"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

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.

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

"All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy".

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.

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 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.

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.

This also makes me think of the disappearance of "third places"

Always been a fan of the zero hour work week.

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.

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.

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

I don’t participate in this society, it participates me without any consideration of what I might want.

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...

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

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 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.

I don't feel the slightest amount of guilt for watching Philosophy videos on KZfaq. 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!❤❤🎉🎉

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 KZfaq video that changes my life

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.

Leisure is and always has been a luxury.

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.

The absolutely perfect video for those who still enjoy life...

Tai Chi. Tennis. Books. Guitar. Classic movies. Good coffee. Heaven.

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

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.

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.

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.

Listening to this whilst working

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.

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’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”

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 KZfaq, 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.

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'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.

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!

Thank you for sharing your story. Great video. Clearly, modern society does not have all the right virtues in place.

At the pool. Watching the life guard..watching Thanks from downunder. Off to have coffee Next

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 KZfaq. 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!