These are questions that occurred to me as I was participating in the comments to the last post, the one about TikTok.
Somebody compared TikTok to television and to slot machines. Then I compared it to playing video games and to "exploring" the "worlds" of Meta.
How meticulous are you about how you spend your time? How critical of others are you? And what do you think people should do with their time? What is your hierarchy of how to spend time? I'm not asking how do you spend your time. I'm asking — because I want to understand criticisms of how people spend their time — for a list — from high to low — of how people ought to spend their time.
What is the #1 best use of your time? You can make a subjective or an objective list — your time in particular or just any person's time. Categorize it any way you want — on whatever level of generality works for you. I'm assuming that making this list will be a good use of your time (and mine). The list of valuably spent time can be short or long (depending on your cleverness with the categories and your notions about the importance of length in contrast to concision).
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46 comments:
Are you always maximizing your time and doing high-quality time?
That seems like a straw man. No one is saying all of our waking hours should be "high-quality." We all need some down time. But we should have SOME high-quality time outside of work, with high-quality books, exercise, and in-person social interaction. When social media crowds out all of that it's turning people into zombies.
The best use of my time is whatever I do that takes care of my friends and family. Sometimes that is work, sometimes that is me keeping myself entertained with YouTube videos, and often it is keeping myself informed reading blogs, listening to podcasts, or reading books. The only waste of my time is dealing with those who want to occupy my time while offering nothing of value to me. SMS text messages from Beto O'Rourke's campaign is an excellent example of a waste of time. That Beto supports such waste is why nobody should ever put him charge of anything.
What is the best use of one's time?
that's simple.. Fishing
This post by Althouse was time well spent on her part.
"An unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates
While I don't endorse obsessive self-examination of one's life, I think it is a valuable use of some portion of one's time.
1. Curing cancer.
2. Showing mercy to the poor, sick, and needy.
3. Quarreling with dopey Althouse commenters.
4. Watching TikTok.
Order may vary occasionally.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Best use of my time: Maintaining long term relationships.
Worst use of my time: Criticizing the harmless activities that people use to fill their spare time.
Nobody is productively engaged at all times. How one spends their free time is no concern of mine as long as it doesn't make the world worse. Even if it does, my opinion on the matter is probably irrelevant, so making it adds background noise, thereby making the world worse.
TikTok seems like a trivial, but harmless activity. Most social media, like Facebook and Twitter, seem to be algorithmically designed to harm relationships and the user.
Sailing, always sailing.
I installed and uninstalled it three times, last time because the videos didn't seem as funny.
I don't judge anyone for watching it. I'm m sure it was as Ann"s (Fleetwood Mac) link that got me looking at it in the first place.
It's What's Happening Now but lately I found out Tumblr is where all these poor saps were inspired to change genders ca 2013 and I totally missed that phenom. Lots of TikTok trans influencers too. Now they're wondering how to get their breasts or penises back.
There are new places all the time and I just can't keep up. Reddit is where I lurk just to learn about the lives of others. That's disturbing enough
I still love a good deep read, when I can find one.
Presumably the whatjamacallit ... algorithm hooks you up with content similar to what you have already chosen to watch. That works pretty well on YouTube. If I watch something about WWII, or Sixties pop, or the oddities of language, or the latest stupid thing Joe Biden has said I get all kinds of similar content in the queue so it seems like I am getting an education or having an experience. Some tiktok videos are long enough to convey some real information, or at least somebody's unique perspective on something. But do you really feel like you are getting deeper into some subject, or just flitting from one thing to another?
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Supposedly, missionaries in Hawaii were unhappy with islanders who worked only from dawn to midmorning, and then spent the rest of the day enjoying their tropical paradise, rather than slaving away endlessly to improve their souls and modernize their world. Bloody idiots.
I don't give a flying fuck how anybody else spends their time. You wanna watch TikToks 24/7? Knock yourself out. When I, and I think most people, start to care and start asking questions is when somebody is complaining about their life trajectory and especially when they start insinuating they are the victim of some systemic conspiracy to keep them from obtaining what they think is rightfully theirs.
Anybody involved in historic preservation sees this all the time. There is no shortage of people who will carp about why x group isn't doing y project or why z artifact is just rotting away while one they think is less worthy is getting attention yet they don't donate a dime or spending an hour with a wrench or paintbrush. The list of excuses is endless but it always comes down to wanting to somebody else to do the actual work or find the money to accomplish what they want done.
"... how people ought to spend their time."
Commenting on this blog. Not.
How I spend free time (not including necessaries like sleep, meal preparation, walking the dog, etc.) in order of perceived importance:
Self-improvement (I’m learning Spanish and the piano)
Home improvement projects
Activities with family
Reading
Watching TV
While TV is the least productive way I spend my time, I need a certain amount if it between my more useful endeavours as a way to relax and recharge. But I watch a lot more TV than I’d like.
When I think about quality time, I think of the legend of Abe Lincoln reading books by fire light after splitting logs all day. Productive work is what orders life. But entertainment can benefit your mind and allow you to become a more interesting person. Going to the lowest common denominator does not help anyone.
Learning a language is just as fun as watching tic tok. Socializing with good people is an entertaining learning experience. You need idle down time, but don’t let that goal consume you.
Think about what you will do when you retire, will you continue to grow, go to the gym, or just entertain yourself to death.
"Presumably the whatjamacallit ... algorithm hooks you up with content similar to what you have already chosen to watch."
It's more sophisticated than that. It mixes in things that other people have watched who, perhaps, have watched other things that you've watched. And it tests you with new things to gather info about what you might watch. I think some of the new things are random, even things that have barely been liked by anybody, to use you as info on what might be watchable. And sometimes it's stuff that is widely popular that you've given a chance to like too. It's very sophisticated, much more than what YouTube does, I think.
Number 1 best use of your time is in providing the practical and emotional resources to support yourself and your family/dependents.
After that, it's completely up to you and no one else's business. One reason I abhor any kind of totalitarian society is that they claim a right to allocate all of my time and attention to whatever THEY deem important.
It is my deepest conviction that we are put on this Earth to develop fully into who we should be, and no mere mortal can or should do that for me.
I think about the best use of my time often. And often it comes to mind as I spend time reading and commenting in this blog, and some others. In total, these would be the things I need to pare back if I am honest with myself about being productive. And though I spent my life as a workaholic and am now mostly retired (doing occasional consulting), I still think about those things I want to get done in my day, my life. And how productive I'm being daily. I still feel a need to be productive every day. I hope I never lose that.
I would not pretend to make a productive list for others. We all have our own way, interests, needs, self-motivation (or lack of it). And I have mine. No list here. I would simply say that I should back off of the time I spend reading/commenting on blogs and get to what I love doing most. It's harder. But it's more satisfying.
So....
"Are you always maximizing your time and doing high-quality time?"
No always, but enough. No that I'm 65 it's frequently on my mind how little time is left. So I try to make good use of it.
"How critical of others are you? And what do you think people should do with their time?"
Critical? Not really. They can do what they want, as long as it doesn't effect me. What do I think? Well, these grown men who let their spouse run their life are sad. Example: I'm part of a group that uses and restores old woodworking machines. We have an annual convention, so many people are now bringing their wives. Can't you do anything that's just for yourself? They also use acronyms for their wives on the forum like SWMBO (She who must be obeyed) and LOML (Love of my life) and say shit like "Happy Wife, Happy Life.
I've become more of a Vonnegutian about this--it is increasingly clear to me that we are here to fart around and have fun.
And this place is one of the primo fart-around locales.
Even so, I don't spend more than a few hours a day (in several spasms) here, and a few more roaming U2b and its divers/e offerings.
Best use of my time is making good meals for family and friends. So much joy and so easy.
IMHO more men need to learn how to cook.
It's more sophisticated than that. It mixes in things that other people have watched who, perhaps, have watched other things that you've watched.
Sorry, but I have zero interest. I have clicked on a few that Althouse posts here just to see if there is anything worth my time. I presume these are above average since she "curates" them, and nothing has changed my mind. This is not a criticism of our hostess or anyone else who enjoys them. To each his own.
I deleted my Twitter account a year ago, though I occasionally click on Twitter links from reliable sources (such as the Greenwald thread from yesterday's post). I still have Facebook because of friends and relatives that make use of it, but I probably spend 10 minutes a week there. The hour or so a day I spend on social media is almost entirely with a few blogs and (and their commenters), including this one, that I find interesting and informative. Life is short.
Historical artwork
Guitar theory
Surfing
Sailing
Making love (at 70)
Reading
Driving down two lane roads
Cooking
time usage - personal
Currently, my time is divided between:
1) Working on the last three of a twenty-two novel series (nineteen published). No links as I don't advertise on other people's blogs (unlike Crack).
2) Paintings:
examples:
portraiture:
Milk Maid https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/1lWyfcPkVvDokgOyPZvNXUhUewljTgPKtelXzOXk2se
Girl with Violin https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/3IkfFNkfCRIwc2VCYXjpl9O3kL74cfgdWsEO7qNWBXU
cafe scenes:
One of Six https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/EMIJURUHYPWf6GEfEO4CLMxu0tTPbzNlKNyWieuQEUr
News and blogs when I need a break. Other things when life interferes.
#1 I love to cook. #2 love to travel. #3 read books.
"And what do you think people should do with their time?"
It's a simple list with only one item:
1. You're on your own.
As long as someone isn't using his time creating things that create work for me I don't want to do, I don't really care what someone else does with his time. I am not the least bit interested in TikTok, but I don't have to watch, even if someone takes a lot of time to post the videos. It's called "scroll on by". Whether I spend my own time doing something totally unproductive or not isn't anyone else's business as long as my lack of productivity doesn't infringe on their time. I think we spend far too much time judging other people. I think it's one of the major differences between the current left and right. Folks on the left are much more interested in deciding what's in other people's "best interest".
The most guilt and shame used to be attached to masturbation. But we're all post-Portnoy now and it's mostly viewed as a harmless activity that burns off a few calories. The guilt and shame has passed on to video games. That's a completely worthless activity. It doesn't even burn calories or have any salubrious effects on the prostate. When you actually get your initials posted to the leader board, what have you actually accomplished. It all feels so pointless and futile.....When you think of people who wasted a lot of time, you have to consider Einstein. He hit it lucky early in his career, but spent the last forty years of his chasing some phantom Grand Unified Theory. What a dumb ass. We should all learn from Einstein and not get too grandiose in our pursuits, leisure and otherwise.
Are we talking about 'free' time here? If so, my answer is that you spend time doing things that have an overall positive effect on you and your life. If that means sit and do nothing but stare into space because you've been incredibly busy and need some 'nothing' time, that would be a positive outcome. If it is hours on social media because it makes you laugh during a depressing time of your life = positive outcome. It's a question that is nearly impossible to answer. Seven billion people on the planet, seven billion stories and ways to spend time.
I read books, unlike so many idiots around.
I subscribe to the tripartite recipe: one part sleep, one part utility, one part productivity, ideally.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the people who have passed. For instance, my father, who died on this date in 1962 (at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis--I recall well looking at the map on the front page of the paper, showing the range of missiles in Cuba, and we were well within . . .)
Anyway, he would have been 100 earlier this year, had he lived. Now I'm the first cranky old bastard in the line since his father died in 1959.
Lots of responsibility there, which I address partially by sharing my opinions here and a select few other place.
Re: maximizing your time and high-quality time
Of course, all that changes upon one's idea of maximizing time and high-quality time (and also "time," after all, an hour is an hour; you can't maximize it or minimize it, lengthen it or shorten it, it is always an hour).
Assuming that maximizing means productive, if you do your eight-hour work project in five hours, that's maximizing and productive, but then you've got three extra hours on your hands.
The more interesting question, though, is high-quality time. In one sense, it depends upon how you value what you want to do and if you value laying on the couch watching football on TV when it is warm and sunny outside, well, then that is high-quality time even though you are essentially doing nothing but vegetating. Some utilitarian types might think that wrong, but remember that God said to rest on the Sabbath, so just chilling can be high-quality time.
The question of high-quality time objectively, though, is really a question of "what is the good life?" And not surprisingly, the good life is that life which conforms to the good, which is to say, conforms to truth. Living the way that we are meant to live, to be true to our being. Since we are made for MUCH higher things than most of us do or aspire to given our fallen human condition, probably all too often we are not pursuing that good life. Which is a shame because the good life leads to the genuine happy life.
Yesterday, Twitter did me a favor, I suppose.
I've been spending time there to find news that the MSM will not give you. Including a TON of material posted by everyday people, many of them radical feminists and lesbians (and you would think that MSM would highlight them, but no) who take exception to the "trans-women" insisting that they with their penises are just as much women as the cis-menstruators are, and if the lesbians don't like it, then they can go and suck on the trans-women's dicks (yes, this is what they are actually saying). Like many, I had assumed that the LGBTQ, etc. folks were all unified. But no, they are not.
Anyway, I digress. Someone posted a comment about being ashamed that they missed a Godfather reference. Someone else responded that she apparently isn't a wartime consigliare. I responded that, no, Tom Hagen never dropped the ball, but perhaps we should smack her like the Don did when Johnny Fontaine was crying about his situation.
And, boom, Twitter suspended me. For making a humorous Godfather joke. On appeal, they no doubt looked at my page and saw all that conservative stuff and kept the suspension.
Absurd. In the bigger scheme of things, though, the pre-Musk Twitter may have done me a favor by forcing me to go do other things. Their algore-ithm kept giving me tweets from lefties anyway.
Kayak fishing is the best use of one’s time. Period the end.
Retired in January. Give advice to younger attorneys still working in my office. Spent January going through boxes i have carted around since the 60's. Sent back letters i received from old friends in the 60's and 70's to illuminate what they were (and I was) like in our teens and twenties. Reorganized more than two thousand books I accumulated and also carted around since the 60's. In February I started my seedlings under growlights, reorganized my shop. Made boxes of things that I was going to sell at a yet to occur garage sale. Maybe next year. Added raised beds in April and May to bring the total to 16. Built low block additions to the house for more plants and decorations. Set up an emergency solar power system. Fought the scourge of groundhogs and rabbits by fencing every damn raised bed. Grew, grew, grew, harvested, harvested, harvested and canned and stored 100s of kars and pounds of food. Today, pressure canned green beans and sweet potatoes. Made a little stand where my excess vegetables and fruits were set out with a "free food" sign. Just got back from a 10 day road trip through the southwest with buddy I met as a freshman in college in 1970. Just him and me driving 3600 miles. Never even listened to music. Just talked. Stopped off to see my youngest son. Got back and told my wife how much I missed her. Had lunches with old colleagues. I don't know whether those things are "important" ways to spend my time and don't care. I hope to continue to do them for years to come.
"No[t] always, but enough. No[w] that I'm 65 it's frequently on my mind how little time is left. So I try to make good use of it."
Yes, what's not a waste of time for a young person is a waste of time for me.
Running, reading, rowing, cooking, goldsmithing, teaching karate.
It's none of my concern what other people do with their time.
The larger share of my hours each week are spent either sleeping or working. But in the remaining hours, the time best spent is time spent with family or with close friends. This is the most precious thing because I may not always have them with me.
For me: Reading and listening. (The two are connected, because much of what I read is books and magazines about classical music. This house is, as it were, infested with books and CDs.)
After that: Cooking. Gardening (you wouldn't know it to see the garden just now, but there are plans.) More books there, of course.
I've been reboxing some of my old S&T magazines--from liquor store castoffs to proper record storage boxes. Then I have to rearrange the shelving in my room and put up at least one other small unit and redistribute the books and games, especially the big flat items that take up game space.
Can't seem to break the habit of accumulating books big and small.
There are a lot of crap books in the den/gym which is at the other end of the house from my lair, that are still there because of inertia and laziness, not for their value sentimental or otherwise.
And don't get me started on the excess furniture here, at bro's, and in storage. I've threatened a big sale since before Covid, and who knows, maybe this is the year. Fall's the best time for that stuff I think.
Raking and burning leaves, today.
Bender:
Same thing happened to me. I wrote “We will bury you” in honor of Nikita K and I got kicked out.
"What is the #1 best use of your time? You can make a subjective or an objective list"
1. Chopping firewood: It gets rid of unwanted trees, is great exercise and decreases my heating bills since I can burn it up in our wood stove.
2. Performing the duties assigned to me by my employer: It keeps me employed, which keeps a much needed source of income going.
3. Giving attention to my wife; this takes many forms but it's important since we are still building on a 32 year relationship.
4. Spending time with my adult children: They all live far away, so this is hard, but we visit when we can and we stay in touch using technology--phones and apps.
These are in no particular order, so I'm not sure why I numbered them...
I was thinking about time use recently. I spend a lot of time online and playing computer games. (Hey, look, I'm doing one of those things right now!) At the end of the day, I value many other activities more: reading, volleyball, Scripture memorization, Greek study, time with the boys (the elder of whom is in his last year of high school...). But do I really value those things more, if I spend more time farting about online and playing computer games? In time-management as with everything else, where my treasure is, my heart will be also.
Thanks, Ann. You may have improved my life with this post.
1. Family
2. Hiking
3. Piano
4. Writing
5. Fixing shit
7. TCM
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