.

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#34

Post by pbhjpbhj »

Rodeoclash wrote: post #21
eej71 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are probably thinking of this guy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neale

That was it. The site that I read the story on was here: http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/index.htm If you can look past the garish design of the site, it's great reading.

about:reader?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.janesoceania.com%2Fsuvarov_tom_neale%2Findex.htm handles the garish design.

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#35

Post by synicalx »

chrisblackwell wrote: post #8

I find these stories about people like this exhilarating. I think we all yearn to do this, and yet few of us do.

I'm not sure everyone yearns to live alone 100% of the time, but I think everyone at some stage would like to have a place where they can spend time alone, and in peace.

After months on end of my neighbors slamming their car doors at all hours of the night, I'd quite like to spend a few weeks/months somewhere quiet, and preferably without cars (and their doors).

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#37

Post by deleted_account »

tmnvix wrote: post #28
deleted_account wrote: post #24

The article definitely appeals to anyone with a Robinson Crusoe fantasy. Framed less generously, you could be reading about a squatter on public land supported by bi-weekly food shipments. Somewhat related, the homesteading culture is pretty vibrant and full of tech savvy folks like Jaimie Mantzel. His island fortress series is fascinating: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1p7jFXjL7Q0qMii08oAeAQ

> Framed less generously, you could be reading about a squatter on public land supported by bi-weekly food shipments. You could, but that description sounds misleading enough to be verging on dishonest. He is not simply squatting, but has a role on the island - a role that he filled after the previous caretaker retired.

Eh, maybe.

I'm wary of romanticizing the situation. There's an island, once privately owned but bought back by the Italian government for several million €, which is part of a national park set up to preserve the ecosystem.

And by serendipity, we have Morandi, shipwrecked some thirty years ago and with no background in botany or biology, who's set up as steward-for-life on a place any grad student would give their left arm to caretake.

The guy lives in a literal (and littoral, ha!) paradise in a situation so bizarrely irreproducible one can only think, "Yeah, must be a nice life..."

Would we have the same warm fuzzy — "That guy's got it aaallll figured out" — feeling if NatGeo wrote the article about the once-owner, Michael Harte, bivouacking on his private island?

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#38

Post by tmnvix »

deleted_account wrote: post #37
tmnvix wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Framed less generously, you could be reading about a squatter on public land supported by bi-weekly food shipments. You could, but that description sounds misleading enough to be verging on dishonest. He is not simply squatting, but has a role on the island - a role that he filled after the previous caretaker retired.

Eh, maybe. I'm wary of romanticizing the situation. There's an island, once privately owned but bought back by the Italian government for several million €, which is part of a national park set up to preserve the ecosystem. And by serendipity, we have Morandi, shipwrecked some thirty years ago and with no background in botany or biology, who's set up as steward-for-life on a place any grad student would give their le…

> Would we have the same warm fuzzy — "That guy's got it aaallll figured out" — feeling if NatGeo wrote the article about the once-owner, Michael Harte, bivouacking on his private island?

Probably more so, and it would be an even more interesting article in my opinion - 'Multimillionaire Banking Executive Gives It All up for a Solitary Island Life'. The existing article mostly left me thinking "what caused this guy to leave society". That same question of a multimillionaire in that situation could prove enlightening for many.

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#39

Post by hyperpallium »

subpixel wrote: post #30
rhapsodic wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I find these stories about people like this exhilarating. I think we all yearn to do this, and yet few of us do. I disagree. I think humans are social animals, and people like this -- who choose to live in isolation for an extended period of time -- are an aberration.

Many people are attracted by the idea of living in isolation, but few people stick it out. I think this guy on an island that is not very far from civilization (including grocery delivery and the occasional cruising sailboat) strikes a balance more of us could grow accustomed to. Personally, I'm pretty sure my wife and I would sign up to take his spot tomorrow.

It's simply that many people feel they need a little more solitude than they currently have, an unmet need (like when you're hungry, you could "eat a horse").

Certainly, many people live at a far greater density than that at which humans evolved (or even of a generation ago).

Re: A Man Who Has Lived Alone on an Island for 28 Years

#40

Post by hyperpallium »

lanius wrote: post #22

> During all his years on the island, Morandi says he has never gotten sick, a quality he attributes to "good genes." I bet reduced contact with other humans helped as well!

Lack of the low-level stress of noise pollution, danger of attack/need to conform, less chemical/petrol pollution, and no temptation of fast-food etc may help too.
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