Originally Posted by
Oddball
You would not have to lie about not having a cellphone. Just share your number and say you'll text when you get a chance.
Google Voice gives you a cell number to call or text with, unlike a land line. It's a happy medium that would allow you not to need a gizmo in your pocket while still having the ability to do things that a cellphone can do, albeit from the confines of your desk. If you want full mobility, to be in immediate reach of someone at any time, you'll just have to get a cellphone.
"When in Rome" is not an appeal to anything. It's just a fundamental rule for getting along in the world as a human being. For someone who wants to be fully, purely human (i.e., not a cyborg), you seem to have an illogical and self-defeating determination to separate yourself from certain customs of modern humanity that could actually benefit you.
I understand. I've been there and tried that. I works up to a point, but you seem not to have found that point. I'm still figuring it out too, though getting closer. What I know so far is that we don't have to go along with mindless crowd behavior (consumerism) in order to enjoy the benefits of being part of the crowd, which we all are, like it or not.
Finding such a balance first requires waking up to what being fully human involves. It involves some degree of assimilation. It involves shedding your ego noise -- such as principles, beliefs, and other mental balls and chains -- and realizing that if you want certain things in your life -- such as love and community and connection and a free exchange of ideas -- you will need to accede to being fully human and to allowing other humans to be human in the ways that work for them.
It's fine if you enjoy life more without a cellphone or, for that matter, with no more than 100 or so possessions. Actually, so do I. Just realize that you'll also need to accept the compromise. Don't make the trade-off on principle. Make it honestly and with humility and then don't complain about or be surprised by others' aversion to your decision. Don't drain your pool while wishing you were in a deeper one or be resentful toward others you see as swimming in shallower waters.