२ जुलै, २०२०

"We grow weary when idle"/"That is, sir, because others being busy, we want company; but if we were idle, there would be no growing weary; we should all entertain one another."

An old conversation — between Boswell and Johnson — that's quoted in a 2016 post of mind called "Shhhh!"

That quote begins one of my favorite books, "An Apology for Idlers" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I've called it to your attention a few times, and I think that whenever I do, I flag 2 other books I like about idleness: "Essays in Idleness" by the Buddhist monk Kenko and "In Praise of Idleness" by Bertrand Russell.

Idleness is an important topic! And I wasn't even thinking — until I got to this sentence — about it's special applicability to our predicament in the time of coronavirus.

Here are 3 recent items about idleness:

1. "How Idleness Was an Early Form of Meditation for Ancient Humans" (Great Courses Daily): "Many researchers believe that people have historically spent a lot of time meditating, even if they didn’t call it meditation per se. We think of modern life as being much easier and more convenient than what’s historically been typical, but that’s a myth....  When food was plentiful [in ancient times], it’s estimated that people could find what they needed to sustain themselves—to feed themselves and their children—surprisingly quickly.... For most of the time that Homo sapiens has been around, we’ve naturally had a lot of down time.... '[O]ur brains are, and may always have been, built to require—or at least benefit from—a certain amount of meditation just to maintain normal function.... The meditation practice I’m suggesting isn’t about looking for a clever new way to enhance the function of your brain.'"

2. "The Secret Power of Idleness/The brain does some of its best work when we take a break" (Psychology Today): "When we are busiest, our brains are not necessarily doing very much. Conversely, when we take a break and engage in some apparently mindless pursuit like playing solitaire, walking, or shoveling snow, our problem-solving brains kick into overdrive.... Aristotle celebrated the value of leisure as a cornerstone of intellectual enlightenment. He believed that true leisure involves pleasure, happiness, and living blessedly. It is more than mere amusement and is impossible for those who must work most of the time...."

3. "Celebrating Literature’s Slacker Heroes, Idlers and Liers-In" (NYT): "By 'library of indolence' I mean novels like 'Oblomov,' Ivan Goncharov’s satire about a man who hates to leave his bed, and 'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' Herman Melville’s long short story about the clerk whose motto is 'I would prefer not to.' ... The wittiest and most profound [book]... is Tom Hodgkinson’s 2005 classic 'How to Be Idle.'..... He recommends not clicking on news radio upon waking. He nails me entirely when he writes, 'A certain type of person feels it is their duty to listen to it, as if the act of merely listening is somehow going to improve the world.'... 'The lie-in — by which I mean lying in bed awake — is not a selfish indulgence but an essential tool for any student of the art of living, which is what the idler really is. Lying in bed doing nothing is noble and right, pleasurable and productive.'"

११ टिप्पण्या:

John henry म्हणाले...

"All progress is made by a lazy person looking for an easier way"

-Lazarus Long

"Be LAZY! Find an easier way. "

-John Henry

Interested in learning how to be lazy? It's my professional calling.

More info at changeover.com/lazy.html

Being lazy will give you more time for either idleness or busyness depending on preference.

John Henry

bagoh20 म्हणाले...

Sounds sad and boring to me, but people are all made different.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"Many researchers believe that people have historically spent a lot of time meditating"

Did they discover pre-historic time diaries?

How much time did gatherers spend meditating vs. socializing, "entertaining one another"?



stevew म्हणाले...

One way that I learned to be comfortable with idleness and silence in the company of others was crewing on longish sailing trips. These were trips of several days - races such as the Marblehead to Halifax (3 days), and boat deliveries (longest was 7 days). Typical crew on the boats I sailed was 4 to 6. After the initial excitement and enthusiasm subsides we would get into a rhythm of occasional speaking and long periods of silence. The overnight watches could be especially quiet, even if the weather was severe. Bare minimum of verbal communication.

I'm not sure crewing a boat counts as idleness - there are always sails to trim, navigation to check, weather to observe, minor things to adjust and repair - but it sure feels calm even in an active, rolling sea.

Rob म्हणाले...

I agree about the value of idleness. I'd explain in much greater detail, but it's not worth the trouble.

tcrosse म्हणाले...

Dolce far niente, as they say in the old neighbourhood.

William म्हणाले...

Salons, gambling dens, and brothels. That's how the idle rich used to while away their time in Johnson's era. Nowadays we have Netflix and internet porn. We don't have to hang out with Samuel Johnson or Madame De Stael to be blessed with interesting conversation. You can tune into Rush Limbaugh or Oprah, and you don't even have to leave your bed to do it. This is truly the golden age of idleness.....My idleness sometimes approaches a kind of zen state. I like when Netflix posts several seasons of a show I like. Then I can binge watch several seasons and spare myself the anguish of having to decide what to watch next. I can do nothing for hours at a time without ever once feeling bored or guilty. It's a peace that surpasses understanding.

Banjo म्हणाले...

I find it takes great discipline to be idle. Decades have passed and only now am I getting the hang of it.

Josephbleau म्हणाले...

Laziness is the art of refusing to do that which does not contribute to your objectives.

Marc in Eugene म्हणाले...

What's the difference between idleness and leisure? I have in the back of my mind Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture. Leisure isn't laziness but it may be idleness (as some of these people are using the term). I find it interesting that the first English meaning recorded in the Dictionary (ca 1300) is 'the freedom or opportunity to (do something specified)' e.g. 'the servant that serves you [now] ought to come when he has leisure'.

Fernandinande म्हणाले...

"All progress is made by a lazy person looking for an easier way"

Thomas Edison was famously lazy, sleeping only 3 or 4 hours a night so he'd have more time to play cards and watch clouds.