This is one generational curse I'm breaking with my kids. My mom forced us to be productive on our summer breaks, our weekends. We never got to sleep in, or just kick back and watch some tv. We always had to be productive. She would say "idle hands are the devils playground". Now my kids get down time, some weekends they don't leave the house cause they are busy with their own hobbies. I'm more than happy to see them bloom into their own creative people. More importantly, when people tell my kids they should sell their creations, i quickly cut them off and explain my kids do things out of joy, and that it doesn't need to be turned into a side hustle. Too many parents i know, make their kids' hobby a side job. Kids can't even have hobbies anymore without parents trying to turn it into a 4th income. It's ridiculous how money driven our society has become.
When I was growing up here in Kenya, my dad would wake us up early during school holidays before going to work. Once his car was out of sight, we'd go back to bed. 🤣
@@NjonjoNdehi That is an important step towards Manhood. Defying the Father is honoring your male Ness. At first it is sneaky. Like giving him the finger behind his back or going back to bed when he leaves. But this increases our psychological courage as we grow physically. Becoming our own selves. Then one glorious day we find ourselves face to face in confrontation with The Old Man. Maybe it's an argument. Maybe it's a fist fight. Maybe you win the argument . Maybe you get your ass kicked. Either way there are now two Men in the room.
I used to be able to just hang out with people and do nothing but sit and relax together doing some idle thing. I cant seem to find anyone who wants to do that anymore. I just wanna contemplate with the homies
I often feel guilty for indulging in my favorite leisurely activities, such as reading, writing, and watching philosophy videos, as a result of being conditioned to believe that the only valuable pursuits involve monetary or career gains. But something in my heart never believed this to be true, and I continue to value leisure over mindless and excessive productivity. Curiosity, self-education, and bringing meaning to my life over whatever I was forced to believe in college especially. Thank you for creating this video. It helped me view leisure in a more positive light.
I find myself listening to so much contemplative philosophy that I may also be wasting time. For effective use of leisure time, I think it’s accomplishing tangible skills, crafts, & action. It’s nice to look at the results of my handiwork over too much abstract wondering which I’m prone too.
I feel just like you. I am nourished my the leisurely pursuit of discovery, growth and expansion of sense of self over a life chained toward the cut throat pursuit of quarterly earnings and the pragmatics of overstimulating hyperactivity. It makes life feel like a blur of just repetitive trivialities.
The mark of a free man is engaging in activities which are good in themselves like lifting weights and studying the arts and participating in democracy, as the greeks believed
Ran an auto detailing shop, just me. COVID shut me down when it hit. Spent over two months going for over five mile walks everyday listening to podcasts audio book, etc, persued tabletop games with friends and read. Four years later I miss it every single day, id rather not have the money but have the freedom of thought then the shackle of the dollar.
I love detailing. My neighbors saw me wet-sand my entire car, looking at me like I were crazy. When I was done cutting, polishing and coating it, they then knew I was crazy. No regrets.
Absolutely , Own an hvac company , Had to stay home during Covid started water fasting working out and reading. The memory of it made me realize i want to sell and retire asap. Im out of the rat race.
During lockdown it was wonderful, I played music every day, tried new instruments: drums, baritone guitar, made some songs, recorded some covers. I could solve my remote day of work in 4 hours. Now I can do lots of things in 24hrs of a regular day, but none of it has any impact on the problems I am trying to solve, nothing wants to be solved, the most minimal endeavor is full of friction.
I've been searching for podcasts, good ones for long term listening to. The technical/scientific ones I've listened to for years no longer provide personal satisfaction. Any suggestions on something more philosophical?
I remember reading Surviving the Future and a section of it left me floored. The average European peasant had more days of festival and free time than a “free man” today. Their calendars were chock full of special days of feasts and gatherings. The actual number of days per year they worked was only something like 200 days. This lead me to reading to Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream and the premise was that the industrial age brought on a lot of people who sincerely thought we would achieve a leisurely life unburdened by monotonous work. Popular statesman advocated for 20 hour work weeks. Many people wrote passionately that we were on the cusp of a utopia to where industrialization would free us in to ourselves and society. Bonds would be built, passions would be indulged, art would be made, friendships would flourish. And… none of that shit happened. Unbridled capitalism and elites who fucking hate us took the reins and put us into competition with the world and invited anybody in who they felt could be a hair more productive for less money. So it died. I’m glad to see this topic still around though. Few people have grappled with the insanity of the modern world. A world saturated in “time saving devices” and yet we work more than ever.
Forget all the propaganda you've been fed. Take shrooms with a loved one and go out into nature. Smoke a joint and giggle your ass off at the simpsons. You only live once don't waste it!!
@@tylers7475 you speak of temporary drugs to numb the pain of reality. Been there. Not worth it. Spend your sober life building a permanent alternative. I'm not being condescending. I just know that shrooms and weed were escapes.
Well said @aussieWS You are among maybe 2% of people seeing the beast behind the mask. Capitalism is the metabolizing of the earth. Work for your daily bread. And when you have received your daily bread, spend the rest of your hours enjoying that bread with the ones you love in the places you love, talking about the things you love
My impression of what is said in this video still has the message of being busy in your downtime. Read, contemplate, make art, philosophize... How about just going to the beach with your dog and playing for a while. Enjoying the sun and an ice cold drink in the heat. Just relax and enjoy the ride for a bit.
Those are the places that aren’t home or work: for example your favourite park where you hang out with your friends, maybe a friends house or bowling alley. Just places where you enjoy spending time that aren’t home or your workplace.
That’s not really healthy either. Humans work, it doesn’t have to be for a paycheck, but you need somthing to work on and better about the world. Think of retiring to a small farm for example. Lots of work but no corporate grind. Or wood work.
@@kingbonezai4925 I believe that's the idea- everyone knows they need to work to survive, and work is a genuinely rewarding experience. Selling their labor to someone else is what people hate.
It’s extremely difficult to get people to go do something fun anymore. They all want to pretend they are so busy doing something important, which never ends. Social skills are almost nonexistent.
Yeah I agree. But I never stopped trying to have fun so it's just been increasingly depressing. No one wants to go do anything fun and then complains all they do is work.
Whomever says they are too busy are the ones wasting their time the most. It’s just a way of giving themselves self importance while basically minimizing or negating the importance of your presence in their lives. Which demonstrates these are egocentric narcissistic individuals.
True, but honestly I think people are just burned out. It takes energy to want to go out and go fishing with your buds, and when you spend 40 hours a week having your soul crushed, all you want to do is be left alone.
This has been one of my biggest points of contention with most people, adult life, and soceity as a whole. It's all just work, work, work, and if you're not doing it the way everyone else tells you, you're doing it wrong. And leisure is just TV, bars, booze, drugs, and porn. It's not anything that's actually recreational or nourishing to the soul.
Or god forbid you have a hobby where you makes something then it people think you need to do it to sell the it. I like to knit (I'm not that great at it) and cross stitch. I have had people ask if I sell any thing related to those hobbies and no I don't I don't want it to be a job.
on top of perhaps sacrificing our souls with productivity, or at least the societal push for productivity, when people actually do have leisure time they tend to be glued to their phones with social media that is designed to pull you in and not let you out. so the average person, even in their attempts to relax and enjoy their leisure time, is still in my opinion having their soul crushed and pulled out of them in our modern world in both their productivity time and their leisure time... tough cycle to break out of
Absolutely! Social media drains your energy with all the garbage you are constantly bombarded with. Leisure helps you to improve your attention span and delay gratification. So it has the opposite effect of social media.
@@P.Aether he never said he wasnt. He said hes forced to be. With philosophy, every word matters. And putting words in peoples mouths just to sound smart or start an argument is counterproductive to truth. Moreover, if you dont actually understand wtf someone is saying first, you shouldn't start talking sht To put it more simply for you.
Working with a lot of workaholics the past 2.5 years really hammered this video's lessons home. I came into my workplace as the youngin and maintained a relaxed yet efficient pace of work, regularly taking time off and talking about leisure. I noticed that my coworkers driven by the tyranny of productivity, regularly sacrificed their leisure, well-being and even families for the sake of work. They'd even give me a side eye for talking about the beauty of leisure in the workplace. Yet they still continue to meet and exceed the grind burden placed on them. Observing their relentless grind made me realize i was on the right path...
People lack empathy, compassion, and love for themselves :( They won't let themselves be happy or relax. Its a choice everyday to be happy. They keep themselves so busy so they won't listen to their own thoughts and hearts. Take them away from their work and they will panic and feel lost without it.
I switched from 36 hours to 32 hours. This does not seem like a big change but the longer weekend gives me somuch freedom, mentally esepcially. On the friday i now work volunatry on a permaculture farm outside the city where I can take it slow.
Ive been banking so much pto at my job that i only have to work 4 day weeks all summer now. I never set an alarm on those extra off days. I just sleep till i wake up. Sometimes it’s 7am sometimes it’s 2 pm. But those days are completely for me to rest. No cleaning, no going out, nothing. I just eat and rest
- Told my doctor “every beat of the heart is followed by a rest period” … of course he had an opposing opinion but did say something to the effect of if that’s the way you want to argue. I replied that it was a FACT not an argument. He’s not my doc anymore.
Could see it best in people during pandemic when our company didn't allow overhours or for some time even cut the day by 3 hours. "What the hell am I gonna do at home?" Brother if you don't even know what you WANT to do, then having more things you HAVE to do isn't gonna fix the problem. It's likely what brought it in the first place.
I'm retired from work. Thank goodness. I recall fellow workers returning from a couple of weeks leave. Saying they were glad to return to work as they didn't know what to do with themselves? I could not relate to such a miserable existence.
@@alanmcbride6658 Good for you man. I hope I'll never be able to relate to it either but I have a really long way before retirement. It's likely an effect of being obsessed with duty or usefulness or productiveness or maybe even sometimes gender role that they base their entire self-worth around it. It's nothing more than compulsive conscientiousness that murders one's authenticity.
I retired (early) at the beginning of the pandemic. In retirement, and for decades before, when off work, I prioritize leisure as you've described it here. For more than two weeks, I've been barefoot except for two errands lasting maybe two hours total. Over the years I have watched many men do nothing but work, only to drop dead shortly after retiring. I have tried to smell the roses along the way. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Leisure is the cure for the illness which is modern haste.
What is really scary is how one can be aware of all these critiques and still be quite emphatically and irretrievably trapped by the urges of capital to be "productive" and believe on a deep level that it is necessary in order to be worthy.
Exactly. A burnout last year nearly killed me, and though I have been to therapy and a clinic and learned to take care of myself, this voice of society is still in my head. I am still anxious all the time. And if you are not as "productive" as you think you need to be, you feel so guilty that you spend your free time just numbing yourself (social media, booze etc.). You are right, it is extremely scary
I don't feel the slightest amount of guilt for watching Philosophy videos on CZcams. I've watched a lot of videos from the Academy of Ideas, which have improved my quality of life to a significant degree. Leisure time is a wonderful thing. Something to be cherished. I had a lot of reflection time when I lived in Moscow. Enjoyed free time walking or skateboarding in Gorkiy Park and read loads of books. Especially the Russian classics and cut my teeth into philosophy. Though not connected with my work in finance and economics it was a good use of my time. Coming back to the American corporate hustle has left a lot to be desired. Moreover, the materialism is exhausting. I may not have been rich in Russia, but there was richness (culture, history, architecture, etc) all around me.
Joseph Pieper's 'Leisure, the Basis of Culture' is the most important book in this regard - it certainly changed the way I view things. He wrote in the immediate aftermath of WWII, seeing how soul-crushing totalitarian regiemes create a world of 'total work' which eliminates time for leisure, and ultimately, contemplation.
Working as a lifeguard while I’m going through school is incredibly valuable to me. Some might find it arduous to work a job and be a full time student, but the time I spend looking at the swimmers in the water are some of my favorite parts of the day. I have nothing to do but keep watch and think about things.
Yes, everyone is rushing no-where, and if I am out, I get caught in the rushing; but at home I just draw and paint and reflect, listen to stuff like this, I only have the rainbow parakeets for company but I am told stop feeding them because the neighbour doesn't like the noise, I'm in Australia, Sydney! Great stuff!❤❤🎉🎉
Sounds awesome actually. I bet you have some great outdoors over there. I currently live in the city but I'm trying to get back to the countryside. Thanks for watching!
@@theintrovertedaspie9095 if you can afford to live in Sydney, without rushing or panicking about finances then you are too wealthy to comment on this video about the necessity and intensity of a balanced or healthy worklife. This doesn’t exist in Australia anymore. The work in the city and have no life, or live in the sticks and still be working constantly.
Thank you, for creating this video and sharing your personal narrative. I spent 30 years in high-growth oriented companies. Now I spend most of my day reading, writing, and studying philosophy, religion, history, and architecture. I have never been more content, and even published my first book. Finding this channel (and reading the comments) is refreshing and encouraging. 📚
I’m 45. I got interested in cigars a year ago after hearing an aficionado refer to the hobby as “peace from mind”. I never thought I’d be on my porch every evening, staring out at the trees and enjoying the breeze…but I do. It’s not like a cigarette, which I’d never entertain. It’s contemplative, relaxing and rewarding. It motivates me to earn the reward. I work my ass-off, thankfully in a good career that I’m proud to partake-in. Do I worry the vice is unhealthy? No. Everywhere I look and everyone I see…is far less-healthy.
Seems like the thing to do these days is to work your fingers to the absolute bone and also live in the gym. Nothing wrong with a hard days work and working out but I swear according to many people that's all there is to life. I'm more about balance.
And all that hard work and getting jacked in the gym is all for the purpose of becoming the best possible money machine and gigachad you can be to impress women who bring nothing to the table. And you're told to play this game. You're told to be a part of a pyramid scheme you never had any part in creating.
I’ve always felt guilt to read or do some research about a topic, because I could’ve been productive and grind and hustle. I always feel like I’m being chased by some deadline that if I’m not achieving a certain wealth or career position within this amount of time, I’d feel like I’ve failed in life
Thanks, this is a very important reminder to me and many other people i'm sure. I've changed my life around for the better the past 3 years, but there's always that lingering feeling of needing to do something, needing to catch up, doing more. I even notice this in my hobby of making music. healthy rest has become a forgotten skill these days.
Same, feeling like I can achieve greater things through my music, it makes me sacrifice a lot of things in my life (which im ok with but dont know if its the right thing)
Doomscrolling on the bed full of anxiety and going back to work,take shower sleep go back to work and do more work,it's weekend time for chores sitting on bed waiting for Monday and repeat ✌️😁
@@MisterMike101 You have to look inward bro. No matter how shitty your life is, If you’re thinking of it as shitty and meaningless, then you’re wasting your life. Change your mindset, and your life will change. Slowly but surely.
I’m quite good at my hobby and people often tell me to monetize it. Honestly, the most fun I have with my hobby is when there’s no end goal in sight. It’s the best when I don’t force myself to meet an end, and just enjoy.
A dude laying on his couch doing nothing isnt throwing stones on purpose or by accident through peoples windows at them who are sitting on their couches as well. Thoughtless action and pursuits creates problems many others have to bear not just yourself. This is why many philosophies and sayings are missing 1 or 2 words. Dont take action. Take right action. And know to take action at all is imperfection. Actions are like planting seeds in that way. Pick and choose good spots then weigh heavily on them. Then wait a long time for them to grow. Dont scatter your seeds everywhere in any spot that looks good or bad, run out of seeds and also have no time for rest bc youre obsessed with scattering as many seeds as possible little by little instead of putting a heap in a good spot then sitting under a shade tree. Its kindof a win win. Just dont paralyze yourself like many intellectuals do with waiting for perfect conditions, make the conditions perfect by acting first. Are you going to wait for good genetics before you decide to finally lift work out? I have bad news my friend In that case
Been lifting weights consistently for eight years. Joined the military at 19. People have such a hard time considering the nuances. Yes, you should take action instead of procrastinating. But you should also take time to reflect and develop your strategy. It's not one or the other, its both.
Had a big change in my life leaving me with a lot more free time. Feel so much happier animating more, reading lord of the rings, play ps2 and playing board games. Leisure feels great in life.
I went for a trip recently with my buddies and they just seemed more interested in taking more pictures to out-do the others in their social media game rather than just enjoy the pleasant mountain view.
You are a scholar of old books or old soul. I am a retired nurse after 4 decades of service to others as my choice of consonance. In these years of reflection, I am just beginning to understand the things you so readily share with us in the most relatable way I've heard outside of old literature of the great thinkers. What a wonderful, insightful channel. I will be sharing quotes from them with others. Thank you...
I love my leisure time. Recently took the time to play Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the first time and it reignited my love for Final Fantasy 7 as a whole. Now I’m finally deciding to start playing the other Final Fantasy games.
There’s chemicals and activities that silence the inner voices that you’re more or less supposed to be talking to on the daily. Some of us can’t handle the regret at this time.
I think this is why I love sharing a joint with my coworkers after the end of a 10 hour shift. We just sit there for an hour getting into deep talks/arguments of our views on life. I sometimes feel guilty about the “wasted time” but it’s my favorite part of the day.
The only time when I truly feel alive is when I’m working towards and studying the scientific, mathematical, and technological knowledge that governs the universe because I wanted to be a scientist when I was younger and it transmuted into wanting to become an engineer. This intrinsic natural inclination & curiosity never died within me in fact I fostered it, cultivated it. I never was interested in the “normal” things that my classmates were interested in they played football and basketball, I was fascinated by rocks and minerals, they spoke of new television shows while I read books, they focused on societal peer pressure I focused on spiritual, and holistic development of myself. Moral of the story never allow school or some corporation to come before your intrinsic inclinations we live in a time where we’re being forced to adhere to bs social standards and never question if it’s even healthy? What constitutes a meaningful life? And who are we really without all the noise? My theory is this is why corporations do this because their afraid of you knowing how bad you’ve been screwed over for years hence why financial literacy or critical thinking isn’t taught we don’t want a society of critical thinkers makes you think huh
Last year I got fired, but also got a sizable payout. I took the opportunity to take a real sustained break. I made art, read, played games, sat in contemplation and deleted all my social media. I also began to engage deeply on AI from a technical and philosophical perspective, which was fascinating and also resulted in me landing an amazing job. Leisure is amazing. I feel I am a better more whole person for that time.
That's not the cost of productivity, that's the cost of inflation from monetary debasement. It drives a fast, throwaway consumer culture. This has happened many times before. When the money is losing value, people can't use their money for leisure.
Did Nietzshe clarify what spirituality is? This video is thoughtful and full of great points. And, we should never feel guilt about leisure. Idleness, in a productive person, is critical for the kindling of imagination. As the person sits idle their minds will begin to guide them to new invigoration to work according to ones passion. However, various narratives around productivity can be problematic. I have observed it in various colleagues, there is no other way to put it...they are lazy. They feel little compulsion toward work or productivity. This kind of video can be molded to the excuse of one playing video games and smoking weed all day. We can't allow them to hijack correct leisure. An individual will not feel whole without moral development, which includes achievement and daily productivity. Leisure can be productive as well. As it is said, everyone must stop and sharpen the saw. But, the purpose of the saw is to get back to sawing. The greater good of society requires a people who are kindled, who are working, who are productive. The collective wealth we enjoy today is because of a lot of hard work. If someone is caught up in the head game of relentless productivity they will over time generally become less and less productive. The goal should be feeling a sense of achievement and personal fulfillment on the various dimensions of our lives.
I agree. I carefully clarified the difference between leisure and laziness in the video. Leisure is a time for philosophical reflection, artistic pursuits, intellectual inquiry and the pursuit of wisdom. Videos games don't count as authentic leisure because leisure is never about distraction or wasting time. You are absolutely right about college students being lazy. In fact it seems laziness is more common with people on the left; hence all the protesting. Working class people don't have time for that.
Awesome video! I feel like leisure is only valuable proportionally to your ability to lead a virtuous life, so to speak. I remember hearing this quote from Montaigne: "You are no more to concern yourself how the world talks of you, but how you are to talk to yourself. Retire yourself into yourself, but first prepare yourself there to receive yourself: it were a folly to trust yourself in your own hands, if you cannot govern yourself." But on the other hand, it is probably good to discover one's inability and even to use one's leisure to wrestle with one's passions, but also to discover and cultivate new passions of the soul: Were it not for the leaping and twinkling of the soul, man would rot away in his greatest passion, idleness. -- Jung Thanks for a great video, I like them a lot, and also to hear your personal experience! :)
I really like that Montaigne quote. Its from his essay 'On Solitude'. I used it in a video about solitude. This one was kind of an extension of that. But yes, to your point; leisure is a time for discipline and self-cultivation in the Nietzschean style. At least, that's how I use it.
I’m not sure when it happened but I know somewhere I was taught to feel guilty about taking time off from work, and not just my job but all my time outside of work needed to be “productive”
So real. I take PTO from work just to stay home, catch up on sleep, play my favorite games and relax. People ask what I did on my “vacation” I feel guilty/ wrong to say exactly what I did. Almost as if there’s an emphasis that I NEED to do something with my time off from work
well, this whole time i havent been lazy, but somehow on my very own volition chose to appreciate my love for leisure. thanks for putting this together.
If you can work 50 hours a week as sacrifice sleep and such then you can take time to rest and enjoy the simple things in life. Burnout is real.I don't feel guilty. I work hard and so I will take care of myself without shame. After having three near death experiences, I just want to slow down and take time for myself.
Many thanks for sharing this video with us on CZcams, which addresses an issue that seems to be becoming more and more important, otherwise an individual may become a "human doing", rather than a human being.
After Covid, my husband and I both work more of a part time schedule. We had other issues but before we were on the path to being alcoholics, getting really out of shape and unhealthy. Now we’re both in the best shape of our lives, stay in touch with family, take the time to call/visit grandparents , and we’re learning how to paint with acrylics among other things. We both love our jobs, but if we were there 40-50 hours a week we would not have time for these other things. We hope to keep doing this the rest of our lives. We’re both okay with not retiring if that’s the sacrifice that’s needed. If I can maintain this pace, or maybe have a paid off home and work a little less when I’m old, I’m totally fine with that. My grandparents are 78 and only just retired fully because they owned their own business , worked part time in the last few years of it and loved it. That’s my goal.
i am so fucking overdue for this video. I've been battling demons that convince me i am losing value for taking time off from work. Leisure should not be for productivity's sake. That's what it feels like i am doing now, on my vacation.
I work as little as possible, take as much time off as possible, and avoid doing anything I don't want to do as much as possible. I fill my leisure time with walks in the woods, exercise, reading, playing video games, thinking, and riding motorcycles. People can call me whatever they like: lazy, hedonistic, self-indulgent, etc. I couldn't care less. The general public has been brainwashed into shaming anyone who refuses to play ball.
Some people mistake leisure with a week of holidays or vacation or a Friday night going out drinking, not that those things are not but seems like we waste those moments because we want to have energy to go back to the productive life and istead of enjoying like a good food we shunk in it like fast food, then when being productive we long for the weekend or holiday. The way you talk about leisure is more like interwoven with daily life or at least more common and a action possibly as important as productivity and maybe more fullfilling, cultivate virtue rather than vice, I like it, thanks for this video, you got a new subscriber.
Ok, I agree with the video, and maybe I'm not the target audience, but this feels predicated on the idea that work (or, at least, its continuation after normal hours) is a choice, which I disagree for most. I don't "grind" because I aim for wealth and status; I work because I need to pay rent, get out of debt. Currently listening to this as a podcast while I job search. This idea of leisure, however necessary, is a luxury for most.
I'm so lucky to have retired in my late 50's to take care of an ailing spouse. We realized just how much the daily grind took from us. Luckily, she recovered and we enjoy not being hooked up to the machine any more.
This is why I need to do multi day hikes every year into nature, to reset and contemplate without the pull of a mobile phone and all that social media that comes with it. For the most part there’s no cell service out there but I’m sure that will change fast. Soon it will all be down to discipline
I recently took a week off to go hiking. I went to the Grand Canyon, Zions National Park (Utah), and Bryce Canyon (also Utah). It was one of the best weeks I've ever had and I can't wait to do it again.
The problem starts when you try to implement what you just said in an environment without privileges, not because you are special, but because the environment and the infrastructure was built for you to become a machine with a machine heart. You can't study the being, without studying it's sorroundings, it's environment. Please, read Das Kapital
I think it is worth considering how privileged position it is to be able to read and contemplate for days without too much financial struggle. For most of us, that is a luxury. Yes, contemplation is essential aspect of fulfilling life, yes, rest is essential part of learning but try to tell that to a single mother who needs to work two jobs to sustain her family. Listen to what she has to say about contemplation. Empathy is another aspect of life often overlooked in this hyper individualist society. We hustle, spend every bit of energy to outcompete others with no regards of their wellbeing. I think that's also well worth contemplating on. In terms of efficiency, how much could we achieve if we all worked together on a common goal, instead?
Amazing video! A a line I particularly liked was ‘we must transcend our animal instincts and touch upon the divine within us’ that line just goes really hard 😂
The problem with your argument is your comparing ancient slaveholders, aristocrats and patrons with the average man today. The top 1% of our society lives a life of leisure just like those did in the past and the common man of those days lives a life of toil just like the average person today does more or less anyways.
Exactly the same issue as I had with the video. Yeah the idle Medieval rich and the social benefits enjoyer today might both have leisure but their social position and the type of leisure they have is vastly differemt
Like many other problems in our soul-sucking modernity, the death of leisure and hobbies can be traced in a near straight line from letting the STEM cult of productivity take over the social and cultural aspects of our lives.
Not every moment of every day needs to be conventionally productive or with the intent of progress. I can't tell you how much my head felt clearer any time I allowed myself to just be wound down. Incidentally, it's easier to maintain performance, and sometimes improve it, by considering pure downtime as part of your own personal maintenance. I don't say this just in considering downtime as well, but viewing the way we work should always be with the mindset of both how things can be done more efficiently, but also how things can be done more easily while maintaining a quality necessary for safety and productivity. People want to do more with the life more than they do with their work; Unless, of course, their work is their ultimate joy, in which case more power to them, but most people don't want to keep piling on responsibility and work required to meeting those responsibilities while also being told to do more for the exact same benefit, and even if there is more benefit to be gained, there are limits to how much someone can take and how far under certain conditions, and even if we manage to do more in less time, our productivity could go up 5x and still only see a 1.2x increase in our quality of life.
Thanks, from Maths Science background.. I appreciate your explanations re philosophy, great knowledge and style, very easy to listen to voice and choice of terminology and aphorisms.. shared to X on my fave Senator's page.
The biggest irony of this system is that by forcing the people to never _think,_ by having them perpetually be busy, they eventually crash through burnout and/or depression. I got hit by both, and the only way for me to get out was to spend _four years contemplating what got me stuck._ Suffice it to say, that sure as hell backfired for the 'powers that be'... And wasted a massive chunk of my life.
Take my sub, good sir, and thank you for the important reminder on this important stuff. I don't know if it's a voluntary choice, but the absence of music leaves only the message and... that's powerful if you take the time to lend an ear.
This is a great video ! I definitely agree we should carve out time to rest and just be. Life isn’t suppose to be fast paced you are suppose to just be!
The whole point of the industrial revolution and progress was to make life better, but here we are, in a greater anguish than in all of mankind's history.
What a wonderful video, one of the best that I have ever watched on CZcams. I have only just happened upon your channel but I knew within the first 2 minutes of starting this video that I was watching content worth my time. It has given me much deserving of consideration. Thank you very much!
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
*gamers everywhere breathe a quiet sigh of relief*
While working out you are not happy tbh
Speak for yourself shrimp@@svergi
@@XohjaiSbarkeater based
@@svergi don't forget redpilled
This is one generational curse I'm breaking with my kids. My mom forced us to be productive on our summer breaks, our weekends. We never got to sleep in, or just kick back and watch some tv. We always had to be productive. She would say "idle hands are the devils playground". Now my kids get down time, some weekends they don't leave the house cause they are busy with their own hobbies. I'm more than happy to see them bloom into their own creative people. More importantly, when people tell my kids they should sell their creations, i quickly cut them off and explain my kids do things out of joy, and that it doesn't need to be turned into a side hustle. Too many parents i know, make their kids' hobby a side job. Kids can't even have hobbies anymore without parents trying to turn it into a 4th income. It's ridiculous how money driven our society has become.
Same here. im not in favor of pushing anything on my kid. i know how it feels. dont want to do that to him
When I was growing up here in Kenya, my dad would wake us up early during school holidays before going to work. Once his car was out of sight, we'd go back to bed. 🤣
Same, I’m like you turned it on it’s head
@@NjonjoNdehi That is an important step towards Manhood. Defying the Father is honoring your male Ness. At first it is sneaky. Like giving him the finger behind his back or going back to bed when he leaves. But this increases our psychological courage as we grow physically. Becoming our own selves. Then one glorious day we find ourselves face to face in confrontation with The Old Man. Maybe it's an argument. Maybe it's a fist fight. Maybe you win the argument . Maybe you get your ass kicked. Either way there are now two Men in the room.
Yeah my parent have tried a few times for me to use my 3D printers commercially, no then it becomes a job and is no longer fun
I used to be able to just hang out with people and do nothing but sit and relax together doing some idle thing. I cant seem to find anyone who wants to do that anymore. I just wanna contemplate with the homies
I hear it
People have vast leisure time, they just spend it watching TV sport and stories, mostly. Treasure the seekers.
Well, geez.. isn't that the truth.. Truly a bummer.
A lot of people are just horrible to be around. I started drinking just to socialize.
@@silviuvisan505 same
"All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy".
A11 work and no play, makes jack a dull boy
I play all day and don't work, that's even worse
@@weichmacher3973about the same for different reasons probably
"All play and no work, makes Jack but a toy"
I love that part of the movie. Give me the bat Wendy!
I often feel guilty for indulging in my favorite leisurely activities, such as reading, writing, and watching philosophy videos, as a result of being conditioned to believe that the only valuable pursuits involve monetary or career gains. But something in my heart never believed this to be true, and I continue to value leisure over mindless and excessive productivity. Curiosity, self-education, and bringing meaning to my life over whatever I was forced to believe in college especially. Thank you for creating this video. It helped me view leisure in a more positive light.
I find myself listening to so much contemplative philosophy that I may also be wasting time. For effective use of leisure time, I think it’s accomplishing tangible skills, crafts, & action. It’s nice to look at the results of my handiwork over too much abstract wondering which I’m prone too.
It's your capacity to be compassionate to yourself.
I feel just like you. I am nourished my the leisurely pursuit of discovery, growth and expansion of sense of self over a life chained toward the cut throat pursuit of quarterly earnings and the pragmatics of overstimulating hyperactivity. It makes life feel like a blur of just repetitive trivialities.
The mark of a free man is engaging in activities which are good in themselves like lifting weights and studying the arts and participating in democracy, as the greeks believed
People forget we are not machines, work is only a small part of life, there is so much more.
Ran an auto detailing shop, just me. COVID shut me down when it hit. Spent over two months going for over five mile walks everyday listening to podcasts audio book, etc, persued tabletop games with friends and read. Four years later I miss it every single day, id rather not have the money but have the freedom of thought then the shackle of the dollar.
I love detailing. My neighbors saw me wet-sand my entire car, looking at me like I were crazy. When I was done cutting, polishing and coating it, they then knew I was crazy. No regrets.
Absolutely , Own an hvac company , Had to stay home during Covid started water fasting working out and reading.
The memory of it made me realize i want to sell and retire asap.
Im out of the rat race.
Start buying your freedom
During lockdown it was wonderful, I played music every day, tried new instruments: drums, baritone guitar, made some songs, recorded some covers. I could solve my remote day of work in 4 hours. Now I can do lots of things in 24hrs of a regular day, but none of it has any impact on the problems I am trying to solve, nothing wants to be solved, the most minimal endeavor is full of friction.
I've been searching for podcasts, good ones for long term listening to. The technical/scientific ones I've listened to for years no longer provide personal satisfaction. Any suggestions on something more philosophical?
I remember reading Surviving the Future and a section of it left me floored. The average European peasant had more days of festival and free time than a “free man” today. Their calendars were chock full of special days of feasts and gatherings. The actual number of days per year they worked was only something like 200 days. This lead me to reading to Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream and the premise was that the industrial age brought on a lot of people who sincerely thought we would achieve a leisurely life unburdened by monotonous work. Popular statesman advocated for 20 hour work weeks. Many people wrote passionately that we were on the cusp of a utopia to where industrialization would free us in to ourselves and society. Bonds would be built, passions would be indulged, art would be made, friendships would flourish. And… none of that shit happened. Unbridled capitalism and elites who fucking hate us took the reins and put us into competition with the world and invited anybody in who they felt could be a hair more productive for less money. So it died. I’m glad to see this topic still around though. Few people have grappled with the insanity of the modern world. A world saturated in “time saving devices” and yet we work more than ever.
But A.I. is here to save us
Forget all the propaganda you've been fed. Take shrooms with a loved one and go out into nature. Smoke a joint and giggle your ass off at the simpsons. You only live once don't waste it!!
@@tylers7475 you speak of temporary drugs to numb the pain of reality. Been there. Not worth it. Spend your sober life building a permanent alternative. I'm not being condescending. I just know that shrooms and weed were escapes.
Well said @aussieWS You are among maybe 2% of people seeing the beast behind the mask. Capitalism is the metabolizing of the earth. Work for your daily bread. And when you have received your daily bread, spend the rest of your hours enjoying that bread with the ones you love in the places you love, talking about the things you love
My impression of what is said in this video still has the message of being busy in your downtime. Read, contemplate, make art, philosophize... How about just going to the beach with your dog and playing for a while. Enjoying the sun and an ice cold drink in the heat.
Just relax and enjoy the ride for a bit.
I agree
Exactly, it is not true leisure if you’re doing it expressly to develop yourself. Having fun has the side effect of making you a better person.
It's in the video: going to nature, or just sit and enjoy the silence.
This also makes me think of the disappearance of "third places"
What are third places? Sorry, english is not my first language. Thanks
Those are the places that aren’t home or work: for example your favourite park where you hang out with your friends, maybe a friends house or bowling alley. Just places where you enjoy spending time that aren’t home or your workplace.
Always been a fan of the zero hour work week.
You cannot smoke all day. Unless you start early in the morning.
That’s not really healthy either.
Humans work, it doesn’t have to be for a paycheck, but you need somthing to work on and better about the world.
Think of retiring to a small farm for example. Lots of work but no corporate grind.
Or wood work.
@@kingbonezai4925 I believe that's the idea- everyone knows they need to work to survive, and work is a genuinely rewarding experience. Selling their labor to someone else is what people hate.
@@kingbonezai4925a passion is what people need id say!
@@kingbonezai4925Lord Krishna said that man should give his heart to god and his hands to work (not implying a job of course)
It’s extremely difficult to get people to go do something fun anymore. They all want to pretend they are so busy doing something important, which never ends. Social skills are almost nonexistent.
Yeah I agree. But I never stopped trying to have fun so it's just been increasingly depressing. No one wants to go do anything fun and then complains all they do is work.
@@VoltageNostalgia so then it becomes evident that people just want to be pitied for their own choices.
@@dukedixon3192 Many have lost the ability to sit with themselves without external stimulation. They never sit with their thoughts and just think
Whomever says they are too busy are the ones wasting their time the most. It’s just a way of giving themselves self importance while basically minimizing or negating the importance of your presence in their lives. Which demonstrates these are egocentric narcissistic individuals.
True, but honestly I think people are just burned out. It takes energy to want to go out and go fishing with your buds, and when you spend 40 hours a week having your soul crushed, all you want to do is be left alone.
This has been one of my biggest points of contention with most people, adult life, and soceity as a whole.
It's all just work, work, work, and if you're not doing it the way everyone else tells you, you're doing it wrong.
And leisure is just TV, bars, booze, drugs, and porn. It's not anything that's actually recreational or nourishing to the soul.
Man, you're right.
Or god forbid you have a hobby where you makes something then it people think you need to do it to sell the it. I like to knit (I'm not that great at it) and cross stitch. I have had people ask if I sell any thing related to those hobbies and no I don't I don't want it to be a job.
@@krystelhardesty9960 Amen. I don't want to make money from my hobbies, either.
on top of perhaps sacrificing our souls with productivity, or at least the societal push for productivity, when people actually do have leisure time they tend to be glued to their phones with social media that is designed to pull you in and not let you out. so the average person, even in their attempts to relax and enjoy their leisure time, is still in my opinion having their soul crushed and pulled out of them in our modern world in both their productivity time and their leisure time... tough cycle to break out of
Absolutely! Social media drains your energy with all the garbage you are constantly bombarded with. Leisure helps you to improve your attention span and delay gratification. So it has the opposite effect of social media.
@@TheMachiavellians yep! Been taking a huge step back from everything online but I’ve been enjoying your content, keep it up :)
I don’t participate in this society, it participates me without any consideration of what I might want.
Perfect
That would mean you are society, hence you are part of it
@@P.Aether he never said he wasnt. He said hes forced to be. With philosophy, every word matters. And putting words in peoples mouths just to sound smart or start an argument is counterproductive to truth.
Moreover, if you dont actually understand wtf someone is saying first, you shouldn't start talking sht
To put it more simply for you.
Indeed.😮
@@cam-inf-4w5 nice
Working with a lot of workaholics the past 2.5 years really hammered this video's lessons home. I came into my workplace as the youngin and maintained a relaxed yet efficient pace of work, regularly taking time off and talking about leisure.
I noticed that my coworkers driven by the tyranny of productivity, regularly sacrificed their leisure, well-being and even families for the sake of work. They'd even give me a side eye for talking about the beauty of leisure in the workplace. Yet they still continue to meet and exceed the grind burden placed on them.
Observing their relentless grind made me realize i was on the right path...
People lack empathy, compassion, and love for themselves :( They won't let themselves be happy or relax. Its a choice everyday to be happy.
They keep themselves so busy so they won't listen to their own thoughts and hearts. Take them away from their work and they will panic and feel lost without it.
@@FrostySnow1000 amen
It is literally addiction. How do you handle that when you are surrounded by workaholics? I can't withstand that.
I switched from 36 hours to 32 hours. This does not seem like a big change but the longer weekend gives me somuch freedom, mentally esepcially. On the friday i now work volunatry on a permaculture farm outside the city where I can take it slow.
Work is nonlinear. 40 hours a week might be twice the time as 20 hours a week, but it's far more than twice as hard and taxing.
The bigger crime is your job only works you 4 hours a day (instead of 8 plus, so that 36 hours is stretched across 4-5 days instead of 5-6 days.).
Ive been banking so much pto at my job that i only have to work 4 day weeks all summer now. I never set an alarm on those extra off days. I just sleep till i wake up. Sometimes it’s 7am sometimes it’s 2 pm. But those days are completely for me to rest. No cleaning, no going out, nothing. I just eat and rest
- Told my doctor “every beat of the heart is followed by a rest period” … of course he had an opposing opinion but did say something to the effect of if that’s the way you want to argue. I replied that it was a FACT not an argument. He’s not my doc anymore.
Could see it best in people during pandemic when our company didn't allow overhours or for some time even cut the day by 3 hours. "What the hell am I gonna do at home?" Brother if you don't even know what you WANT to do, then having more things you HAVE to do isn't gonna fix the problem. It's likely what brought it in the first place.
I'm retired from work.
Thank goodness.
I recall fellow workers returning from a couple of weeks leave.
Saying they were glad to return to work as they didn't know what to do with themselves?
I could not relate to such a miserable existence.
@@alanmcbride6658 Good for you man. I hope I'll never be able to relate to it either but I have a really long way before retirement. It's likely an effect of being obsessed with duty or usefulness or productiveness or maybe even sometimes gender role that they base their entire self-worth around it. It's nothing more than compulsive conscientiousness that murders one's authenticity.
@@alanmcbride6658sometimes work is enjoyable and when that’s is true then so is life,
Grind addicts don’t live very long, but their grinding outcomes do. But to be honest, people who grind have money generally and money buys Health.
This was a huge indicator to me how little family value many men had and reassured me that we basically don't have any hobbies.
I retired (early) at the beginning of the pandemic. In retirement, and for decades before, when off work, I prioritize leisure as you've described it here.
For more than two weeks, I've been barefoot except for two errands lasting maybe two hours total.
Over the years I have watched many men do nothing but work, only to drop dead shortly after retiring. I have tried to smell the roses along the way. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Leisure is the cure for the illness which is modern haste.
Beautifully said
I love "re-tiring" my body...new wheels ready for the next adventures❤
What is really scary is how one can be aware of all these critiques and still be quite emphatically and irretrievably trapped by the urges of capital to be "productive" and believe on a deep level that it is necessary in order to be worthy.
Exactly. A burnout last year nearly killed me, and though I have been to therapy and a clinic and learned to take care of myself, this voice of society is still in my head. I am still anxious all the time. And if you are not as "productive" as you think you need to be, you feel so guilty that you spend your free time just numbing yourself (social media, booze etc.). You are right, it is extremely scary
I don't feel the slightest amount of guilt for watching Philosophy videos on CZcams. I've watched a lot of videos from the Academy of Ideas, which have improved my quality of life to a significant degree. Leisure time is a wonderful thing. Something to be cherished. I had a lot of reflection time when I lived in Moscow. Enjoyed free time walking or skateboarding in Gorkiy Park and read loads of books. Especially the Russian classics and cut my teeth into philosophy. Though not connected with my work in finance and economics it was a good use of my time. Coming back to the American corporate hustle has left a lot to be desired. Moreover, the materialism is exhausting. I may not have been rich in Russia, but there was richness (culture, history, architecture, etc) all around me.
- Try “eizelganger” - it’s interesting too, NO AI.
Joseph Pieper's 'Leisure, the Basis of Culture' is the most important book in this regard - it certainly changed the way I view things.
He wrote in the immediate aftermath of WWII, seeing how soul-crushing totalitarian regiemes create a world of 'total work' which eliminates time for leisure, and ultimately, contemplation.
Working as a lifeguard while I’m going through school is incredibly valuable to me. Some might find it arduous to work a job and be a full time student, but the time I spend looking at the swimmers in the water are some of my favorite parts of the day. I have nothing to do but keep watch and think about things.
Security guard as well
Yes, everyone is rushing no-where, and if I am out, I get caught in the rushing; but at home I just draw and paint and reflect, listen to stuff like this, I only have the rainbow parakeets for company but I am told stop feeding them because the neighbour doesn't like the noise, I'm in Australia, Sydney! Great stuff!❤❤🎉🎉
Sounds awesome actually. I bet you have some great outdoors over there. I currently live in the city but I'm trying to get back to the countryside. Thanks for watching!
How you paying the mortgage or rent??
@@LeviKerrisonWith a job...
@@theintrovertedaspie9095 if you can afford to live in Sydney, without rushing or panicking about finances then you are too wealthy to comment on this video about the necessity and intensity of a balanced or healthy worklife. This doesn’t exist in Australia anymore. The work in the city and have no life, or live in the sticks and still be working constantly.
@@LeviKerrison I'm American.
Thank you, for creating this video and sharing your personal narrative. I spent 30 years in high-growth oriented companies. Now I spend most of my day reading, writing, and studying philosophy, religion, history, and architecture. I have never been more content, and even published my first book. Finding this channel (and reading the comments) is refreshing and encouraging. 📚
I’m 45. I got interested in cigars a year ago after hearing an aficionado refer to the hobby as “peace from mind”. I never thought I’d be on my porch every evening, staring out at the trees and enjoying the breeze…but I do.
It’s not like a cigarette, which I’d never entertain. It’s contemplative, relaxing and rewarding. It motivates me to earn the reward. I work my ass-off, thankfully in a good career that I’m proud to partake-in.
Do I worry the vice is unhealthy? No. Everywhere I look and everyone I see…is far less-healthy.
This might be the CZcams video that changes my life
So did it ?
Seems like the thing to do these days is to work your fingers to the absolute bone and also live in the gym. Nothing wrong with a hard days work and working out but I swear according to many people that's all there is to life. I'm more about balance.
Balance is key. Work hard play hard.
And all that hard work and getting jacked in the gym is all for the purpose of becoming the best possible money machine and gigachad you can be to impress women who bring nothing to the table. And you're told to play this game. You're told to be a part of a pyramid scheme you never had any part in creating.
@smokingcrab2290 If that's how you want to look at it, then sure.
@@smokingcrab2290that is definitely not the reason im going to the gym, speak for yourself, i just want to feel comfortable in my own body
@@Morbid_Godthat is the exact opposite of "balance". Work hard play hard is operating from polarized extremes
Leisure is and always has been a luxury.
no, people lack empathy, compassion, and love for themselves :( They won't let themselves be happy or relax. Its a choice everyday to be happy.
@@FrostySnow1000 happiness is a choice. But leisure has always been a luxury even in caveman days
I’ve always felt guilt to read or do some research about a topic, because I could’ve been productive and grind and hustle. I always feel like I’m being chased by some deadline that if I’m not achieving a certain wealth or career position within this amount of time, I’d feel like I’ve failed in life
I struggle with that, too, although I didn't when I was younger.
Thanks, this is a very important reminder to me and many other people i'm sure. I've changed my life around for the better the past 3 years, but there's always that lingering feeling of needing to do something, needing to catch up, doing more. I even notice this in my hobby of making music. healthy rest has become a forgotten skill these days.
Same, feeling like I can achieve greater things through my music, it makes me sacrifice a lot of things in my life (which im ok with but dont know if its the right thing)
The absolutely perfect video for those who still enjoy life...
Tai Chi. Tennis. Books. Guitar. Classic movies. Good coffee. Heaven.
Amen! 🙏
Doomscrolling on the bed full of anxiety and going back to work,take shower sleep go back to work and do more work,it's weekend time for chores sitting on bed waiting for Monday and repeat ✌️😁
@@MisterMike101 You have to look inward bro. No matter how shitty your life is, If you’re thinking of it as shitty and meaningless, then you’re wasting your life. Change your mindset, and your life will change. Slowly but surely.
More down to earth than most people's videos recently, thank you.
I’m quite good at my hobby and people often tell me to monetize it. Honestly, the most fun I have with my hobby is when there’s no end goal in sight. It’s the best when I don’t force myself to meet an end, and just enjoy.
A dude laying on his couch doing nothing isnt throwing stones on purpose or by accident through peoples windows at them who are sitting on their couches as well.
Thoughtless action and pursuits creates problems many others have to bear not just yourself.
This is why many philosophies and sayings are missing 1 or 2 words.
Dont take action.
Take right action.
And know to take action at all is imperfection.
Actions are like planting seeds in that way. Pick and choose good spots then weigh heavily on them. Then wait a long time for them to grow.
Dont scatter your seeds everywhere in any spot that looks good or bad, run out of seeds and also have no time for rest bc youre obsessed with scattering as many seeds as possible little by little instead of putting a heap in a good spot then sitting under a shade tree.
Its kindof a win win. Just dont paralyze yourself like many intellectuals do with waiting for perfect conditions, make the conditions perfect by acting first.
Are you going to wait for good genetics before you decide to finally lift work out?
I have bad news my friend
In that case
Been lifting weights consistently for eight years. Joined the military at 19.
People have such a hard time considering the nuances. Yes, you should take action instead of procrastinating. But you should also take time to reflect and develop your strategy. It's not one or the other, its both.
@@TheMachiavellians i completely agree with your observable general way of thinking at a glance
> MFW I can't consistently lose weight because I live with my grandmother
Me: *attempts to intermittently fast*
Grandmother: "Are you okay?"
Had a big change in my life leaving me with a lot more free time. Feel so much happier animating more, reading lord of the rings, play ps2 and playing board games. Leisure feels great in life.
I went for a trip recently with my buddies and they just seemed more interested in taking more pictures to out-do the others in their social media game rather than just enjoy the pleasant mountain view.
You are a scholar of old books or old soul.
I am a retired nurse after 4 decades of service to others as my choice of consonance. In these years of reflection, I am just beginning to understand the things you so readily share with us in the most relatable way I've heard outside of old literature of the great thinkers. What a wonderful, insightful channel. I will be sharing quotes from them with others. Thank you...
Joy of simply being.
Yes. This
I love my leisure time. Recently took the time to play Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the first time and it reignited my love for Final Fantasy 7 as a whole. Now I’m finally deciding to start playing the other Final Fantasy games.
This reminds me of my favorite washed-out co-worker. The day he learned he swam too far was epic.
There’s chemicals and activities that silence the inner voices that you’re more or less supposed to be talking to on the daily. Some of us can’t handle the regret at this time.
I think this is why I love sharing a joint with my coworkers after the end of a 10 hour shift. We just sit there for an hour getting into deep talks/arguments of our views on life. I sometimes feel guilty about the “wasted time” but it’s my favorite part of the day.
if you don't have other important priorities like kids/dependents then its all good
Ot anything else more useful
The only time when I truly feel alive is when I’m working towards and studying the scientific, mathematical, and technological knowledge that governs the universe because I wanted to be a scientist when I was younger and it transmuted into wanting to become an engineer. This intrinsic natural inclination & curiosity never died within me in fact I fostered it, cultivated it. I never was interested in the “normal” things that my classmates were interested in they played football and basketball, I was fascinated by rocks and minerals, they spoke of new television shows while I read books, they focused on societal peer pressure I focused on spiritual, and holistic development of myself. Moral of the story never allow school or some corporation to come before your intrinsic inclinations we live in a time where we’re being forced to adhere to bs social standards and never question if it’s even healthy? What constitutes a meaningful life? And who are we really without all the noise? My theory is this is why corporations do this because their afraid of you knowing how bad you’ve been screwed over for years hence why financial literacy or critical thinking isn’t taught we don’t want a society of critical thinkers makes you think huh
Listening to this whilst working
Same..
Last year I got fired, but also got a sizable payout. I took the opportunity to take a real sustained break.
I made art, read, played games, sat in contemplation and deleted all my social media.
I also began to engage deeply on AI from a technical and philosophical perspective, which was fascinating and also resulted in me landing an amazing job.
Leisure is amazing. I feel I am a better more whole person for that time.
That's not the cost of productivity, that's the cost of inflation from monetary debasement. It drives a fast, throwaway consumer culture. This has happened many times before. When the money is losing value, people can't use their money for leisure.
“Build, therefore, your own world “. Yes🙏
I love this video so much. Amazing. Magnificent event.
Good will to all men, and let us make time for leisure 🥂
Did Nietzshe clarify what spirituality is?
This video is thoughtful and full of great points. And, we should never feel guilt about leisure. Idleness, in a productive person, is critical for the kindling of imagination. As the person sits idle their minds will begin to guide them to new invigoration to work according to ones passion. However, various narratives around productivity can be problematic. I have observed it in various colleagues, there is no other way to put it...they are lazy. They feel little compulsion toward work or productivity. This kind of video can be molded to the excuse of one playing video games and smoking weed all day. We can't allow them to hijack correct leisure. An individual will not feel whole without moral development, which includes achievement and daily productivity. Leisure can be productive as well. As it is said, everyone must stop and sharpen the saw. But, the purpose of the saw is to get back to sawing. The greater good of society requires a people who are kindled, who are working, who are productive. The collective wealth we enjoy today is because of a lot of hard work.
If someone is caught up in the head game of relentless productivity they will over time generally become less and less productive. The goal should be feeling a sense of achievement and personal fulfillment on the various dimensions of our lives.
I agree. I carefully clarified the difference between leisure and laziness in the video. Leisure is a time for philosophical reflection, artistic pursuits, intellectual inquiry and the pursuit of wisdom. Videos games don't count as authentic leisure because leisure is never about distraction or wasting time.
You are absolutely right about college students being lazy. In fact it seems laziness is more common with people on the left; hence all the protesting. Working class people don't have time for that.
@@TheMachiavellians 100%
Awesome video! I feel like leisure is only valuable proportionally to your ability to lead a virtuous life, so to speak. I remember hearing this quote from Montaigne:
"You are no more to concern yourself how the world talks of you, but how you are to talk to yourself. Retire yourself into yourself, but first prepare yourself there to receive yourself: it were a folly to trust yourself in your own hands, if you cannot govern yourself."
But on the other hand, it is probably good to discover one's inability and even to use one's leisure to wrestle with one's passions, but also to discover and cultivate new passions of the soul:
Were it not for the leaping and twinkling of the soul, man would rot away in his greatest passion, idleness. -- Jung
Thanks for a great video, I like them a lot, and also to hear your personal experience! :)
I really like that Montaigne quote. Its from his essay 'On Solitude'. I used it in a video about solitude. This one was kind of an extension of that. But yes, to your point; leisure is a time for discipline and self-cultivation in the Nietzschean style. At least, that's how I use it.
@@TheMachiavellians Ah that's probably where I heard it from haha 🙏
I’m not sure when it happened but I know somewhere I was taught to feel guilty about taking time off from work, and not just my job but all my time outside of work needed to be “productive”
So real. I take PTO from work just to stay home, catch up on sleep, play my favorite games and relax. People ask what I did on my “vacation” I feel guilty/ wrong to say exactly what I did. Almost as if there’s an emphasis that I NEED to do something with my time off from work
Went to the MET today in nyc. tried my first painting as well. and this video just happens to come across my feed. Thanks.
well, this whole time i havent been lazy, but somehow on my very own volition chose to appreciate my love for leisure. thanks for putting this together.
If you can work 50 hours a week as sacrifice sleep and such then you can take time to rest and enjoy the simple things in life. Burnout is real.I don't feel guilty. I work hard and so I will take care of myself without shame. After having three near death experiences, I just want to slow down and take time for myself.
Many thanks for sharing this video with us on CZcams, which addresses an issue that seems to be becoming more and more important, otherwise an individual may become a "human doing", rather than a human being.
This channel is going places. I can tell by listening to you that you are one of *our guys.*
Happy to subscribe.
After Covid, my husband and I both work more of a part time schedule. We had other issues but before we were on the path to being alcoholics, getting really out of shape and unhealthy. Now we’re both in the best shape of our lives, stay in touch with family, take the time to call/visit grandparents , and we’re learning how to paint with acrylics among other things. We both love our jobs, but if we were there 40-50 hours a week we would not have time for these other things. We hope to keep doing this the rest of our lives. We’re both okay with not retiring if that’s the sacrifice that’s needed. If I can maintain this pace, or maybe have a paid off home and work a little less when I’m old, I’m totally fine with that. My grandparents are 78 and only just retired fully because they owned their own business , worked part time in the last few years of it and loved it. That’s my goal.
I leisure all the time. But then again Im a genius and I know what is important in life.
i am so fucking overdue for this video. I've been battling demons that convince me i am losing value for taking time off from work. Leisure should not be for productivity's sake. That's what it feels like i am doing now, on my vacation.
A friend of mine who is a farmer is stuck in productive mode. Once on a saturday when he was off and bored he went into work just for something to do.
As a former workaholic I relate to this ( I had 3 jobs, no social life, ect)
I work as little as possible, take as much time off as possible, and avoid doing anything I don't want to do as much as possible. I fill my leisure time with walks in the woods, exercise, reading, playing video games, thinking, and riding motorcycles. People can call me whatever they like: lazy, hedonistic, self-indulgent, etc. I couldn't care less. The general public has been brainwashed into shaming anyone who refuses to play ball.
I spend my best time each day with my dogs, walking in the woods, playing, sharing love.
Thank you for these predigested videos. It makes the content easier to swallow.
Some people mistake leisure with a week of holidays or vacation or a Friday night going out drinking, not that those things are not but seems like we waste those moments because we want to have energy to go back to the productive life and istead of enjoying like a good food we shunk in it like fast food, then when being productive we long for the weekend or holiday. The way you talk about leisure is more like interwoven with daily life or at least more common and a action possibly as important as productivity and maybe more fullfilling, cultivate virtue rather than vice, I like it, thanks for this video, you got a new subscriber.
Ok, I agree with the video, and maybe I'm not the target audience, but this feels predicated on the idea that work (or, at least, its continuation after normal hours) is a choice, which I disagree for most. I don't "grind" because I aim for wealth and status; I work because I need to pay rent, get out of debt. Currently listening to this as a podcast while I job search. This idea of leisure, however necessary, is a luxury for most.
This was a really well made video I am honored to find this channel so early on in its existence.
Take your time uploading they are really amazing!
This is a brilliant topic to talk🙏
This video is a breath of fresh air. Thank you for reminding me and others blinded by the rat race how things could be viewed differently
I appreciate this essay a lot. Been working on my own leisure for a bit now and this framing articulates it nicely.
I'm so lucky to have retired in my late 50's to take care of an ailing spouse. We realized just how much the daily grind took from us. Luckily, she recovered and we enjoy not being hooked up to the machine any more.
This is why I need to do multi day hikes every year into nature, to reset and contemplate without the pull of a mobile phone and all that social media that comes with it. For the most part there’s no cell service out there but I’m sure that will change fast. Soon it will all be down to discipline
I recently took a week off to go hiking. I went to the Grand Canyon, Zions National Park (Utah), and Bryce Canyon (also Utah). It was one of the best weeks I've ever had and I can't wait to do it again.
I'm glad to have just discovered your channel. Your information and approach is appreciated.
A good procrastination has been to read through comments on a topic like this.
I love your phrase “task tornadoes”. 💕 😘 🙏
The problem starts when you try to implement what you just said in an environment without privileges, not because you are special, but because the environment and the infrastructure was built for you to become a machine with a machine heart.
You can't study the being, without studying it's sorroundings, it's environment.
Please, read Das Kapital
Watching this in my 7th straight day of work (minimum 10 hour shifts)
I feel like the future is bleak
I think it is worth considering how privileged position it is to be able to read and contemplate for days without too much financial struggle. For most of us, that is a luxury. Yes, contemplation is essential aspect of fulfilling life, yes, rest is essential part of learning but try to tell that to a single mother who needs to work two jobs to sustain her family. Listen to what she has to say about contemplation.
Empathy is another aspect of life often overlooked in this hyper individualist society. We hustle, spend every bit of energy to outcompete others with no regards of their wellbeing. I think that's also well worth contemplating on. In terms of efficiency, how much could we achieve if we all worked together on a common goal, instead?
Amazing video! A a line I particularly liked was ‘we must transcend our animal instincts and touch upon the divine within us’ that line just goes really hard 😂
The problem with your argument is your comparing ancient slaveholders, aristocrats and patrons with the average man today. The top 1% of our society lives a life of leisure just like those did in the past and the common man of those days lives a life of toil just like the average person today does more or less anyways.
Exactly the same issue as I had with the video.
Yeah the idle Medieval rich and the social benefits enjoyer today might both have leisure but their social position and the type of leisure they have is vastly differemt
Excellent Again! Montaigne would be so proud of you! Remember.....he just follows behind saying..."how true, how true"!
Like many other problems in our soul-sucking modernity, the death of leisure and hobbies can be traced in a near straight line from letting the STEM cult of productivity take over the social and cultural aspects of our lives.
Thank you very much. God bless you
The language at work of "How can I help you be more successful?" makes me feel like a cog with a function that must perform optimally.
My favorite place of repose is taking a slow drive in the country. Great vid👍
Not every moment of every day needs to be conventionally productive or with the intent of progress. I can't tell you how much my head felt clearer any time I allowed myself to just be wound down. Incidentally, it's easier to maintain performance, and sometimes improve it, by considering pure downtime as part of your own personal maintenance.
I don't say this just in considering downtime as well, but viewing the way we work should always be with the mindset of both how things can be done more efficiently, but also how things can be done more easily while maintaining a quality necessary for safety and productivity.
People want to do more with the life more than they do with their work; Unless, of course, their work is their ultimate joy, in which case more power to them, but most people don't want to keep piling on responsibility and work required to meeting those responsibilities while also being told to do more for the exact same benefit, and even if there is more benefit to be gained, there are limits to how much someone can take and how far under certain conditions, and even if we manage to do more in less time, our productivity could go up 5x and still only see a 1.2x increase in our quality of life.
I love your work. It’s spot on with where my thoughts have been lately. ❤
Thanks, from Maths Science background.. I appreciate your explanations re philosophy, great knowledge and style, very easy to listen to voice and choice of terminology and aphorisms.. shared to X on my fave Senator's page.
The biggest irony of this system is that by forcing the people to never _think,_ by having them perpetually be busy, they eventually crash through burnout and/or depression. I got hit by both, and the only way for me to get out was to spend _four years contemplating what got me stuck._
Suffice it to say, that sure as hell backfired for the 'powers that be'... And wasted a massive chunk of my life.
A very well thought essay. Some of your best work
Abandon all goals!... Stress is gone, you just start to live day by day, content woth a simple life, stoicism
The quest for comfort is the undoing of the man.
Take my sub, good sir, and thank you for the important reminder on this important stuff.
I don't know if it's a voluntary choice, but the absence of music leaves only the message and... that's powerful if you take the time to lend an ear.
This is a great video ! I definitely agree we should carve out time to rest and just be. Life isn’t suppose to be fast paced you are suppose to just be!
At the pool. Watching the life guard..watching
Thanks from downunder.
Off to have coffee
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Thank you for sharing your story. Great video. Clearly, modern society does not have all the right virtues in place.
It touches soul.
The whole point of the industrial revolution and progress was to make life better, but here we are, in a greater anguish than in all of mankind's history.
What a wonderful video, one of the best that I have ever watched on CZcams. I have only just happened upon your channel but I knew within the first 2 minutes of starting this video that I was watching content worth my time. It has given me much deserving of consideration. Thank you very much!