He wasn't living like a true hermit, instead of living off the land away from society like hermits do, he was living off the scraps of others. its really not as noble as the author makes it out to be. He could've lived off the land in a place that's more hospitable, but he wanted that lifestyle where he didn't have to interact with society, while also benefiting off of it. He just took and took while never giving back.

Pretty poor way to live life honestly.