The Gap Decade Theory - Recovering from my education

The Gap Decade Movement (GDM) is the notion, viral wave, underground phenomena, future dynamo and proposed practice of taking ten years out of one's life to decide what one would like to do with the rest of it. Ten years of personal freedom to explore all passions, all avenues of interest, the feint tickles at the underbelly of our desires, and especially the ludicrous, destined-to-fail personal projects. An expidition into possibility. It is not a strict rule of 3652.5 days but rather an extended period in which there is no rush nor pressure to 'become something' or make a success of one's self. It is a time to merely be, to appreciate the here and now, breathe it all in and savour the moment. A time to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen, argue, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote, scream, sin, repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh, cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle, hide, and seek.


Fresh graduates are naturally attracted to a decade of personal freedom to recover from their education, discover fresh paths, indulge in whims and go wherever the wind blows. Most importantly, however, it is about finding our passions and how that can change everything.



The world is shit
The GDM expresses a severe critique of modern society, blind conformity, the values,
and the systems of today's world and the general acceptance of our lives. This from their official website;

"We are all too accepting. We accept that university follows high school and that a career follows studying. We accept that money equals success and that we don't really have a choice in the matter. We accept that it is very important to 'become someone' and that the way to do this is through business. We, as the GDM, are critically aware of the inherent emptiness in the traditional notion of success."

The emphasis is on consumption and production, business and money, more business and more money. But why? As Jiddu Krishnamurti, an Indian philosopher, once said, "It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society."



So if not business then what??
The GDM is not merely a dismissal of the world's current system but simultaneously champions an alternative approach to life focused on creativity, community, possibility and exploration. Although the GDM can easily be dismissed as a hippie brain-child, it is an attractive and surprisingly sensible notion. It is not a straight forward anti-conformity plea but rather a re-assessment of human potential plea. The GDM are passionate supporters of the belief that "Remarkable, life-enhancing things can happen when we take time out of our routines, rethink our paths, and revisit the passions we left behind (or never pursued at all) for whatever reason. We can take ourselves in fresh directions at nearly any point in our lives".

This gap decade, the GDM explains, is ideally used as a period of personal growth and development, a lengthy rite of passage for the experiencer to discover what they want from life and what they can offer.


My Thoughts
I read alot. I like to read all kinds of things mostly for simple joy and voyeurism and that one can learn amazing things from books. I read books that are thoughtful, insightful and provoking. This is what I have learnt from books;

- People get sucked into careers and end up trading in their dreams for bigger paychecks without even realising what they are doing. This is referred to as 'feeding the Career Monster'.

- Some people are lucky enough to snap out of this trap, escape the haunting of unrealised dreams and refresh their lives. Most aren't.

- If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. You will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within you.

- True happiness is not found in external advantages such as material luxury, political power, or good health. True happiness lies in not being dependent on such fleeting things.


With that in mind, a time of personal exploration does not seem so ridiculous. In fact it seems like a healthy alternative to feeding the Career Monster and establishing a sense of security, bec ause as I have also learnt from living and books, 'nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future'.


Of course, it can be argued, that I am merely avoiding the real world and clutching at plausible excuses for doing so. I am avoiding growing up. I am clinging to my youth. And why not? Why not cling to all the laughter and desire and dancing and uncomplicated happiness. Why seek out commitment and security, mind-numbing, spirit-trampling careers that offer most people nothing but the promise of a nest egg and some safety.

I see the Gap Decade as a nice little reward following the 16 years dedicated towards my formal education. After so sensibly and diligently following the path of education it only made sense to make this decision. A personal indulgence of complete freedom for ten years. No commitments, no responsibilty but to myself. It could easily be dismissed as a slacker's dream, because it is. But there is nothing slacking about it. I am making the most of my time. I am going to use this little gift to see the world. I am going to search for paradise. It is true what they say; the world is wilder in all directions, more dangerous and bitter, more extravagant and bright. Another quote, this one from Paul Fussel;

"Before the development of tourism, travel was conceived to be like study, and its fruits were considered to be the adornment of the mind and the formation of judgement. The traveler was a student of what he saught."

The question is, what are you going to do with your gap decade? Your time before life gets too claustrophobic and demanding, before the thought of marriage and mortgages, before you get old. Are you going to burn up the rest of your youth, gaining experience in a field so you can one day retire a little early and travel to far away places to admire and wish you were younger so that you could do that hike or go to that party? Are you going to waste away your youth indoors at a desk or step outside and take a ride? All glory comes from daring to begin.

I can't seem to attach the video I want, but please go onto youtube and search for "Music and life - Alan Watts". It sums this all up perfectly. Cheers