American Idle

Since the beginning, this blog has been promoting the idea that doing less, not more, is the way to lasting happiness. 

My personal motto is: "Do less with less, and do it less often."

That has set me at odds with mainstream notions of a work ethic, but I couldn't be bothered to care any more.

But is doing less lazy? It could be self-preservation. Or just enjoying life.

When workaholism is the expectation, slowing down (or-gasp!-stopping) reflects a dangerous lack of ambition and initiative. Who thought that shit up?

I don't think it was a worker that invented the work till you drop ethic. It sounds like something a boss would come up with.

Although people in fast nations have forgotten it, not all humans have accepted accelerated lifestyles high on speed and stuff, but low on quality of life. 

Some cultures see no shame in cultivating the art of doing nothing, and have done so since time immemorial without being guilted into exchanging that for "productive activity". 

Whatever that means. Sounds like the bosses again.

Now, perhaps those of us in North America may be finally learning something about the benefits of being idle. Just because we are in a lockdown does not mean we can't gain something from it.

Let that be at least one take away - during this pandemic I hope people discover the childlike heavenly simplicity of doing nothing. On purpose, and repeatedly.

This is an excellent opportunity to Begin Building Better. Sorry, I got a little slogany there. 

But I persist. How about starting a whole new life? One can do that when one finds one's self at the bottom, which is a good place to start a new foundation.

Allowing ourselves idle time will lead to slower, more intentional ways of living, ones which have nothing to do with infinite speediness, and the endless pursuit of wealth, power, and fame. 

Quite the opposite. We can leave that behind us.

This is about being in that glorious moment of non-productive bliss. This is about taking back power and control over your own person. 

For, as Tom Hodgkinson says in his book How To Be Idle, "Idleness is not a giving up on life, but a spirited grabbing hold of it."

So grab hold of a bit of American idle today. 

You might like it.