Hello /x/, this is a serious post. I am an heir of a wealthy, or formerly wealthy, real estate family outside of Philly. All my life I have considered the idea of becoming a hermetic monk in the Pine Barrens of NJ. I've read much about Saint Anthony the Desert Father and relate to him Pic related.I want to know how feasible it really is to go off on my own to live in the woods. I mention my family background because despite having money, I am and have always been deeply unhappy. There is nothing that money has shown me which has made me happy. I chased friends, status, pleasures - and I never really even got them. Or if I did, I felt like I was living a lie. I was bullied, I am supposed to marry a girl I've been with for 10 years, and I feel like none of this is how I am supposed to live. I've considered suicide many times. On a side note, and this is true, a jewish israeli real estate scammer stole 90% of my family's wealth through fradulent Miami luxury condo projects. I watched my father break down and go from top 1% wealth to near bankruptcy. I currently run the family company and am hitting my breaking point. I genuinely consider giving the company to my brother, giving away what I have, and moving into the woods like Saint Anthony.
Also as a follow up, we are a Catholic family. I've strayed from god's light. I feel like my life is being dictated to me and I have no way to take my own control. I just want to be alone and read my books, which I've taken much pleasure in lately. I am so full of venom, disgust, anger, and hate towards the world. I am flawed and so is everyone else. I am angered by everyone. I feel like I need to isolate myself as an ascetic monk and reground myself. But I am scared to do this. Is it even a reality? Can anyoen do this in 2026?
>>42438494You should donate to charities like against malaria foundation because they can save an extra young child’s life for about 5000 dollars each.
>>42438494cool can i have some money
>>42438568It’s people like you who make me hate people as a whole. Maybe if you approached with sincerity and a real need instead of mocking me in a time of desperation, I would really give away money to you. I am so tired I don’t know how much longer I can bear this.
This is a selfish question from a person deprived of companionship? You don't like being around the woman you are meant to marry?
>>42438580>Maybe if you approached with sincerity and a real needNot that anon, but if I had wealth I'd use it to radically advance science by creating and demonstrating solid-state devices that seemed like literal magick. Who knows how much it would cost though. I actually doubt OP would have enough to fund it even if he were quite wealthy.teleportation, rapid healing, levitation, infinite energetic throughput devices with a cap on maximal constant throughput, infinite information storage with instant recall, literal enlightenment assistance machines (coherence amplifiers), etc. The project list would be near infinite.But as far as the feasibility of living in the woods, yeah, that's definitely doable especially if you already have the cash to support buying supplies, but will it really help you? Have you attempted more conventional means of dealing with your state? If it is not a deep existential problem that is bothering you, then it could probably be fixed easier than you think. And your own existential dread might be coming from an improper bodily state than the actual questions or concerns themselves.If it truly IS an existential dread, that is similarly easy to remedy with asking the proper questions and getting actual answers to them, which is definitely possible.
>>42438494Bitterly turning away from the hardships of the world is false renunciation. True renunciation is that of the man who has everything and yet feels that it is all illusory.Having said that, there's a wilderness school in the pine barrens that is pretty easy to find and that you might want to look into. Hermitage requires physical and spiritual skills. What are you feeling right now and what is it trying to teach you?
>>42438494I wouldn't do the pine barrens. That who area is reserved for the skin walker, The Jersey Devil. Why not PA? I wouldn't become a Catholic priest as I believe it is an empty and dying religion.
If you've got the money to build yourself a little cabin there, sure why not.
>>42438657Illusory is what I what I feel. None of this money, physical possessions, status, none of it matters and none of it generates happiness. So what’s the point? Why not just live out in the woods and support yourself?
>>42438580Boo hoo. “Poor me. I have no real problems and I’m miserable”Selfish cuntPerhaps if you learned how to care about other people you wouldn’t be so miserable I’m not the guy who asked for money and I don’t want yours. Get over yourself and come down from your tower, Siddartha.
>>42438657>embracing hardshipsNot sorry but not everuone has to be into ultra hardcore bdsm like you.
>>42438720>selfishNo one owes you anything nor you are entitled to anything, conformist rat.
>>42438720This is such an aggressive, hateful response. I never said anyone owes me anything. Specifically I said I want to be alone and give away everything. Do you not think someone born into a family with material possession outside of their control cannot be depressed? I understand I’m fortunate, but I never asked for this and none of it means anything to me. I’ve learned that material objects do not bring happiness. Yet you come here to spit in my face and say I deserve to be miserable. You’re a horrible person.
>>42438829Its wholly ignorant too. Caring for others that couldn't care for themselves let alone someone else was the largest source I've misery in my life.
>>42438494Before you do anything drastic, why dont you use that money to travel the world and go to pilgrimages and such? Get yourself some perspective. Id go to patmos, compostela, mt athos, himalaya... then maybe see what you want
>>42438494>.I want to know how feasible it really is to go off on my own to live in the woodsIt boils down to primarily having somewhere to live (land and shelter) and how to sustain yourself with food indefinitely. You can buy a small hut somewhere and live a simple life, have enough money and earn interest so that you can pay whatever bills you have. Buy food and/or grow your own and keep some animals like chickens and goats for egg and milk. Or find a monastery where you can become a monk.
>>42438702Go for it then. It's the best state in life if you can handle it.
Hello anon,I've felt really similar feeling to what you've felt in the past couple of years. At times, it seems like the world they've built for us is even mockingly pointless and insultingly trite. The pleasantries that the women in the family (as well as most friends) take part in seem saccharine and fake.I don't know what to tell you at this time, but instead of being a total hermit, perhaps you should join the Most Holy Family Monastery in Filmore, NY?They have the true (sedevacantist, traditional) Catholic faith. See their YT channel or website (vaticancatholic dot com) for more.
>>42439041You guys are on 4chan too? lolDo the Dimond brothers even take "postulants"?
>>42439083I'm not with them in NY, but I'm a follower in Texas. are you familiar with them? what do you think of sedevacantism?it seems like they take in new brothers from time to time. I think in a recent video they said that there were 4-6 brothers living at the monastery.
>>42439100I think sedevacantism is the most likely explanation for what has happened to the Catholic Church but I'm not on board with the neo-Feeneyism. Not trying to hijack the thread though, so let's not get into the weeds about it.Interesting that they take in new brothers every once in a while. I thought it was just the two of them. I remember back when they were buying ad time Coast to Coast AM.
>>42438494>On a side note, and this is true, a jewish israeli real estate scammer stole 90% of my family's wealth through fradulent Miami luxury condo projectsLol boomers retarded
>>42439164ok. well I do think we have a lot in common. feel free to reach out if you'd like. I have a lot of thoughts and maybe I could use your perspective too. on the flipside, I know a lot of people prefer this website due to the anonymity.
>>42438494You know, this is usually the part where some fucker comes around and tells you: "Donate it all to Me/My Friends/My Charity and go find some cult somewhere!", but I will spare you the heartbreak, they are but men, men will betray you, nature, though quiet, is impartial.Anyone can do what you say, but even now, nature is being claimed by men who will push you out of it. Truly wild places of this world are dangerous. Hermits are just homeless men with a diploma, either given or innate. That is the sad truth of the matter. You want to happiness? Perhaps you need purpose.As for all that fear and hate...I'll tell you an old story. In the desert, a young man met a Muslim doctor who claimed he "Wanted to destroy Death."He was a good man with a long history of medicine, and a capable surgeon.He died in some forsaken battlefield on the dunes he often walked and by the tent he died, the young man he talker to found that scalpel.He picked up that old doctor's "sword", and began to parry.The moral is that purpose can be picked up as easily as a scalpel in a desert dune, as can happiness.You may choose whatever you want. However I will say this to you, prioritise.You have one life to live. Study hard. Figure out what is flat and fiat, and what is gold and silver. Know your basics. It's just materials after all. Good luck, and may God save you.
>>42438580>Maybe if you approached with sincerity but I did >and a real need yeah I did that too >instead of mocking me in a time of desperation, I would really give away money to you.well I could actually use it and you didn’t seem like you needed it anymore, so I thought I was doing you a favor, my bad
>>42438549>(((charities)))yeah right...
Just remember metta, karuna, mudita and upekkha.These are your shields against the demons and tickets to heaven.
>>42438494Anon, the whole world is going ascetic. You won't be any more special. Whatever path you choose don't corner yourself into any later regrets. Being at peace with the world should be enough.
Anon, you don't know what money did for you to make you happy because you had it to instantly resolve what potentially could have made you tired endlessly and miserable even more.Money buys peace here in oir part of the world, buys solitude when one wants it. Buys thinking, internal orientation which is a Luxery.
>>42439694Any evidence that against malaria foundation is a scam or ineffective?
>>424384941) Independent survival is really hard2) Whatever the TV, books, movies show you, it is way harder3) You either have the physical constitution for it or you die. You can either withstand the hours of cold, heat, running away from a bear, hours it takes to start a fire... or you die.4) You eat the wrong thing, you die.5) You use the wrong equipment, you die.6) You get severely injured in a remote location... you die.7) You go off the deep end because of a total lack of human interaction, you can go insane, which can result in errors of judgement, and you dieMost modern "survival" tales nearly always involve people either:1) In close proximity to a walmart where they shoplift the things they need, or2) A farmer who owns their own farm and grows only for themselves a mixture of cropsSolo survival is not some idle, easy mode feat. You have to be both mentally and physically prepared. At night, you will hear noises of nightmarish things you will be too afraid to investigate. In the morning, you will need to have the willpower necessary to complete that day's manual laborious tasks. By evening, you better have food and a fire sorted or you're fucked. And I am ignore the weather and the worst bastards of them all: heatwave summer and deep frost winter.Whatever you think survival is... there is a reason we survive as a group, and not in isolation. I have a deep respect for a man who can survive solo, but on a level I pity him because he's replicating what we intentionally automated away.
>>42438494Give me all your money then
>>42439856Nearly all charities are scams.Most just money launder and don't actually do anything or achieve results.If you want to be 100% sure... donate food to food banks. All someone can do with that is eat it or sell it to someone else to eat.
>>42439921I would explain why I know this but you'd dismiss the advice and take an unnecessary risk.If you're still hell bent on survival, start learning, and start small. List of basic tasks but I want you to expand them:1) Learn how to properly filter water. That means no bacteria, no viruses, no cysts, no chemical pollutants, no radiological contaminants (and yes, water streams do contain uranium)2) Learn how to forage, hunt, and fish. Learn how to prepare all the foods. How to cook them from scratch. Very important: how to preserve them long-term. Pickling, fermentation, smoking, drying, curing, jarring, canning. If this baffles you, ask the Amish.3) Learn how to identify and treat diseases. Not just some diseases, not just a few minor injuries, but... severe injuries like bone breaks, severe deep gashes, how to manage infection in a wound, how to survive hypothermia and heat exhaustion.4) Learn how to make clothes. Hides, leather, raw materials, cotton. I guarantee you, you will study this part and nope out.5) Learn how to make shelter. What constitutes good building materials. You might opt for a cave, but bears and other predators love caves also, so you will need to secure it.6) How to make a knife from scratch. Iron casting etc.If this shit sounds like a lot of work... it absolutely fucking is. Which is why people don't do that shit any more.
>>42439926>Nearly all charities are scams.Even if that was true it doesn’t mean against malaria foundation is. >Most just money launder and don't actually do anything or achieve results.Against malaria has distributed tens of millions of insecticide treated mosquito nets and saved tens of thousands of livesMost people do use the mosquito nets for their intended purpose as that is tracked
>>42439941False.The nets get used for fishing which pollutes rivers.Now fuck off Bill Gates shill.Any mainstream charity is a fraud, against malaria included.
>>42439945That does happen sometimes but that doesn’t mean the charity is not saving lives. Many of those nets are years old and have very little insecticide left on themMost nets are used for sleeping protection The evidence that many people are dying because of water / fish pollution from these nets is non existent. The evidence many malaria deaths are prevented is overwhelming
>>42438740I didn’t ask for anything
>>42438829Guy ask for helpResponse is“ It’s people like you who make me hate people as a whole.”That’s not aggressive and hateful?
>>42438494OP what I want to tell you is that I could really use the money. If you've any to spare, I would like you to give it to me if you please. I'm not here to give you a sob story cause it sounds like we all have our own but if you are giving away money man i'd like to be able to get out of debt
>>42438829I never said you deserve to be miserable. I actually hope you find happiness but you won’t as long as you’re up your own ass. I think you’re just extremely self involved. If you learn to care about other people half as match as yourself, you have a chance
>>42439945You sound like you’re just making excuses to be selfish
>>42440049This is your opportunity to help someone else and embrace the spiritual rather than the material. There is a knock at the door. Will you answer?
>>42438829You came here asking for answers and the answer appeared in the form of an opportunity to help someone in need. How much do you really want to grow?
>>42440059I don't know what is giving you that impression of OP. I'll do you as you do and I'll assume you are actually a miserable person that needed to lash out at someone, and you are typical in that you can't admit to being wrong so you make what looks like a concession while still being insulting.
>>42440125Well, that’s like your opinion, man.
>>42438494Family is wealthy by way of real estateOP wants to live in the woodsIt sounds to me like OP’s depression is fundamentally unwritten by the fact their family made a killing by squeezing people to pay through the nose to have a place to live.
>>42440125There’s nothing kind about enabling someone’s self pity fantasies. OP wants to leave society but only if can assure them this is possible to be done with a modicum of comfort. OP doesn’t want to grow. OP wants their pain to just go away without growing. OP wants to escape
One poster said: “we survive as a group, [ ] not in isolation.” I think that is an important realization.Many people already live lives of deep separation while surrounded by millions of others. The issue is not simply society versus the woods.I live an awakened life.It is not religious or ideological. In my lived experience, there is something more here and now beyond the fear, conditioning, distraction, and endless pursuit most people live inside of.You can go into the woods and begin to discover it. You can also return from the woods and consciously participate in society without becoming consumed by it. Your state of awareness shapes how you engage it.This reality is not something to escape but something to engage consciously.The key is alignment. When one’s actions, behavior, beliefs, and inner state begin aligning, reality itself begins responding differently.I'd be glad to respond further if genuinely interested.
>>42440221There are some environments which you cannot grow in. OP wanting to be a monk may be misguided but it the idea is likely coming from the awareness that his current setting isn't right for him.
>>42438494Once you lose everything you'll understand what is important to you, what you truly care about.I'm doing it in reverse>be me>Came into career money>Big head, cars, strength, showboat>lost all my cash and savings in the stock market, like 100k (Volmageddon on margin)>4 year girlfriend I love left for a Peruvian flute band member>Found Jesus>Learned how to forgive/not hold grudges>Worked>Started a business while working>Realizes it is incredibly hard to make money on your own... paychecks are easy mode.>Money saved, quit work, business doesn't make enough to live off.>Do market research while unemployed/self employed with only 6 gigs this year>Go all-in to get rich or die trying. All retirement, cash.>If I get rich, I don't want cars, or women, or power, or notoriety>I want to be left alone>Except for major things like a beachfront mansion on an island, I have everything I wantExcept the security to never have to "work" again.Vut I currently have the free time, cash runway, retirement savings, to stay "jobless" for another 6 - 9 months or so.I have everything I want.>Nice sized house with an amazing view>A few high quality hobbie items>I can afford any groceries I want anytime>Peace>HealthI'm already a hermit.I worked 10 years remote.Now I'm completely self employed and still only leave the house to get groceriesI leave the house to get groceries, or maybe a coffee. That's it.I may get very rich if my stocks keep performing.I don't want the same things I use to 10 years ago.I want to be left alone now.Invisible.All to say you need to lose everything to find out what you care about and build yourself up from there.I'm living proof.
>>42440286I truly hope they find what they need but you can’t grow without a certain amount of suffering.I think that’s what OP is trying to avoid but they won’t ever find the happiness and satisfaction they seek until they earn it and they are going to have to endure some thing’s that aren’t comfortable to get there. There is a difference in wanting to grow and just wanting the pain to stop. OP has considered suicide but that’s too much so they just want to drop out of society instead (of course suicide is the wrong path -ultimate cop out) . However, that’s still about escaping without doing the actual spiritual work.
You’re just going to let some stinker take your wealth and get away with it?
>>42439926I wouldn't donate to a food bank knowing it just feeds invaders
>>42440380No, you sure wouldn’t
>>42438494I'll send you an answer from AI, which I think is excellent:Anon, your situation is a volatile mix of extreme burnout, severe financial trauma, and a deep spiritual crisis. You are trapped in a life written by others, and your father's financial collapse only accelerated the implosion of a house of cards you already hated.The short answer to your question is: Yes, in 2026 it is still entirely possible, but the way you want to go about it right now risks destroying you. Here is why, and what you should do instead.1. The desert doesn't cure venom; it amplifies itYou mentioned Saint Anthony the Great. Remember that he didn't go into the desert because he hated the world or because he was angry; he went there to seek God and fight his own demons with a completely clear mind.If you enter the woods of the Pine Barrens (which, by the way, are heavily regulated, full of private property, and patrolled by rangers) with a heart full of "venom, disgust, anger, and hate," solitude will not heal you. It will only become a massive echo chamber for your darkest thoughts. Isolation for the sake of asceticism requires a rock-solid mental framework; isolation out of sheer desperation is just a slower, lonely way to harm yourself.1/3
>>42441058### 2. The reality of hermitism in 2026Living like an illegal squatter in the forest will force you into a daily, exhausting struggle for physical survival, draining the exact mental energy you need to heal. However, given your Catholic background, you should know that the Church still offers this path in a structured, legal, and profound way: * **Cloistered Monasteries (Trappists or Carthusians):** Before vanishing into thin air, you can ask to do a long-term stay as a retreat guest. You will get the silence, the isolation, and the books you crave, but with a roof over your head and a daily routine that protects your sanity. * **Diocesan Hermitism (Canon 603):** Canon law officially recognizes the modern hermit. These are individuals who take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, living entirely alone but under the guidance and spiritual protection of a local bishop.2/3
>>42441066### 3. The action plan before making drastic choicesYou've reached the point of considering suicide, which means you have hit your absolute breaking point. You need to stop, but you need to do it strategically, not impulsively: * **Hand over the reins:** You mentioned you could give the company to your brother. **Do it.** You are under no obligation to sacrifice your life and sanity to sustain your family's former commercial honor. * **Be honest with your fiancée:** Staying with someone for 10 years purely out of inertia or family duty is unfair to her and a prison sentence for you. Getting married under these conditions would be a disaster for both of you. Let her go; she deserves someone who wants to be there, and you deserve to be free. * **Address the trauma:** The scam your father suffered and his subsequent breakdown left you carrying an immense amount of vicarious rage. This pain requires professional support (perhaps a Catholic-oriented psychologist, if that aligns better with your values). Books are a great refuge, but they do not replace therapy.> **The final piece of advice:** Don't run *away* from something; walk *toward* something. Hand over the company, take a total break from the internet, and go knock on the door of a monastery for a month. Experience guided silence first. If, after a year of therapy and complete detachment, the woods are still calling your name, then you will actually be ready to be a hermit. Right now, you are just a wounded man who desperately needs to hit the "pause" button before crashing.3/3
>>42438494Do it. You'll be 100x happier being able to leave the stupidity of a "regular life". Even if you miss it in someway you'll be able to participate as an outsider with no horse in the race which puts you in a better spot than 99% of people. I'm not able to tell based on your post about how you feel about your partner but if you can, raising a family outside of societal confines is the best thing you can do for bringing up a new generation. Use the money to make your live at a level of comfort that is manageable without being a slave to it. Good luck anon you're in a spot some of use would kill for.
>>42438494Sounds like your family needs you, OP. But if you're hellbent on abandoning them, I wouldn't recommend NJ. If there truly is a devil's land, it's nj. The woods here are haunted af and we have crazy amounts of paranormal shit considering how urban we are- and any other people you run into 'out there' will most likely want to murder you.Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, read Hatchet/Call of the Wild/The Sea Wolf or watch Master and Commander, and study the experience of brutal survival without going out there and doing it yourself. If you're a fatass, just hike up your nearest mountain, it'll help you iron yourself out a bit I promise.You absolutely can isolate yourself to study the mysteries of the world- but can the people who depend on you afford you this time? Can you afford the rehab time it will take to descend your ivory tower again afterwards? Because believe me, you will change if you shut yourself away, even if you permit family interaction.People have accomplished far more with way less. It's simply a period of decline for your family- but managed well, you'll persist and form a new foundation to eventually increase again. Running off to the woods won't bring you the peace you need internally and will leave more chaos in your path. If your family is meant to be a pillar of the community, then be that instead of crumbling under the pressure and running away.And invest whatever you can in HGRAF.
>>42440261please do. I’m not OP. are you the one who mentioned prioritization?what you wrote is pretty profound and I would appreciate more. I’m going to provide a little bit of info about where I am in life.I want to change the world but it seems like no one is on the same page as me.I am bored of the working life, and a disappointment the my family for not earning more money. I honestly have never cared much. I’m rather well educated, highlighting the mismatch between my abilities and my “success” in the work / financial world.I do not know what to dedicate my life to.Please give your advice, and any recommended reading materials. It is tremendously appreciated.
>>42438549more like donate to a shareadeez nutz, amirite bros?!?!
Give everything away and go sit under a tree until you die of hunger or thirst or cold? Sounds like a great idea! Godspeed.
>>42441339I just want to clarify, I’m just fine with work. When there are projects to do like helping someone move, building something, or organizing something, I can work very quickly and effectively. The office life with their fake metrics, fake products and fake money is polar repulsion to my essence.
>>42438494>>42438515You have to rebuild your family's life yourself. You have a duty to perform and the gods despise weakness and timidity
>>42438494>On a side note, and this is true, a jewish israeli real estate scammer stole 90% of my family's wealth through fradulent Miami luxury condo projectsWhen is the orange nigger going to talk about their involvement in 9-11?
>>42438515Your desire to seek comfort in isolation is just a step on your winding path. If you get to reading my response, I'd consider it fated that you read it, because I never post here, and I've been in your shoes. You need time to reflect on yourself. The hermit isolates not to consume more knowledge, but to know more intimately what he has already acquired. You'll waste your time if you spend it in the comfort of outsourcing your imagination to the words on a page. The greatest philosophers of ancient history didn't write- their students did. They spent their time within, truly contemplating.If this is something you truly wish to do, do it raw. Know thyself. Then you will become the peace you wish to see, instead of the poison you look for in the flaws of others.
>>42438515>>42438494You owe it to your family to rebuild was taken from you. Then, you can fuck off to a cabin in the woods.I wish I had your burden, I come from nothing and am a nobody. At least you have resources and options.
>>42438494You'd be doing a very drastic thing, heed the warnings itt.Maybe you are not meant to do the whole family man thing, i am not for instance.Maybe you are not meant to run a big enterprise. However, these do not imply going innawoods. Try to find balance in the world first, even if thay means significant changes.
>>42441339Thank you for your genuine inquiry. I am not the poster who suggested prioritization but I share the view on engagement rather than escape.Most humans live within "systems" that exist for them, narratives fed to them, beliefs iinherited. These are fine for those living within that state of awareness. They are perceived as constraints to those who have expanded awareness beyond those structures."Meaningful contribution" — from my perspective, you are changing your "world," but do not recognize it. Instead of unconsciously reacting to reality, become a conscious participant. Do not escape the dance, join it. Begin to observe your thoughts, emotions and actions and observe how reality responds. Separate yourself into an observer self and an actor self. Wait for observation to conclude, then act. If you do this long enough, you will come to know. Your level of knowing will be based on what you are ready to know. There is no secret knowledge, no better or worse, just the nature of the dance that one is ready to explore.Beliefs — most humans are bounded by beliefs. They live within beliefs inherited, conditioned and schooled into them. Living within these fixed beliefs may create the sense that one is adrift in a sea of external factors rather than internal movements. Remove beliefs not validated by personal experience. Those beliefs that you allow in, do not own; hold them provisionally. Question constructs, such as time, and see what you discover.Creation is expansive; it is about interaction, not contraction. It sends out invitations — a neighbor that invites you over, a turtle that crosses your road, a friend that calls. Learn to recognize invitations from Creation. Experiences lead one to another and create paths. Through this, one's path will make itself known.There is no need or rush to do any of what I suggest, no better or worse, only different. What I suggest should pass through your own discernment.
