Do you think that, at the end of the day, that some people do not wish to go along with the herd simply because they don’t like what they see? It’s an opinionated question, and 9 hours late surely, but it’s not a bad one to ask either. I’m not a Philosopher, but a Poet has his moments of questions!
I think the laboriousness of pre-modern life is often greatly exaggerated. Actually hunter-gatherers like the Native Americans had a lot of free time and seemed to enjoy it. They didn't work hard like the white man and didn't want to....Benjamin Franklin spoke somewhere of the Indians looking down on the white man's 'laborious way of life'. Agricultural peoples have a laborious way of life... however even those people had large amounts of free time such as during winter in the Northern hemisphere when there was little agricultural work to be done. But as far as I know neither hunter-gatherers nor our farmer ancestors suffered overmuch from boredom. I think they were better equipped for 'being with themselves' and entertaining themselves. I think a lot of modern man's boredom is really ennui, a sense of the futility of life which itself is born out of modern man's unrealistic expectations of what life should and can be for most people. Modern man makes his own suffering because his mental worldview is unreal and when these unreal expectations meet reality suffering, both psychological and physical, ensues.
@Ian Corral You said the native Americans were not hunter-gatherers, but then you mention they "followed the herds"...that is hunting. People have figured out the "why" we exist...we exist to worship God in one form or another, that is the answer of the sages of all peoples.
Well, If you are actively researching on mental illness and want to see what others think about it( And because you are not narcissistic and also value opinion of people and also have your self worth or self love), I think you may be active and still 'consume' things because there is no 'ideal' creative process, we all are influenced and inspired by someone or something.
your spirit is here to create and not judge. whether its babies, art, or other types of forms of expression (that dont infringe upon others free will, lest they give you permission by channeling in)
Well, I CAN tell you, as a professional creative constantly creating to keep up, this entire mindset is predicated on the notion that being idle is an option. Creation is even more painful, when you can’t find the joy you used to in it, but it still seems preferential to a 9-5.
Stop feeling the guilt put onto you by those who want you to do more to enrich them. Work for yourself. Then see how quickly the depression & "mental illness" shifts from you to them.
I won’t disagree that I work to make someone else rich. I do residential HVAC though. It’s tough, but I work with my hands Mon-Fri, which I love, and improve for my community. Everyone needs Heat and A/C in NY Capital District and it feels good knowing I provide comfort to those who need it. Also by making my company owner more rich, I get better benefits and raises. My coworker and I could leave and go work for ourselves, but then we have to do all the sales and paperwork portion of the job and then we’d be working exhausting 80 hour weeks. Not worth it.
@@dylanhealy8126 so you are satisfied with your life right as it is now and forever? When your owner buys a big house and in ground pool. Taking 4 vacations in a year. He grows old comfortable. You will grow old one day also. Rough ins suck. Actually everything an HVAC guy has to do would suck when youre older and your bones start to ache. You don't have to do paperwork. Lots of ppl do book keeping jobs. You can bid jobs and over see younger guys. Then you will grow old comfortable. The stress is when its unorganized. Organization is key to the top.
One of the first moments I ever truly loved myself was the night I discovered I could run for more than 30 minutes. Even in my dark years I can call on memories to lift me up and energize myself. The depth of true self-love that you can achieve is a gift from heaven
I know that studies have been done on this - but physical exercise also increases mental motivation. I'm over the age of 50, but it was not that long ago when we were more physically active, excelled in school, at work, in life...then sedentary passivity set in. Hm.
i went to prison 135 lbs. i then gained 35 lbs of muscle and ate only the healthiest food available and i felt like god himself for about 18 months until i stopped. i felt DIFFERENT. i didnt occupy space i owned it. i just felt like a new person. that was a decade ago and im close to 30. 30 is supposed to be our prime as men so its time to really bve in my prime again. its time to feel powerful again mentally and physically.
On the other hand, I really like a quote from Thoreau which says "When in doubt, slow down." It's possible to burn out if you're constantly on a grind and forget to feed both your body and soul. Balance is key!
how do you not partake in capitalism? or a better question... do you partake in capitalism and not even know it? claiming something is not true is inaccurate, your opinion is not the measure of truth.
This has seemingly been true in my own life. I find my bouts of depression and anxiety are founded upon self-loathing and guilt that is caused by passivity and irresponsibility. One of the hardest life changes that I have made is voluntarily tackling responsibilities and creating productive free time for myself. It is my natural inclination to be passive and to seek momentary gratification. Since I have made this change I am far more content. I am also far more alert and competent in my work and hobbies as well.
@@mial1522 Well I had to have a change of values. I did value momentary gratification and spontaneous acts of dopamine inducing "fun". I was under the impression that life was all about experiencing the good things, and that the good things were what was pleasing and gratifying. In short, my life mantra was "Do what makes you happy", and "happy" meant "feel good". And so I was caught in a feedback loop where I was depressed because my lifestyle choices weren't conducive to a stable life and inherently went against my intrisic value system that I was raised with, and so it pushed me to seek that next dopamine high by trying new and novel forms of gratification. The impetus to my change was a realization that I had adopted a terrible value system in my late teens. I realized that life isn't about being happy or feeling good and my valuing such things was leading me down and unsustainable path. I begin to adhere to the value system that I was raised with (I was raised in a conservative Christian home), and with a special focus on responsibility and delayed gratification. I realized that the point of life is to be responsible because in so doing I am better able to help myself and ultimately the people around me, and especially those that I love and care for. Faith played no small part in this lifestyle and value system change.
How were you able to make this change start happening. I’ve struggled for very long to grow out of this faze and my burst of productivity fade fast and can’t seem to gain control
@@oliviapete Hey me too! For years it was like this for me, and in some ways it still is. It just that it takes time. You'll start and stop for a while. You'll continue to stumble and lapse for pretty much ever. It just requires persistence and grace. You have to be able to forgive yourself when you fail. In my own experience, every time I failed or had a relapse, when I would eventually come back, I always ended up learning something new. Like the reason I relapsed was because there was some part of living productively that I had not fully grasped yet. Honestly, what I have had to relearn the most are my exepectations of how I think life ought to be, and just accept it for what it is. I had a very romanticized understanding of life, and when my own lived experiences did not meet that high ideal, I relapsed. I had to learn that life is often difficult and it takes a lot of sacrifice and work to live productively. I also had to learn though, that life isn't all hard work and sacrifice. There is a time to enjoy yourself, to celebrate the work of you done, and to rest from all that have you done. Hope my rambling is helpful!
No one should have to spend 70% of there life working to survive, on the other hand no one should spend the majority of there life doing nothing but staring at the TV or into their cell phone.
@Vatan Kömürcü in a form it is modern slavery. A group of people made a community which lead to a country and by the time we were born made all the laws took away all the land and put the price on it. Than told us we have to work to make a living and we can't construct our own home without following the rules they placed. I wish we had plenty of land so every person can live like the native Indians before England came. They haunted for food and made there own homes and did what they wanted with the rest of there time.
@@Christopher._M Exactly. It sucks that we have to conform to this ridiculous society that I don't want to be a slave to. If it was possible to homestead like in the old days and have my own farm and hunt and fish also, that would be what I would do. Granted, this is NOT an easy way of living. There is a hell of a lot sacrifice and effort that goes into that way of living. But it would be worth it to be in control of my own life and not have to work under some dumb ass "boss" where you don't have any real freedom, you have to conform to what benefits them, and do exactly what they say or else potentially risk losing everything. I cannot stand working for a company or for someone else. I am more of the type who is more independent, but I lack people skills which makes it hard for me to succeed in this modern society. I hate working in teams. Small groups are ok because there is less corruption than larger teams. But this has been a major inhibitor for my advancement in this life. But also a blessing at the same time because I can easily see right through meaningless societal norms that go unquestioned and fake people. I don't believe in supporting them.
@@yearginclarke I resonate with your feeling since I had my first taste of labor. Me being the youngest and most inexperienced they loaded the heavy work on me while they had the light work. After a while of feeling abused I left. My goal now is to day trade stock Im honestly a little hesitant because Im aware of the risk but once I invest more time in learning it I will go for it. Anything not to keep feeling like they have all the power over me and my life.
@@Christopher._M I don't know much about trading, but maybe I'll look into it. But yes, do whatever it takes to be free of having someone cracking a whip at you! I am in the pursuit of it right now as well. Good luck.
@@yearginclarke Hey, I basically share similar views as you so I recommend that you check out these two things: Eco Villages or Communes; these two things are perhaps the closest things to the lives that you and I desire in a world dominated by Societies.
Hobbies lift the spirit, challenge the mind and can bring joy to the heart. I love airplanes, and I fly as a hobby. One of my favorite quotes (and one that I very much identify with) comes from the pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "I fly because it frees my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
That's beautiful man. I've always dreamed of being able to fly. I can imagine feeling peaceful and free while soaring around in the sky. Quite a hobby you have !! :d
Good thing i have more than 10 hobbies! If more people pursued art and had ways to communicate their feelings i feel most people could be healed and atleast let people hear them!
I write music / paint and garden / whenever I feel depressed those things defiantly lift my soul and I believe God gifted me for that reason / I also have faith and hope in God / knowing that my future is to be viewed through Him in difficulty not easiness
I’ve been staying off social media and only watching informative videos on UA-cam while sewing and staying busy and my confidence has shot up, as well as my self awareness and pride. Was just recommended this and glad everything I’ve been feeling is valid and true
You'll have to tell me what you've done to help with UA-cam addiction! When I'm on UA-cam, I loose track of time and all my motivation goes out the window (and it's the only social media I use the most). 0_0
I think the quote at the last part is a beautiful one: "Merely to do something what others have done is often safe, and comfortable; but to do something truly original, and do it well; whether it is appreciated by others or not---that is what being human is really all about, and it is alone what justifies the self love that is pride." -Richard Taylor . Stay safe, everyone!
this is interesting because I've actually found that most of my depressive episodes came with the feeling that I've been engaging too much in activities that just fuel my passivity. Those activities that are meaningless and not beneficial to me just make me bored with life and I feel like if i'm not doing anything to improve my life or the life of others, then my life is utterly pointless. That's why I started making videos in the first place, to give my life more meaning and connect with people, to have the important and thought-provoking conversations, to share my opinions, to offer a different perspective to people. I feel like sometimes I get caught up in things that aren't important, like how many Instagram followers I have or if i'm pretty enough, but ultimately i'm not living for the applause of others. *I do not exist to perform for others.* Thanks for this video, nice to know I'm not the first to feel this way.
Leisure time allows you to think, ponder, plan, dream, visualize, solve problems, etc. The problem only comes if 1. You use your free time to watch tv or do Facebook and 2). You have no goals in life. But if all yo do is work, your life will also be miserable. Balance is the key.
We are being overwhelmed by external stimuli, making it tempting and easy to lose our vision of achieving goals. There are so many distractions out there that many people have become trapped by their impulses, and don't realize that they should pursue the balance you speak of, or they don't understand how to achieve it. I believe philosophy should be a mandatory subject taught in schools, instead of filling their minds with garbage knowledge they will never apply. If there is anything we should teach younger generations, it is to provide them with the tools to improve the quality of life of their own and others.
In the Age of Anxiety, a lot of tasks and labours are just as passive as doing nothing. It's valid to say that filling you life with tasks isn't filling it with active and interesting tasks. We idle in anxiety and are prone to mental illness any way. Very complex psychiatric topic.
it is a systemic problem that has obviously come to a climax in the last two years of the covid insanity, which only began because millions still didn't learn you can't just trust the mainstream media. i was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 31 years until it was closed down on us world-wide mainly by closing churches down, and as a two year later result there would be about half of our members who are close to relapsing, have, or have died. i went through all the being Guinea Pigged on meds for mental/emotional issues back in the 80s, and today i have no question chronic i-phone use in the last 20 years has caused more problems then anything ever, and shouldn't of happened. they should of only been allowed for emergency people. i also have no question Bill Gates has been behind it all more than anyone, and there were people in the 80s warning that technology would control us instead of the other way around then. never mind individuals, what kind of society would give Gates the kind of power he has, and doesn't even have a medical degree?
Interesting comment. When you say "a lot of tasks and labours arr just as passive as doing nothing" do you mean - washing the dishes - cleaning the house - fixing a broken item, Etc.?? The routine is as passive as your bum on a couch?
@@bretw6322 Think about that, you're physically moving, you're acting, you're changing something. Then you may think: well, that's something. At least I'm not on a couch doing "lots of nothing". However, you should also consider that we're capable of living an entire routine without being (fully) councious. Indeed, we're so prone to passivity that our activities might become a "comfort zone". As I said back then, I see many anxious minds struggling to criticize their own routine, their own activities, their own choices. Maybe they're have a different passivity. But it is still a passivity. I thank for your comment, as you complement the idea brought here.
I think this video is not a stand alone in this channel, conforming to a sick society make us sick. Working for yourself creatively, with a mission in mind (like a DaVinci, a Göethe, or a Spilberg), reaching the state of flow - even if you're morbid minded. Not just working for money, "create" is the key word here.
i used to be an artist, but staying at home has made me happier than ive ever been. back when i went to school, or worked, i didnt want to live and wondered what all that work was for, and if i would just spend my entire life toiling and competing for a spot in some corporate company who doesnt care about me, doing some dumb graphic art project. even when i did my own projects, its only a temporary sense of pride that quickly leaves and im back feeling down about life, like i had gotten a shot of drugs that wore off after a day. now i stay at home as the house caretaker, i have my free time to relax and not worry about when my next project is, i havent really drawn in over a year, and im happy for the first time in my whole life, actually. What ive learned about abandoning this societies ideal of "success" and "happiness" is that the constant drive to be the best, to succeed and go higher on the corporate ladder, is what's making people unhappy (well, at least it was for me, and from what i've seen, a lot of other people. but i suppose thats anecdotal). most people just dont work like that. people need time to decompress, to relax and turn their mind off. our current society doesnt really permit that. we work 40+ hours a week at places that only allow short breaks once or twice a day, a marginal amount of vacation and personal days, and some people dont even get maternity days to take care of their own babies. how can you not be depressed when this company essentially owns your life and you barely have any freedom to decide when you want to even go on a damn vacation? TL:DR is working a ton makes you happy then do that for yourself but it's not the same for everyone. most people need relaxation time to not go insane.
It is though, it doesn't FEEL like that to me and in truth I'm just doing this to protect my own ego because I'm lazy as fuck, but it technically is. Hell to be honest the fact that my emotions tell that your right doesn't mean a damn thing objectively because they're based solely on my own primitive survival instinct or will to life. Still though, ooph, feeling useless kinda feels like some sticky purple sludge that used to be a lolipop is just fucking smeared all over you like cooking oil on a baby, and it's getting into my brain, I can feel it. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear into thoughtless, senseless oblivion, have any of you felt the same?
Rigorous labor is nothing but a distraction for the mind. This is good for those who sit idle and face the unfortunate loop of depressive/existential and nihilistic mindset. But this is also bad if the work you do is repetitive and non-constructive. This is just random intuitive thinking. Take it with a grain of salt.
It's a myth that people had to toil from dawn to dusk in order to sustain a living. There were certainly places and times at which this is true, but it's also true that in some places working enough to sustain oneself took only a few hours a day, after which there was plenty of room for leisure. Source: www.primitivism.com/primitive-affluence.htm The other point, that passivity and depression are linked is profoundly incorrect. It's not passivity that is at fault, but rather meaninglessness. For instance, the happiest people in the world are arguably master meditators that have spent literally 50,000 hours sitting and doing "nothing". If sitting for 50,000 hours doesn't count as "passivity" in the Western estimation, I don't know what does. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthieu_Ricard#Life Taylor's solution to the existential problem of "what to do?" is the Western existential approach rooted in that same mentality that continues to drive capitalism and what Weber wrote about in the Protestant Ethic, namely: a person's worth is proportional to their diligent industriousness. That somehow one can achieve greatness or satisfaction by achieving some goal is deeply myopic. It's not achieving a goal that satisfies - I mean, deeply satisfies - but, rather, developing a practice that's intrinsically rewarding and enjoyable. For instance, Picasso didn't paint to be the best painter, or to be recognised, but rather because he found it rewarding in an of itself. It's learning to enjoy the journey, not the goal, that's important. Achieving greatness and fame is the delusion of the masses. The greatest people can only hope to be the faintest of memories given enough time; Einstein will be a footnote in 1,000 years. Given the whims of historians and the common masses he might even be forgotten in a century. Even if you only want to be rich or famous within your lifetime, what makes you think that'll be fulfilling? There's research that shows that people that value and money are less happy than those that don't (source: mitpress.mit.edu/books/high-price-materialism), and we know that above a certain income which is around 75k having more money doesn't make you much happier (source: www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/17/map-happiness-benchmark_n_5592194.html). If you want to be fulfilled focus on living a holistic meaningful life. Invest in your well-being and that of your family's. Pursue that which is inherently rewarding and learn to let go. You're worthy of love and respect regardless of your achievements. Or you can compete against everyone else to be the most important speck in the universe. I'll leave the decision to you. My 2 cents.
Thank you for saving me the trouble. We might have more diversions, but that doesn't mean we necessarily have more leisure time--at least people who work full-time for a living.
Amazing comment. This video has good points, but overall I disagree with it. I’m glad to see people challenging it, instead of just accepting what so-posed intellectuals say.
Yes. There were many societies who couldn't toil from dawn to dusk. Look at all the farmers who lived in cold climates. There is nothing you can do in the winter time.
This is so unbelievably spot-on. Basically describes everything I've been going through for years now, which has come to a head in the last year to where I haven't burnt out--I've rusted out. Also, I read this not as a call to be constantly busy with work and to not be idle with leisure, but rather underlines the importance of doing meaningful, edifying things and being intentional vs passive. People today can distract themselves either through frantic busyness or idle appetitive pursuits and pleasures: both function to distract from having to exist alone with oneself and the rumblings of the conscience. There's definitely a range of good work to play ratios, but the big factor is whether the work and play is meaningful and edifying or soul-destroying and vegetative.
In my own experience leisure time is dreaming, visualisations, reading ,piecing together my past for answers etc. To one person this may be seen as passivity or a waste of time, to another it may be the most practical activity. Deep down we all know what to do in order to feed our souls, its whether we have the courage to act on it.
If these TRULY satisfy you, then this video's criticisms are inapplicable to you. There will be plenty of exceptions. However, I know that if I, personally, spent too much time visualizing ideas and concepts and unraveling the past, I would grow depressed, unless I then utilized these ideas and concepts or took my new understanding of my past to forge myself a future. I had a long incumbation period where I spent a lot of time learning, reflecting, observing. This was a critical part of my healthy development, but it would've been unhealthy had I stayed there until death. Not accusing anything, I just hope you're truly alright.
Wrong. We are worth the same. All humans are in the eyes of God. BUT we are not equally gifted, with the same abilities. That does not mean, that there's any worth to us, other than our soul which is divine and priceless for each of us.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Something along the lines of: "The less you do, the harder the simpler things become and the less likely you will do them. (a vicious cycle)"
Mark Chee A much greater scale of that which is really so incredibly important it should be scripture and that is: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men, weak men create hard times.” That’s exactly what’s happening in academia with these gender study’s, social grievance study’s, radical social justice warriors, etc. They’re trying to find struggle in the wrong places
"Toiling from dawn to dusk just to survive was the lot of all men women and children up until a couple hundred years ago" I'm pretty sure this is a common misconception
@@agentdills As many other people have stated in the comments, hunter gatherers, for example, had a lot of free time. But as it happens, I had medieval serfs in mind. I follow quite a few medieval history channels, and I believe I've seen this issue adressed in either Shadiversity's channel or Lindybeige's channel, though I didn't actually ellaborate because I'm fuzzy on the details and don't really have any specifics to provide as to where I actually heard it, just "I've seen this adressed in one of these channels". I'd much prefer to redirect you to the video where I heard this, but alas. But with this caveat in mind, crops were seasonal and there's only so much you can do in the fields, at a certain point you need to wait for nature to take its course, and in that sense medieval serfs had a lot more free time than is commonly thought. That's about the gist of it.
@@alexsm3882 that's fair, but would you argue that they had more *passive* free time? Or were they doing things other than work that one could define as a hobby or passion or elsewise? I think the main distinction in this video (and our era in general) is that while HGs and serfs may have had more free time, was the free time spent doing other things such as crafts, reading or learning (in any sense of the word), or was it free time spending WHOLLY relaxing, or doing nothing, or scrolling useless information about what others were doing? I do get what you mean, and a better term than "free time" could have been used in this video but I do feel that that is an important distinction. Also, I love me some lindy beige so I'll go looking for his video on the topic on my own time don't worry lol
@@agentdills Well one thing is sure they weren't reading for they couldn't ! They probably weren't working on Sunday for religion was essential back then and I believe more or less everyone was going at church at least once a week.. Appart from that It seems to me that serfs enjoyed their free time in Nature, Or socializing or having family time
@@bluerosestudios8703 but you see that seems to be the exact the opposite of what the video was saying in the sense of "passive" free time. Rest is essential, of course, but I think an important part is that for them, rest came when work was done and that wasn't scheduled or planned (besides Sabbath) whereas post industrial society heavily regimented days were the norm and specific times were assigned to rest depending on the schedule. Maybe I'm pulling hairs and even putting words into the video maker's mouth but I think the difference between "random, resting periods" and "regimented times where rest is allowed" is the key difference. That and the type of work done
If I have to achieve greatness before I can love myself, what can I call that but failure? On the other hand, people who can put a smile on their own faces before they've achieved anything... that is an incredible strength I don't possess and I admire it greatly.
But you already have half the answer right there because you just spelled it out: you don't have to be rich or famous to be of worth. In fact, most people don't become rich or famous, some who do lose it all, and some who are rich and famous are truly awful people. And many are famous for things they never intended to and their lives are a mess as a result. Stop thinking you are crap and say to yourself I AM THE BEST
It's because they already know they will accomplish a thing. Build up enough unrelated skill sets and see how connected they are when it comes to getting things done.
Be wary of exceptionalism. You don't need to be the best to be allowed to take pride. You also don't need to have skills that are rare/highly paid/ romanticized. Having the mental stamina to do a job you hate in order to give your family a comfortable life? That is something to be proud of. Having fought depression by making sure you eat, wash, and excerise every day? Damn right you should be proud of that. Commited to a new hobby for 30 days? Be proud. Keep a clean house? Take pride in that. Have a good eye for style? Take pride in that, and don't let anyone tell you that it isn't creative. Focusing on the life you actually live, and trying to use your time and resources in a way that allows you to continue growing as a person, that allows you to connect with others, that keeps you safe and healthy, that is definatly a reason to be proud.
Didn't the ruling classes in, say, Ancient Greece have a lot of free time, since slaves labored for them? Which resulted in huge advances in art, science and philosophy, and not mediocrity and mental illness.
One could argue the elites filled their time with challenging art and philosophy instead of laboring in the fields. Science, art and literature are fulfilling ways to spend time if your daily needs are provided by someone else.
I would like to note that we are the slaves in modern times. We are too busy chasing money for basic needs and expenses and are left without enough time and/or energy to pursue a passion. I know what I am talking about, recently changed jobs from physical labor to remote IT support and oh boy, the time I save on not having to drive to workplace is enough for me to do my daily chores, and some days in work are so lazy that I can learn something in the meantime while monitoring the servers I service. I feel like I woke up from a feverish dream.
Agree with above, were the slaves now but the people at the top aren’t a visible ruling class, there like ghosts pulling strings from the hole they hide in….
@@KaltVT I agree with your statement and have been saying something similar for a long time. Just because we don't see the chains doesn't mean they aren't there. We are free to choose our masters, even if we choose self employment we owe to the government and state for property and prosperity. The Elite learned a long time ago not to "tax without representation" so they mandate representation and tax us into permanent contribution.
In part, but they also were the ones waging war, defending their lands from wild animals. And though slaves did some of the tasks, only those who were able to afford them kept slaves. Becoming a slave was seen as disgrace since it meant you valued living above honor, dignity and pride. A lot of slaves were household slaves, not so much working the fields.
This feels like a very one sided, opinionated theory. We bring into argument what constitutes mental illness, the roots of most mental illnesses and the entire philosophy of buddhism this theory starts to show cracks. Granted being a creative and curious human is important but having spare time where one is not creating anything, but simply existing, is considered a fundamental to being calm, mindful and understanding your emotions. Endlessly creating or turning ones mind over can do even more damage at time to mental health. As a creative person, always being creative can be your fall. Its crucial for me to turn off my brain if I want to be consistently going up in life.
Agree, and also this entire fixation with acheivement, and excellence as measures to judge worth, and happiness in living itself. Like the entire essay keeps hammering opinions around the idea of having a purpose towards existing, and that meaning is only derived with such action to break forth from normality, but that argument looks at existence and living with a very one-sided elitist kind of a heirarchical look at things. You can live an uneventful, normal life and be perfectly content with the small things that make it worth living, sure many would find great pleasure in serving something bigger, greater than themselves, but there is nothing wrong with just being and finding contentness in a smaller frame of view.
@@psydart5945 And ultimately, even if you "only lead a normal life" (whatever normal even is) simply by interacting, living with other people you are part of some thing greater.
I feel like this essay also goes against something encouraged in our society greatly today, which is being and living in the present. This kind of life style points to a person who is constantly looking to the furture or regretful of the past. When we only look forward, we dont exist today.
Ok, best, simple take away from this video Leisure is not just break from work but to find the time to grow mentally and emotionally. Work should not just be simply hard, arduous tasks, but a puzzle that challenges you and make you see smarter ways to work.
My grandfather use to spend hours watching golf after he retired but he also fought in WW2. Died of Alzheimer's disease. It's environment. Staying active, using one's creativity, fighting the good fight not bad and focus on helping others are a good outlet to combat mental illness.
There's a reason why depression is on the rise. Having this "True Pride" is more and more unattainable. Human civilization is now globalized on insane scales. Having knowledge and or skill that others around you don't, is so incredibly difficult. With technology today, I can learn several languages, create 3D Models, design applications, learn several instruments more and more. people are growing less relevant because you aren't competing with your town to become unique and the best; to stand out and feel relevant you need to surpass the world.
It's always been you vs the world. That's why people and design have gotten more creative. It's a good thing. You need the competition or else you will be bored
@@AexisRai this isn't the matrix. There's no machine. The hierarchy is not a result of cultural misleadings but actually a process much more deeply rooted. We created the system because its the thing we need to survive. Watching jordan peterson or steven pink will really help explain why we need te5 hierarchy
@@redlightclinicdrummer not that "machine", the literal machines that _will_ outpace us and _will_ put every human below the rising waterline of how much economic value you must be able to contribute to support yourself
that's very true as we have easy transportation and access to digital content at our fingertips. There has always been economics advantages to be the best at something but having access to the global best makes everyone struggle. From employers wanting the best employees they can't find in their market because it don't exist and they won't pay them what they're worth, to employees wanting the best job they aren't qualified for, to people staying single because they have standards out of their league and they don't work on themselves on the right thing to attract those people instead often just living as a projection of what they want not attracting those people at all. So inflated expectations for everyone and deflated egos, wallets, results. There's also the fact that media lies all the time and we believe it, we believe in overnight success and these people let these stories air because it's the default narrative but their success took a decade or more, sometimes not of the people themselves but at least of the people involved with them.
Nothing wrong with enjoying your leisure time the way you want it... Especially if you are performing your personal responsibilities. I must agree with this video though, that too much leisure dulls the mind, and no matter how much of an introvert/homebody I am, I am beginning to feel bored after months of semi-retiring from work.
To be perfectly honest, one of the things I love most about your videos, is I find myself "called out" in one regard or another. Introspection is like scrubbing with sand paper at times, but quite worth it.
@serendipidus1 id rather be born in Hunter gather times I think we fucked with the balance of it all with this society we created its too much too big and too out of nature
Leftists like science after its prostituted to Leftism. H-G cultures spend vast amounts of time gathering wood for heat and cooking. And they live daily on the edge of starvation. Youre trying to get high without having to pay.
kinda gross how they define “worth”. this way of thinking is futile and destroys the excitement behind the GIFT of life. life is not something that needs to be grappled or conquered everyday. live how slow or how fast paced you want. youll always receive what is for you.
I kind of needed this, thanks ✨Life is beautiful on its own. Instead of shaming people into working hard every minute to be worth something, it’s much gentler to help people find beauty in their own lives, in their own terms
@@fluffy6628 I wouldn't completely reject the idea, but I do think there is a balance between striving for excellence and leisure time. If you constantly push yourself to do more and be better, you will get burnt out quick. If you spend all your time leisurely, you will become lazy and worthless. You define your own worth, and that's where pride comes into play. When you can achieve something great (by your definition), you can be proud of who and what you are and what you are worth. I haven't had much to be proud of and the times I was proud, It was always shot down by those around me. Its hard to learn that your worth isn't what others think of you, and that was always my mistake. Searching for validation from your peers can push you into a deep depression because EVEN IF they appreciate your worth, they will never appreciate it as much as you do. They, too, are searching for that same validation and self worth after all.
Writing Painting Drawing Talking with my little sisters Walking Building things Sitting on our porch swing, and thinking Gardening Climbing Running Driving Listening to music Making music Baking Playing Board games with my friends Learning spanish There’s probably more, but this is what I’ve got.
What’s interesting - when I had more money than I knew what to do with it and a monotonous (but well paying) job with little work to do, I eventually got super depressed and know what this video is talking about. In a sense, you made it financially and there was nothing left to strive for at least financially. Now I have a job that keeps me more busy and takes much more effort (with less money). Now I am not depressed in that way, but instead am stressed with having too much work and some financial worries. Perhaps somewhere in between is a good middle ground.
@@itsmeGeorgina exactly it should be a routine because it's good for our mind and body. For me I think I'm going to create new hobbies for myself like horseback riding, kayaking, biking, swimming, fishing, etc etc to my list
What is the purpose of life? Is it not to learn... About the universe, other people and, ultimately, about oneself? You reply, "Ok, but then what?" But can you not see that there is no 'then what'? The destination is the journey itself. Why? Because the truth is, you can never know about all those things, And so your journey merely continues; Learning all the time as you go. And so the purpose of life is this; Right here, right now. Simply learn to savour and appreciate The specialness and uniqueness Of each and every little moment in life, For it will all too soon be gone, Never to be experienced again.
Life is a gift. Thats why they call it "the present". We humans seek to break free from boredom and mediocracy but at the same time are too scared to step into the real world. The purpose of life is to experience for yourself what life is about.
@Paul Oomel Even from the biological point of view, not only reproduction, but evolution also - changing, adapting, developing, growing, learning. And even the human organism is not immune from this process. In fact man, perhaps more than any other creature, since so many others are reliant on us, needs to learn to adapt to the current situation - and learn fast! Not only about things 'out there', but perhaps more importantly, about the reality 'in here' - the way we are perceiving life; both collectively and individually.
Wilson's connection between passivity and depression may only be correlative. Not causative. For example, people's habits and behaviours while passive are different to the habits of people who are active. Bored people tend to eat more and workout less which are two direct factors that influence depression and have more variables within that would take a lifetime to figure out alone. Active people are engaged with their day and are animated by something that keeps passivity at abeyance, but their habits are also different. Maybe they are so active that they forget to eat and work right through. It's the meaning and sense of purpose that keeps bad habits knocking. And with fewer bad habits comes fewer depressive episodes. Depression is an illness, it can be the cause of passivity more than passivity being the cause of depression.
Life is not about finding happiness but conquering your inner demons, challenges and overcoming adversity. It's about pushing the limits of being a human being, finding the deeper meaning of life.
My advise is get a job, something that it doesn't allow to spend your time in a futile way. I was kind of in your place in the beginning of august, I went catching apples for 3 weeks. At the end I felt much better! 😉
River Piscean I agree River - TikTok is like YT in it that you can watch it for hours without realising how much time you’ve wasted. And it’s not like you’re using your time productively working or going to the gym
It's not about accomplishing something that meets the approval of others; but rather accomplishing something that gives you pride. That accomplishment may or may not make you famous and/ or rich, but if its genuine and gives you pride then it doesn't matter; it has fulfilled you. if your work gives you pride, then you are fulfilled. If nothing gives you pride, and you feel trapped in a wheel in your leisurely activities, then you may not be happy, or as happy as you could be. Playing a musical instrument brings me intense joy; and while I'll never be famous or 'great', i know that true happiness is the journey and success is the byproduct.
Depression can come with brainfog, and devastation of willpower. In which case, just doing something that isn't boring isn't something you would do. It is to be perpetually lost in thought, of not being a coherent personality, death.
I agree with the base idea that too much "down time" can breed stagnation and depression. But it's narcissistic to extrapolate a hierarchy of "worth" from that. We should all strive to take advantage of our time on this world because we've got some pretty cool things to take advantage of. And if the thing that drives you leaves society different (hopefully better) than you left it then the altruistic pride stemming from that is great. But there is no universal grounds to say that people who want to work, catch up with friends, and indulge in entertainment have less worth. Messages seem sort of mixed as the narrator accounts for "Hey, maybe we do need to take time for mental health and there could be nothing wrong with time spent idle when properly metered out" and the quotes used language like "merely to do what others have done" and "satisfactions of the animal side of our nature". The writer of the essay may not believe he/she is above other people for having aspirations but the source material seems to believe people who are happy with day to day pleasures are lesser.
After the "great recession" of 2008 I became a passive drunk, sitting around doing nothing. Finally I realized that I wanted to do something creative and got involved in Wood Turning, taking different woods and turning it on my wood lathe to make useful items. I was surprised that people liked my work and paid fair money for the different items. Then I needed major surgery and have been home bound and weak for over six months. My goal is to recover and begin again with my little wood work shop. Being inactive for months now I yearn to return to some creativity. I agree with the video and resist the temptation to molder. One thing I've noticed with people and their phones...they don't seem to be able to hold a conversation without referring to the internet to support their views, it's a strange way to converse, I don't own a cell phone.
I like how you cite philosophers on the evils of idleness, yet most of the philosophers were very rich and had a lot of empty time on their hands. (That's how most of them created and nurtured their ideas)
except the whole idea of the video is not to work like a horse, but to nurture your mind in the spare time that people increasingly have - dont watch netflix after a long day at work, but rather read or watch something which helps you on the long term. you seem to have missed the whole point of the video
@@robdoubletrouble With the advent of AI and Robotics , humanity will be free to do what they have not had time to do over milenniums ; namely to THINK .
I get the idea but it is difficult to conciliate this to the thoughts of 'the burnout society' by BC Han... Self exploitation also causes illness and unhappiness and in a certain way some boredom allows the mind to sort some things out. When you meditate and reach the ultimate state of passivity, you can get lots of clarity on what's important and on what pursuits feel most natural... There is something in the midway between this video and burnout society that should allow for effortless action and creativity.
Great point!! This channel is pure gold. One of my favorite subscriptions on YT. You might enjoy my channel if you enjoy this. Different vibe, but intended to be thought-provoking. Have a great day!
I think you’re spot on. The creative mind needs rest, but the rest should serve to re-invigorate the creative pursuit. In my experience the guilt of procrastination is the sign to get back to creating, while the frustration from too much hesitation is the sign of needing rest. What I just described could be applied to the day-to-day, but I also feel that there is balance on a higher level, too. Lately, I rarely experience the guilt of procrastination, even though I know it well. I’m in a period of high creativity, but that can shift. I’ve found myself in periods of low creativity in the past and will probably be there again one day. I think it’s difficult if not impossible to control the level of creativity I possess from season to season, but self-compassion combined with awareness of where I am on the larger pendulum doesn’t hurt. It reminds me to focus on how I’m feeling right now: Guilty? Get to work. Hesitant? Take a break.
Everything in life consists of ebbs and flows, ups and downs and highs and lows. We strive to find balance because leaning to one extreme proves to be too much. That is why we must work and we must rest. Both are important but too of one can lead to problems.
There's a difference between boredom and peace. A person could be sitting deep in thought, distressed. While the other could be also just sitting there, meditating, peaceful and content with feeling small and idle. My point is: purpose and intention are the distinction. So many citizens of capitalistic countries work on auto-pilot like cogs in a machine in professional environments only to come home and work tirelessly on a project they feel called to do (rarely any have the time or energy but people with hobbies still exist in capitalist nations) and end up feeling fulfilled and recharged.
Was gonna comment this. Capitalism is one the main reasons theories like this where people work like machines and people see peace and quiet and rest as wasteful and may even feel guilty while doing said tasks. Even though the mentioned tasks are their BIRTHRIGHT. The engagement in Capitalism that most people are forced into is what breeds mental illness. Not peace and rest. Not to mention that many mental illnesses are genetic so trying to blame it on “passivity” is just plain tone deaf. We have worth no matter how much work we do. We are human and our lives are invaluable no matter how much we achieve.
Vyes Sampson Right on. Hopefully we evolve past the need for labor (and equating worth with productivity) so that we may live a life of leisure, peace, & community. It seems like a utopian dream with the way neoliberalism has commodified everything from actual human beings to atrocities like war.
Leftism is the love of primitive mindlessness and stagnation where the same work is repeated generation after generation because innovation destroys mysticism and tradition. As you say, you want to feel small (to evade the need to use your mind).
thanks---many people that are often not professional types, though some are, have never even asked themselves what it is they really enjoy doing. it has been clear to me in the last two years that there is an absolute dilemma were these people who have bought tooth and nail into all this covid madness clearly don't seem to have anything better to do then get caught up in some kind of hypochondria. if we don't decipher what it is we want will never find it. i have spent most of my life just trying to find myself due to my child abuse, but have still maintained working at my goal to be a pro musician for a living, which still hasn't happened for me even after i had the guts to go to New York for a week back in the 90s. i don't believe for a minute that the way things are had to be how it is, and an example is chronic i-phone use in the last 20 years, that was just one of the things that were orchestrated by a technocrat cult that knew exactly what it would do to the youngest generation mostly. there were people warning in the 1980s that we will become controlled by technology; not the other way around if there weren't limits/boundaries put on it, and people's relationships often don't work because they don't set boundaries for those either.
:You must have a love for yourself justified in the person you are." Are you your skills? Are you your talents? Are you your education? Are you your wisdom? Are you your actions? Are you your wealth? Are you your social standing? No, these are all things that you have, they are not who you are. Advocating for loving yourself on the basis of what you have is a road that leads towards an endless grasping of straws in the hope that one day you will be worthy of your own love. Instead, you should love yourself. It is that simple, you do not need any reason, and it is not selfish or narcissistic to do so. It is not a bad thing to love yourself for no reason, just like it is not a bad thing to love someone else for no reason, it is, in fact, a very, very good thing. Love is not a finite resource, it is not something that can run out. When you love yourself you are like a cup that is filled to the brim, and as it continues to be filled it cannot stop from spilling the excess out into the world around it. Love yourself, and it will be hard not to love everyone around you, and when you love everyone around you it is very hard not to be a good person.
I mean it's sounds quite cheesy and from something taken from a coca cola ad but yess you made some points, But this video still makes some fair points
I’m torn between Wilson’s view and my experience of other cultures. I can acknowledge that I was not raise in an inherently loving family and so I sought praise from accomplishing things. High achiever mentality. If I’m good enough then I will deserve love. I think most people have at least some of this feeling. But there are people who grow up in very emotionally healthy families who know they are loved and so don’t have to achieve anything extraordinary to receive love. We’ve all had the experience of blissfully wasting days with a love doing absolutely nothing productive. And yet we were so happy because we felt loved. I think the depression that stems from a lack of productivity comes from the idea that I need to achieve to receive love. If I believe this and I do nothing then I believe I am not loved or worth of love. It’s broken people that push themselves to extraordinary achievement because it’s a way to emotionally survive. But if we’re all going to end up in the ground regardless why not just strive for a life of pleasantries instead of suffering? I think about this a lot. In my personal case, suffering comes whether I want it or not, so I may as well find ways to suffer to my benefit.
Well done, you've spotted the emotional malaise at the heart of this video's philosophy. If you're not a horrible person, you already have plenty reason to love yourself. And if you are a horrible person, it's probably because you don't love yourself.
"Suffering comes whether I want it or not, so I might as well find ways to suffer to my benefit" Just to let you know, you don't have to suffer. I also grew up in a toxic household, and one of the things I've realized is that as an independent adult you can choose to find love, community, and support in other people, and that it is possible to live life without a constant feeling of inadequacy and low self esteem. It takes a while to cultivate these types of relationships and a different perspective on life but it is definitely worth it
Way to miss the message. The point here is that empty activities and idle distractions can't keep a person fulfilled, even if they are necessary, in a *tempered* way, to keep one sane. Even something as simple as drawing or messing around with an equation can make you feel like you did something during the day other than burn oxygen. The black-and-white "Oh no, don't let anybody define you by your creative output! That's just handing your worth to someone who exploits you!" mentality is an exaggerated absolute that, ironically, robs you of meaning by providing an easy way out of the effort that grants meaning. And saying "your life might actually have some meaning if you do something creative/productive" is *not* the same as saying "you are worthless unless you're a productive robot 24/7". There must be a balance. This is a basic concept spread in all major philosophies and religions that people seem to forget. Now, people seem to see their options as either toxic self-abuse or equally toxic idleness, for some incomprehensible reason. I suppose it's easier to be an edgy absolutist, though. Less mental and physical effort.
@@DanyIsDeadChannel313 There is quite literally nothing deep in the comments I responded to. And yes, a black-and-white, contrarian view of things, wherein one picks the cheap cop-out of refusing to ever produce anything of value at all as an ongoing fit over the fact that someone valued them by their productive output, is the very definition of "edgy". And I see the above view expressed far too often. It's a very over-simplified, spiteful/bitter, self-destructive and self-pitying point of view. And it's not deep. It's also a privilege to be able to even survive having an edgy "you can't judge my value by my contributions" mindset, to be honest. Yes, to a certain extent, your creative output *does* determine your value. There are obviously other criteria, like kindness and spiritual maturity, but nobody appreciates idleness. Nobody aside from those blinded by some edgier modern cultural currents is going to respect someone who's too cool and deep to ever do anything. Moreover, if you don't do things and just lounge around telling yourself that "my worth isn't in my productivity", you won't respect yourself, either. If you look back on your day, week or month and you did much less than you could, it's not going to be very satisfying.
Andrew Raslan Surely you are talking about societal rather than personal? I mean, a person who learns to love their parent or a person who works hard to keep away from their drug addiction won’t have much value on a societal level but they will gain a lot of value on a personal level. Or let me ask you this. Is the person who is obese but fulfilling a 150K (50 hours per week) job more constructive than the healthy and fit person fulfilling a 25K (15 hour per week) job? Once we start talking about value, we really must define what exactly it is that we value. For me, the point of this video was to highlight that the value of being a wage slave isn’t really constructive to western civilisation ✌🏼
I think the only thing that has kept me from sinking into profound depression is that I’ve kept up with exercise and hobbies, namely drumming. If I gave those things up, there would be nothing in life to keep me even remotely happy.
Then you're relying on "things" to keep you happy. Things are great (I'm a drummer also), but the spirit is where "happiness" lives. There's a reason that statistically, people raised in a stable, loving, two parent, natural home, are far less likely to suffer from depression and suicide. The hippies were partly right, it's all about "love, man!"
I'm 55, married, and we have a wonderful, loving daughter, now moved out and working in the healthcare system. We also have 3 dogs in the house that we adore, but our daughter is our heart and soul. I too am a drummer. My drums are a passion, and to a lesser degree, playing and singing Neil Young songs (acoustic guitar/harmonica). My 20+ year long hobby is remote control car racing. They're cool, they're expensive, and they're time consuming. There's the time practicing to be better on race days, and the time spent disassembling several hundred pieces of dirty toy cars in order to maintain their competitiveness. I've pitted with the same friend for almost 15 years now. He loves and lives this stuff also, but at the end of the day, no matter where we finish, it's really about all the "track" relationships we've forged over the years with other friends and hobbyists. Peace man!
@@triggerhappydad65 the thing this society has forgotten is how to be a community. Everyone is some selfish prick these days and feels very disconnected. I feel current tech also factors into it despite it bringing many positives
TLDR: *There is much truth in this video, do not misunderstand the message.* A lot of negativity in these comments. Almost like people hate being told their "leisure" is likely a waste of time. I think something untouched in the video is that there is a difference between healthy and unhealthy leisure. Passivity refers to things that require little to no action (scrolling social media, watching your show, talking about simplistic topics) and these activities, if you can really call them that, are what lead to the "neurosis" referred to in the video. Engaging in an activity that requires repeated input to receive an output, I think, is the basis for healthy leisure time. Do something that isn't fun unless you make it fun. Something that gives you what you put into it. People at my work and about are frequently surprised to hear that I don't watch and shows or movies at all. I'm a huge nerd so the fact that I haven't seen the new anime series or any of the new marvel movies is usually what starts the convo. I just prefer to challenge myself when I get home by either playing a challenging game, playing music, drawing, or writing. It's not really laborious unless I make it that way with the wrong state of mind. Some days are pretty miserable, where I can't produce any satisfying results, but others are more rewarding than anything I could get from outside sources. I used to be suicidal. I was admitted to a mental hospital at 17, before my physically self-destructive tendencies escalated any further, and even after my release I battled with my crushing depression for years, having no concrete answers for why I felt this way. Living like this: practicing self-discipline to challenge myself in my free time, has and will continue to give me life. Because the days where I struggle only lay the foundation for the personal successes to feel that much more satisfying.
@@nik8099 Well, technically, you don't have to do anything, but if you act passively and complain about why you're so unfufilled, there's a fundamental lack of self-awareness there. If you are comfortable and not spiteful about your place in life, then there's nothing to worry about. Do as you please.
Taylor Evers I love your take on this and I do hope that you find true happiness in your life. I have a mental illness as well and seeing you brave your way through yours helps me too :)
I also read the comments and im suprised how easily come with conclusions about things this video never said. No wonder it's hard for people to achieve, they have terrible reading and listening comprehension!
I like being passive in a way. There is so much pressure today to work and to do something all the time that it often flings me into depression and anxiety.
male6561 its because motivational videos are simply just a spice to the main meal. In our generation, young men like myself need an answer and the logical procedures to becomig mentally healthy and productive but the lacking in father figures have really taken that away. So we look to the internet for answers, however we can. We may not be a whole vase, but a broken vase being put back together.
They are often spreading problematic types of messages: -You are a great loser if you don't "succeed" in life. -If you want to succeed in life you must do all of those 127 things that have nothing to do with success, and do them all right. -The whole idea of there being other ways to succeed in life than to became rich and/or famous is stupid. -99% of all people are great losers for failing to be in the top 1%. -You should start your day by getting up from your bed in 10 seconds after hearing the alarm bell, because if you start your day by procrastinating you are subconsciously... (I don't remember what, just that the reason was stupid. Also, 10 seconds is not enough time to properly wake up.) -Every second of your day counts, so don't waste any single one of them. -No matter how trivial, stupid or boring your pursuit is, never give up! I love to watch this type of videos when I feel unmotivated, because after some 10-15 minutes of watching them I would get motivated. But, when I watch the type of videos described above, instead of getting motivated, I feel bad. I would be less motivated to do the task than I was before watching it.
That's because as the Bhagavad Gita describes, Understanding is superior to the mind which is superior to the senses.. The Self is most superior to all because it is eternal.
In videos like these you learn some stuff. In most "motivational" videos they really only say stuff that is common sense and stuff you already know but they rely on making you feel better by watching it so you get addicted too watching motivational videos with mediocre advice
I hate it when I find myself bored with no energy and end up scrolling on social media, it only makes it worse and seeing how well other people seem to be doing in life only makes me more miserable and has me feeling like feeling like a failure. However, when I distance myself from the wicked screen, I feel so much more peaceful, even though I'm not constantly indulging in pleasure.
Simply explore an interest, and once you do, figure out how you can use it to the betterment of society. Now that's how leisure time should be best spent.
Lazaro Quintana, Jr. Why for the betterment of society? And what does better really mean? Less pain and suffering? I, for example, view pain and suffering as necessary and ultimately positive things in one’s life so I would never want to lessen that. That might make for a worse world for you. Also, to enslave one self to society and to work for them is to soon oneself and become a slave to fleas.
@@SmotheredDreams Spoken like someone who views an increased quality of life as a sign of cruelty and oppression. Personal perception (albeit narrow) aside, I would find it pragmatic to imply the betterment of society by means of making it more productive as to increase the output of prosperity, whether by means of agriculture or craft. Take it from a guy who has dabbled in playing "Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence" from time to time.
@Treinstein thanx a lot. What I wanted to say was , there is this innate need for me to always strive to learn and work. Leisure also has varying elements of "rest". Depends on the person. Sometimes mobile surfing can be leisure for some, meditation for some or learning a new skill for some. What I think he is trying to say is about passivity in living and thought . People who meditate for years , they are working in their own way. I really appreciate your views too. 😊
@Treinstein definitely . Some people just need to keep doing something or the other. What I was trying to specify is he is talking about passivity. You can work a lot and be passive also , at the same time. It is the quality of leisure , that I am focusing on. Maybe for some doing nothing is the best form. But do people really do nothing for leisure now a days?
@Hansol's Friend been through that too. But don't you get moments of desperation , when you get irritated at the world ,then think about its futility and at the end confront yourself. I had series of these over 2 years -up down up down after which I finally understood what caused it. Those years are still not totally behind me , but they have made me learn some important things.Hope you also make through it and lead a satisfying life , true to the best possible version compatible /incompatible with the world.
This is actually Western philosophical view of life. Work so much that you forget about your depressing thoughts. Eastern view does not look at the world like this
I dunno.... I agree with this being the majority of the mindset of creatives but I think it's a pretty self indulgent mind set to think that the only way to life is to create or be driven. I think just enjoying life as it is, is an artform in itself. Always reminding yourself to look for the positives in situations is work and also a form of being creative. When I meet very positive genuinely kind people that don't need to boast about anything it is very inspiring to me... I love being around those people as well not just "creatives or the driven".
Having had 2 months staying at home and been unemployed, I could tell you just really connected the dots and showed my a clear picture of what has low-key impacted me. This time truly drove me insane. Crazy thoughts and actions took place without me being able to control. Some of the worst habits have been developed, not to mention me ruining the relationships with Mom and Dad. Thank you for the beautiful message it had to offer, I am definitely going out there and starting to get myself a job. Can't stay idle for too long!
@@consciousgentile5141 That's because they haven't the capacity to do so. You see, the dog's brain is small. Even with an advanced brain, a dog's eyesight coupled with its complete lack of thumbs, would hinder it from performing any "real" tasks.
Having a purpose & meaning in life, i.e., lack of passivity, the opposite of lack-of-belief, whatever you & experts want to call it.... is the main purpose of life. Humans grow with active pursuit of "something" (however mundane, finite, hedonistic results it may lead to) rather than sit back & be passive to every/ most things around them. The youth of today or for that matter every age, run that risk of slipping into passivity that has big consequences later in their lives as they find themselves depressed, disillusioned & lost. Thats the key message of this video & its right.
I fundamentally agree and disagree with so many things about this idea. Hasn't happened to me in a long time where I've been so divided in my own opinion, so thank you.
You were capable to put into words what I couldn't. Everything I read about depression says it's an imbalance of chemicals in our brain with no known cause and doesn't need to have a reason for that, I gave up trying to understand it because that's not my case, I know exactly the moment I started feeling depressed and know the cause as well, and you, in just a few words in the comment session of an arrogant video, answered it for me. Thank you! Have a wonderful life
I've been this passive person for 26 years. I've got severe health anxiety, and I suspect more than that but I won't say before a therapist does. Tbh, last week I reached mylowest point. I couldn't sleep for 3 nights because I felt like I was having a stroke everytime I started to fall asleep... I talked with my parents about my anxiety, which was the hardest thing I could do, I went to the hospital, and now I'm waiting to see a therapist. I'm so tired of living like this, really. It has been 5 years since it started, and it's just terrible. Tomorrow I'll have an audition for the first time, to join a musical theathre school. I don't know if that's my answer, cause to be honest, I feel like I was molded to a point that I don't even know what I really want. But I always loved musicals and singing. I hope all goes well. I hope that's my turning point :) I'm glad this video was in my suggestions, cause it came right on time. Good luck, yall! And sorry for the personal essay xD
+Treinstein to me the lack of purpose is the root of the evil you say that one without purpose at all would be free and happy. I say it would drown in doubt and the void of anxiety
@goldenhotdogs It doesn't even have to be a profound purpose either. Yeah, life is great and all, but it's the things we do in life that contribute to making it great. The little things that create a sense of purpose whether it's creating dank memes to learning how to be a better artist, they all add up significantly over time and give us an accomplished feeling even if failure is involved.
My dear Wormwood, Obviously you are making excellent progress. My only fear is lest in attempting to hurry the patient you awaken him to a sense of his real position. For you and I, who see that position as it really is, must never forget how totally different it ought to appear to him. We know that we have introduced a change of direction in his course which is already carrying him out of his orbit around the Enemy; but he must be made to imagine that all the choices which have effected this change of course are trivial and revocable. He must not be allowed to suspect that he is now, however slowly, heading right away from the sun on a line which will carry him into the cold and dark of utmost space. For this reason I am almost glad to hear that he is still a churchgoer and a communicant. I know there are dangers in this; but anything is better than that he should realise the break he has made with the first months of his Christian life. As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago. And while he thinks that, we do not have to contend with the explicit repentance of a definite, fully recognised, sin, but only with his vague, though uneasy, feeling that he hasn’t been doing very well lately. This dim uneasiness needs careful handling. If it gets too strong it may wake him up and spoil the whole game. On the other hand, if you suppress it entirely-which, by the by, the Enemy will probably not allow you to do-we lose an element in the situation which can be turned to good account. If such a feeling is allowed to live, but not allowed to become irresistible and flower into real repentance, it has one invaluable tendency. It increases the patient’s reluctance to think about the Enemy. All humans at nearly all times have some such reluctance; but when thinking of Him involves facing and intensifying a whole vague cloud of half-conscious guilt, this reluctance is increased tenfold. They hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in financial embarrassment hate the very sight of a pass-book. In this state your patient will not omit, but he will increasingly dislike, his religious duties. He will think about them as little as he feels he decently can beforehand, and forget them as soon as possible when they are over. A few weeks ago you had to tempt him to unreality and inattention in his prayers: but now you will find him opening his arms to you and almost begging you to distract his purpose and benumb his heart. He will want his prayers to be unreal, for he will dread nothing so much as effective contact with the Enemy. His aim will be to let sleeping worms lie. As this condition becomes more fully established, you will be gradually freed from the tiresome business of providing Pleasures as temptations. As the uneasiness and his reluctance to face it cut him off more and more from all real happiness, and as habit renders the pleasures of vanity and excitement and flippancy at once less pleasant and harder to forgo (for that is what habit fortunately does to a pleasure) you will find that anything or nothing is sufficient to attract his wandering attention. You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday’s paper will do. You can make him waste his time not only in conversation he enjoys with people whom he likes, but in conversations with those he cares nothing about on subjects that bore him. You can make him do nothing at all for long periods. You can keep him up late at night, not roistering, but staring at a dead fire in a cold room. All the healthy and out-going activities which we want him to avoid can be inhibited and nothing given in return, so that at least he may say, as one of my own patients said on his arrival down here, ‘I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked.’ The Christians describe the Enemy as one ‘without whom Nothing is strong’. And Nothing is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man’s best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like, or in the long, dim labyrinth of reveries that have not even lust or ambition to give them a relish, but which, once chance association has started them, the creature is too weak and fuddled to shake off. You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts, Your affectionate uncle Screwtape
I agree with this to certain point. As someone who study PhD in university, I find physical labour very relaxing, especially really hard 10 hours a day work. The feeling I got when I came home after such a long day was really awesome. Although I needed a lot of rest, mentally it made me better than hours of solitude working on college degree. After a while I realized, I need both, mental as well as physical labour to stay sane and happy.
This is untrue. Leisure was common in the days of the hunter gatherers. It’s thought that it only took about 5 hours a day to gather food and hunt , what about the other 19? Minus 10 for sleep you have 9 hours. Leisure is not new
You are correct. Journals from Australian Explorers handbooks marvelled that the Indigenous seemed lazy, choosing rather to play and tell stories than to work, stating that their survival was a result of the bountifulness of the land and oceans. The early explorers knew nothing of the permaculture that had been worked into the land to make it so bountiful. So yea, not my words, Matthew Flinders, Captain Cook and more all stated the indigenous frolicked and played all day
It is true. Your arguments lack the wholistic considerations of hunter gatherers. Hunting may have taken 5 hours a day but it is not like in their own ways (meaning the differing cultures, peoples, tribes throughout the world) they didn’t fulfil other necessary and vital tasks. We can be sure that they had leisure time but their leisure time was “down time” from the rigors of hunting not in a grocery store but across vast expanses of rough, raw wilderness. Like any athlete, they would need rest and recovery for the next outing. Today, do we really need rest and recovery from picking up some stuff from Safeway?! So, don’t so easily pass this off as untrue... because there are many more nuances and details involved with surviving, thriving, living without modern conveniences and such. Your statement is a perfect display of your limited perspective. I’m not saying, and nor is he, that we need to go go go all day every day.... but as a whole, our modern culture is terrifically privileged to sit around most of the day, every day, and to get as fat as say, most Americans are. Unhealthy, emotionally unhealthy and psychologically unhealthy. Period. There is a reason why the US alone consumes the world’s greatest quantity of pharmaceuticals.
@@Torrque Hunter/ gathering activity is not equal to stopping by at a mall to do shopping 😂😂😂😂 it is all that goes into keeping food, house, clothes... work -- and with 5 hours work we wouldn't need that much rest to recover, hunters did not run constantly, and why do we think they did? Working 12 hours a day as a waitress,,, yep, that will need recovering time
I guess it depends on how you define "passive". A person who is working a minimum wage job (in other words - not privileged) and sits on the couch for the rest of the day when they get home could be seen as passive. Doesn't matter how much you earn. Being passive is just a sign of depression and it can happen to anyone.
lotta over simplifications and jumping of logic in a society were we are just wage slaves and only contributing to the betterment of the corporation instead of ourselves. its just not that hard to figure out that humans are not adapted to the current ways and we've lost the plot almost entirely.
maybe, and i know this is a crazy idea right, what if people stopped voluntarily applying to those corporations and applied to other businesses instead that do value their employees? or made those businesses themselves. people just put up with their mundane wage slave position because theyre too lazy and apathetic to do anything about it. not because they cant. id rather work for a small business that appreciates me than work for a soulless multinational, even if they pay more.
@@TheSuperappelflap That is if the wage you get from your "small business" boss is enough for you to get by (rent, food) + get things you want which is hardly the case in 1st and 2nd world countries due to skyrocketing estates, and with the covid situation, even 3rd world countries follow suit.
Personally, I find it relaxing to watch my favorite show and dance to my favorite songs after a long day of working and studying. Spending leisure time on these activities not only didn't cause any harm to my well-being but also boost my mood up. And thanks to them, I can enter the stable state when I am devoting for my personal project.
@@JDPBelhumeur in today's world, it's becoming less possible. Let's say you want to be a painter/dancer/whatever but you have to work all the time just to survive. Overtimes are becoming the norm. I mean, yes, you can pursue your passion but it's getting harder to do
This is actually quite a disturbing and ignorant view on the dynamics. Sure the old Greek philosophers could feel superior and spent their free time engaged in fulfilling creative work while their slaves and women were basically sacrificing their lives by doing everything else that needed to be done. It is always easier to look down on the small people so you can feel superior. But actually it is just heartbreaking.
its not about looking down bro they dont feel superior because they are rubbing it in and laughing at weak people, they feel superior because out of everything on this planet the men who go the farthest in creative endeavors of self improvement for themselves create divine transcendent beauty that transcends humanity and everything on this planet, and ive realized everyone who is trying to hate on the ideas presented in this video are jealous and a lot of them are getting defensive possibly because they feel theyll never not be lazy pieces of garbage lol
The idea that philosophers were/are lazy, disconnected, bourgeois fogies stretches all the way back to Plato. You can bet your life savings that if Plato wouldn't himself qualify as a philosopher king, he wouldn't be advocating for it, or his "noble lies". It is the nature of kings to find reasons for why they above all others deserve power, be that intellect, divine command, or command of strength.
Very true. I have great ambitions, beyond just making a decent amount of money; beyond being known within just my country. I always wonder why people throw away their lives for something basic in a world of opportunity and look down upon those, but they are the ones we need.
Self-Respect is an inherent quality of Self-Pride. If you have self-respect, you care for yourself - What you eat, how much you sleep, what you do. I think it is vital and not to be confused with arrogance.
Seems as though pride and self love are awfully dependent on exterior virtues and values. You rise above the herd because the herd puts you there. They pay attention. And I don’t think most people talk about “nothing”. That seems to be an illusion adhered to by pretentious academic circles who think because they’ve read Hegel they understand these secrets of life that “the herd” won’t get. If you hear people talk about “nothing” it’s because they don’t need to openly discuss deep philosophical ideas about life to be motivated to live. They just chug on. Good video, a few holes in da logic tho.
mediocrity (laziness, distraction etc) and conformity(fear, cultishness) are the two biggest obstacle which comes in the way of human potential achievement. sometimes I find that mediocrity and conformity are reciprocal to each other such as fear makes you passive and lazy and passivity leads to future fear. maybe we human being instinctively seeks comfort and do not like to take the risk, personally, I find that after a period of long work my mind seeks an award in the form of the mediocre thing(leisure, procrastination). I think it is a human tendency to learn only from an accident, incident, and guilt.
Rajan sometime i feel jealous of his wisdom What would be the point of “human achievement” if you can’t experience the “mediocre” activity that comes with it? what is the purpose? wouldn’t achieving just to achieve be conformity?
Very well said. We have been given a tremendous privilege by time to live in this era. It makes sense to contribute and to use this time well. Take care.
Your mind desires the mediocre thing because you perceive it to be desirable. You view work as something to be endured, as an undesirable action which takes you away from the desirable thing. The difference between this way of thinking and the way workaholics think, is that workaholics do not perceive the mediocre thing to be desirable in the first place. Instead, they might be disgusted by it, for whatever reason, and instead fantasize about continuously working. They may be trying to reach a goal, but usually they simply view idleness as contemptible. They often do not find any joy in retirement. There is a difference between genuinely loathing procrastination and thinking it would be ideal if one did loath procrastination. So they don't constantly fight against themselves when choosing between work and leisure, at least not the same way that most people do. If one wanted to avoid leisure and procrastination, then he would have to change his fundamental perception of it so that it was no longer desirable.
In an abstract way, yes, the traditional idea is to work hard so eventually you can retire. Most people do want that, and that's why they constantly struggle with maximizing productivity versus leisure and procrastination. But every field of endeavor is basically a competition, and those who are most successful often give up everything else in order to work constantly. The irony is that many of these types of people are never really able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
A few days ago Macron explained that the authors of the last riots in France were very young this time. And prior to this, interestingly, they had many months of inactivity due to school strikes and covid. In Gaza, 80% of people are unemployed as Gaza is getting welfare money from abroad. This mass passivity/inactivity/mediocrity precedes everywhere chaos bursts. I am beginning to connect the dots. A leisure society is doomed to fail. It would actually be a nightmare.
When I suffered a leg injury, I spent a almost an entire year in leisure as I went through recovery. I think that, worse than the physical damage, the psychological damage of having lost all purpose and routine was far greater. It culminated in a mental breakdown, where I had to be hospitalized, and now, I've noticed I'm almost incapable of enjoying long periods of leisure, as I will get too restless within an hour of inactivity. If I have a long passage of time of idleness, even a week, my mental health takes a drastic decline, to where, exercise and creating is the only cure
I think most of the frustration over life that people have comes from them feeling as though they ought to strive to be an ideal promoted by those that they are imprinted upon they say it is their own but are miserable when partaking in it, and won’t admit it to themselves, and so one should realize that you don’t have to be anything, when you do that you will achieve all that you truly desire I do not think one must be a master at anything, I think it is best to find love for what could be better, and mastery is often a side effect of love
Become an AOI Supporting Member and access 100+ exclusive videos: academyofideas.com/members/
I plan to support you soon :) I have finally finished all of your UA-cam content
Do you think that, at the end of the day, that some people do not wish to go along with the herd simply because they don’t like what they see? It’s an opinionated question, and 9 hours late surely, but it’s not a bad one to ask either. I’m not a Philosopher, but a Poet has his moments of questions!
#Be the change...keep it up.
Academy of Ideas I need to read Restoring Pride, thanks!
snowflake that is you
I think the laboriousness of pre-modern life is often greatly exaggerated. Actually hunter-gatherers like the Native Americans had a lot of free time and seemed to enjoy it. They didn't work hard like the white man and didn't want to....Benjamin Franklin spoke somewhere of the Indians looking down on the white man's 'laborious way of life'.
Agricultural peoples have a laborious way of life... however even those people had large amounts of free time such as during winter in the Northern hemisphere when there was little agricultural work to be done.
But as far as I know neither hunter-gatherers nor our farmer ancestors suffered overmuch from boredom. I think they were better equipped for 'being with themselves' and entertaining themselves.
I think a lot of modern man's boredom is really ennui, a sense of the futility of life which itself is born out of modern man's unrealistic expectations of what life should and can be for most people. Modern man makes his own suffering because his mental worldview is unreal and when these unreal expectations meet reality suffering, both psychological and physical, ensues.
This rings true.
To be with oneself seems to be an ability we don't learn any more.
Well said. Totally agree.
Totally agree with you
What a thoughtful
@Ian Corral You said the native Americans were not hunter-gatherers, but then you mention they "followed the herds"...that is hunting.
People have figured out the "why" we exist...we exist to worship God in one form or another, that is the answer of the sages of all peoples.
My passivity led me to this video.
In this case, it became a good thing. I think.
We all know thats why we're all here
Paradox discovered!!!
Your profile picture fits that comment well.
Well, If you are actively researching on mental illness and want to see what others think about it( And because you are not narcissistic and also value opinion of people and also have your self worth or self love), I think you may be active and still 'consume' things because there is no 'ideal' creative process, we all are influenced and inspired by someone or something.
I’m happier when I create. No doubt about it
Don't take it as gospel.
your spirit is here to create and not judge. whether its babies, art, or other types of forms of expression (that dont infringe upon others free will, lest they give you permission by channeling in)
Well, I CAN tell you, as a professional creative constantly creating to keep up, this entire mindset is predicated on the notion that being idle is an option. Creation is even more painful, when you can’t find the joy you used to in it, but it still seems preferential to a 9-5.
I lost that. No clue how
Started painting a few days ago. Feel alive again tbh. So maybe there's some truth to it
Stop feeling the guilt put onto you by those who want you to do more to enrich them. Work for yourself. Then see how quickly the depression & "mental illness" shifts from you to them.
They'll just argue that they have more responsibility than you, and that you should feel obliged.
I needed to read this today! Thanks!
What if I like my job?
I won’t disagree that I work to make someone else rich. I do residential HVAC though. It’s tough, but I work with my hands Mon-Fri, which I love, and improve for my community. Everyone needs Heat and A/C in NY Capital District and it feels good knowing I provide comfort to those who need it.
Also by making my company owner more rich, I get better benefits and raises. My coworker and I could leave and go work for ourselves, but then we have to do all the sales and paperwork portion of the job and then we’d be working exhausting 80 hour weeks. Not worth it.
@@dylanhealy8126 so you are satisfied with your life right as it is now and forever? When your owner buys a big house and in ground pool. Taking 4 vacations in a year. He grows old comfortable. You will grow old one day also. Rough ins suck. Actually everything an HVAC guy has to do would suck when youre older and your bones start to ache. You don't have to do paperwork. Lots of ppl do book keeping jobs. You can bid jobs and over see younger guys. Then you will grow old comfortable. The stress is when its unorganized. Organization is key to the top.
I need 6 hrs sleep a day and about 8 at night
Nice!
Bish same
I sleep for 18 hours..
billy pilgrim I’m on your same schedule.
The stuff I do when I’m awake is so intense it takes extra sleep to assimilate
@@chrisenglish4380 ohh I found a twin..m so happy
When everything online makes you want to get offline
so go off line man
i think outside is insane
@@chumaggots666.... that was a joke...
Every joke has some truth in it
When UA-cam algorithm knows I waste time.
When UA-cam knows you better than anyone else does
Haha! Guilty ✋
777 Likes
Paul Lechintean so your saying this channel is a waste of time?
How is this channel a waste of time? If your watching and not putting effort than ya, but if you put the effort then no
One of the first moments I ever truly loved myself was the night I discovered I could run for more than 30 minutes. Even in my dark years I can call on memories to lift me up and energize myself. The depth of true self-love that you can achieve is a gift from heaven
nice I still haven't figured out mine.
I know that studies have been done on this - but physical exercise also increases mental motivation. I'm over the age of 50, but it was not that long ago when we were more physically active, excelled in school, at work, in life...then sedentary passivity set in. Hm.
Running brings me such joy! A true gift from God.
i dont think I ran 30 minutes, but I could run bc before I wasnt able to physically do it bc of hip issues
i went to prison 135 lbs. i then gained 35 lbs of muscle and ate only the healthiest food available and i felt like god himself for about 18 months until i stopped. i felt DIFFERENT. i didnt occupy space i owned it. i just felt like a new person. that was a decade ago and im close to 30. 30 is supposed to be our prime as men so its time to really bve in my prime again. its time to feel powerful again mentally and physically.
On the other hand, I really like a quote from Thoreau which says "When in doubt, slow down." It's possible to burn out if you're constantly on a grind and forget to feed both your body and soul. Balance is key!
Digital Hermit Think about this: “Many hands make light work, but too many cooks spoil the broth.”
@@axfdfaad1800 not true, plenty of people who don't work, don't partake in capitalism, cultivate slothful habits based on shallow hedonism
I take inspiration from nature and the animal kingdom. They live balanced lives as well. So why can't we?
@@expressionofwill5307 well then that is just the other end of the spectrum.
how do you not partake in capitalism? or a better question... do you partake in capitalism and not even know it? claiming something is not true is inaccurate, your opinion is not the measure of truth.
This has seemingly been true in my own life. I find my bouts of depression and anxiety are founded upon self-loathing and guilt that is caused by passivity and irresponsibility. One of the hardest life changes that I have made is voluntarily tackling responsibilities and creating productive free time for myself. It is my natural inclination to be passive and to seek momentary gratification. Since I have made this change I am far more content. I am also far more alert and competent in my work and hobbies as well.
You defined and summed up really well my biggest problem as well . Could you please explain a bit how did you tackle that inner “demon”?
@@mial1522 Well I had to have a change of values. I did value momentary gratification and spontaneous acts of dopamine inducing "fun". I was under the impression that life was all about experiencing the good things, and that the good things were what was pleasing and gratifying. In short, my life mantra was "Do what makes you happy", and "happy" meant "feel good". And so I was caught in a feedback loop where I was depressed because my lifestyle choices weren't conducive to a stable life and inherently went against my intrisic value system that I was raised with, and so it pushed me to seek that next dopamine high by trying new and novel forms of gratification. The impetus to my change was a realization that I had adopted a terrible value system in my late teens. I realized that life isn't about being happy or feeling good and my valuing such things was leading me down and unsustainable path. I begin to adhere to the value system that I was raised with (I was raised in a conservative Christian home), and with a special focus on responsibility and delayed gratification. I realized that the point of life is to be responsible because in so doing I am better able to help myself and ultimately the people around me, and especially those that I love and care for. Faith played no small part in this lifestyle and value system change.
Same
How were you able to make this change start happening. I’ve struggled for very long to grow out of this faze and my burst of productivity fade fast and can’t seem to gain control
@@oliviapete Hey me too! For years it was like this for me, and in some ways it still is. It just that it takes time. You'll start and stop for a while. You'll continue to stumble and lapse for pretty much ever. It just requires persistence and grace. You have to be able to forgive yourself when you fail. In my own experience, every time I failed or had a relapse, when I would eventually come back, I always ended up learning something new. Like the reason I relapsed was because there was some part of living productively that I had not fully grasped yet. Honestly, what I have had to relearn the most are my exepectations of how I think life ought to be, and just accept it for what it is. I had a very romanticized understanding of life, and when my own lived experiences did not meet that high ideal, I relapsed. I had to learn that life is often difficult and it takes a lot of sacrifice and work to live productively. I also had to learn though, that life isn't all hard work and sacrifice. There is a time to enjoy yourself, to celebrate the work of you done, and to rest from all that have you done. Hope my rambling is helpful!
No one should have to spend 70% of there life working to survive, on the other hand no one should spend the majority of there life doing nothing but staring at the TV or into their cell phone.
@Vatan Kömürcü in a form it is modern slavery. A group of people made a community which lead to a country and by the time we were born made all the laws took away all the land and put the price on it. Than told us we have to work to make a living and we can't construct our own home without following the rules they placed. I wish we had plenty of land so every person can live like the native Indians before England came. They haunted for food and made there own homes and did what they wanted with the rest of there time.
@@Christopher._M Exactly. It sucks that we have to conform to this ridiculous society that I don't want to be a slave to. If it was possible to homestead like in the old days and have my own farm and hunt and fish also, that would be what I would do. Granted, this is NOT an easy way of living. There is a hell of a lot sacrifice and effort that goes into that way of living. But it would be worth it to be in control of my own life and not have to work under some dumb ass "boss" where you don't have any real freedom, you have to conform to what benefits them, and do exactly what they say or else potentially risk losing everything.
I cannot stand working for a company or for someone else. I am more of the type who is more independent, but I lack people skills which makes it hard for me to succeed in this modern society. I hate working in teams. Small groups are ok because there is less corruption than larger teams. But this has been a major inhibitor for my advancement in this life. But also a blessing at the same time because I can easily see right through meaningless societal norms that go unquestioned and fake people. I don't believe in supporting them.
@@yearginclarke I resonate with your feeling since I had my first taste of labor. Me being the youngest and most inexperienced they loaded the heavy work on me while they had the light work. After a while of feeling abused I left. My goal now is to day trade stock Im honestly a little hesitant because Im aware of the risk but once I invest more time in learning it I will go for it. Anything not to keep feeling like they have all the power over me and my life.
@@Christopher._M I don't know much about trading, but maybe I'll look into it. But yes, do whatever it takes to be free of having someone cracking a whip at you! I am in the pursuit of it right now as well. Good luck.
@@yearginclarke Hey, I basically share similar views as you so I recommend that you check out these two things: Eco Villages or Communes; these two things are perhaps the closest things to the lives that you and I desire in a world dominated by Societies.
Hobbies lift the spirit, challenge the mind and can bring joy to the heart. I love airplanes, and I fly as a hobby. One of my favorite quotes (and one that I very much identify with) comes from the pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "I fly because it frees my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
Like a bird .. 😊
That's beautiful man. I've always dreamed of being able to fly. I can imagine feeling peaceful and free while soaring around in the sky. Quite a hobby you have !! :d
Or volunteer work.
Good thing i have more than 10 hobbies! If more people pursued art and had ways to communicate their feelings i feel most people could be healed and atleast let people hear them!
I write music / paint and garden / whenever I feel depressed those things defiantly lift my soul and I believe God gifted me for that reason / I also have faith and hope in God / knowing that my future is to be viewed through Him in difficulty not easiness
I’ve been staying off social media and only watching informative videos on UA-cam while sewing and staying busy and my confidence has shot up, as well as my self awareness and pride. Was just recommended this and glad everything I’ve been feeling is valid and true
Wow. Rrally interesting take. God bless you. My mom liked sewing and we knit a blanket when i was younger.
Same❤ bless u! (I’m in early 20’s)
What we feed our Brain is important
Yeah! Same here mate. Add some Comedy to your YT watchlist too....Being SelfConfident and Funny can be very Charming!
❤
You'll have to tell me what you've done to help with UA-cam addiction! When I'm on UA-cam, I loose track of time and all my motivation goes out the window (and it's the only social media I use the most). 0_0
Discouraging facts are very encouraging. Why? Because they prevent us from falling into lazy delusions which prevent real inner work.
Pete's Guitar Lessons TV a spammer? Lol, I’m sorry you feel that way pete.
Ahah what a coincidence you commented on this video, I love your music and channel. Thankyou for the endless discoveries 💛🌽
Angela Bol thank you very much! 🙂
I have been wondering why people are so scared of facts here lately. I think this was the answer I was looking for.
Not for everyone, though
This saved me few years ago. Now i'm a licensed engineer and starting to study law, thank you so much. I'm going for greatness!
keep going !
I’m proud of you mate
We are gonna make it
Awesome! Any advice?
Damn this channel works miracl3s
I think the quote at the last part is a beautiful one:
"Merely to do something what others have done is often safe, and comfortable; but to do something truly original, and do it well; whether it is appreciated by others or not---that is what being human is really all about, and it is alone what justifies the self love that is pride." -Richard Taylor
.
Stay safe, everyone!
-Richard Taylor- Al Qaeda
What original thing have you done?
this is interesting because I've actually found that most of my depressive episodes came with the feeling that I've been engaging too much in activities that just fuel my passivity. Those activities that are meaningless and not beneficial to me just make me bored with life and I feel like if i'm not doing anything to improve my life or the life of others, then my life is utterly pointless. That's why I started making videos in the first place, to give my life more meaning and connect with people, to have the important and thought-provoking conversations, to share my opinions, to offer a different perspective to people. I feel like sometimes I get caught up in things that aren't important, like how many Instagram followers I have or if i'm pretty enough, but ultimately i'm not living for the applause of others. *I do not exist to perform for others.* Thanks for this video, nice to know I'm not the first to feel this way.
By the way, you *are* pretty enough! :D
Exactly! Fuck what other people think, do what makes you happy!!
Agreed even reaching goals over time, Surges of highs always ends
Leisure time allows you to think, ponder, plan, dream, visualize, solve problems, etc. The problem only comes if 1. You use your free time to watch tv or do Facebook and 2). You have no goals in life. But if all yo do is work, your life will also be miserable. Balance is the key.
True. But I think the video is against mindless leisure time that just gets wasted without any true satisfaction, only instant gratification.
We are being overwhelmed by external stimuli, making it tempting and easy to lose our vision of achieving goals. There are so many distractions out there that many people have become trapped by their impulses, and don't realize that they should pursue the balance you speak of, or they don't understand how to achieve it. I believe philosophy should be a mandatory subject taught in schools, instead of filling their minds with garbage knowledge they will never apply. If there is anything we should teach younger generations, it is to provide them with the tools to improve the quality of life of their own and others.
I have no goals in live I just worry about making enough money to buy the game that’ll come out next month.
Having lots of goals prevents you from living in the moment but then again leisure can improve your body, a fit and strong body is a strong mind
DAX Miner when you grow up you'll understand
In the Age of Anxiety, a lot of tasks and labours are just as passive as doing nothing. It's valid to say that filling you life with tasks isn't filling it with active and interesting tasks. We idle in anxiety and are prone to mental illness any way. Very complex psychiatric topic.
it is a systemic problem that has obviously come to a climax in the last two years of the covid insanity, which only began because millions still didn't learn you can't just trust the mainstream media. i was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 31 years until it was closed down on us world-wide mainly by closing churches down, and as a two year later result there would be about half of our members who are close to relapsing, have, or have died. i went through all the being Guinea Pigged on meds for mental/emotional issues back in the 80s, and today i have no question chronic i-phone use in the last 20 years has caused more problems then anything ever, and shouldn't of happened. they should of only been allowed for emergency people. i also have no question Bill Gates has been behind it all more than anyone, and there were people in the 80s warning that technology would control us instead of the other way around then. never mind individuals, what kind of society would give Gates the kind of power he has, and doesn't even have a medical degree?
Interesting comment.
When you say "a lot of tasks and labours arr just as passive as doing nothing" do you mean
- washing the dishes
- cleaning the house
- fixing a broken item,
Etc.??
The routine is as passive as your bum on a couch?
@@bretw6322 Think about that, you're physically moving, you're acting, you're changing something. Then you may think: well, that's something. At least I'm not on a couch doing "lots of nothing". However, you should also consider that we're capable of living an entire routine without being (fully) councious. Indeed, we're so prone to passivity that our activities might become a "comfort zone". As I said back then, I see many anxious minds struggling to criticize their own routine, their own activities, their own choices. Maybe they're have a different passivity. But it is still a passivity. I thank for your comment, as you complement the idea brought here.
I think this video is not a stand alone in this channel, conforming to a sick society make us sick. Working for yourself creatively, with a mission in mind (like a DaVinci, a Göethe, or a Spilberg), reaching the state of flow - even if you're morbid minded. Not just working for money, "create" is the key word here.
But good tasks that we enjoy take oyr mind away from things that cause us anxiety. Thats the point.
i used to be an artist, but staying at home has made me happier than ive ever been. back when i went to school, or worked, i didnt want to live and wondered what all that work was for, and if i would just spend my entire life toiling and competing for a spot in some corporate company who doesnt care about me, doing some dumb graphic art project. even when i did my own projects, its only a temporary sense of pride that quickly leaves and im back feeling down about life, like i had gotten a shot of drugs that wore off after a day. now i stay at home as the house caretaker, i have my free time to relax and not worry about when my next project is, i havent really drawn in over a year, and im happy for the first time in my whole life, actually.
What ive learned about abandoning this societies ideal of "success" and "happiness" is that the constant drive to be the best, to succeed and go higher on the corporate ladder, is what's making people unhappy (well, at least it was for me, and from what i've seen, a lot of other people. but i suppose thats anecdotal). most people just dont work like that. people need time to decompress, to relax and turn their mind off. our current society doesnt really permit that. we work 40+ hours a week at places that only allow short breaks once or twice a day, a marginal amount of vacation and personal days, and some people dont even get maternity days to take care of their own babies. how can you not be depressed when this company essentially owns your life and you barely have any freedom to decide when you want to even go on a damn vacation?
TL:DR is working a ton makes you happy then do that for yourself but it's not the same for everyone. most people need relaxation time to not go insane.
*“Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”*
UBER MENSCH ahahahahDuudegobowling
your name just makes this comment even better
That's Rich! LOL!
It is though, it doesn't FEEL like that to me and in truth I'm just doing this to protect my own ego because I'm lazy as fuck, but it technically is. Hell to be honest the fact that my emotions tell that your right doesn't mean a damn thing objectively because they're based solely on my own primitive survival instinct or will to life. Still though, ooph, feeling useless kinda feels like some sticky purple sludge that used to be a lolipop is just fucking smeared all over you like cooking oil on a baby, and it's getting into my brain, I can feel it. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear into thoughtless, senseless oblivion, have any of you felt the same?
Necroman98 yea
" *Hard work is simply the refuge of those who have nothing to do* "- Oscar Wilde
A statement that’s true and false and the same time.
Thank you. Exactly my point.
No One ... Nazi labour camps..
I guess by having something to do, Oscar Wilde meant having affairs and abandoning his family.
Rigorous labor is nothing but a distraction for the mind. This is good for those who sit idle and face the unfortunate loop of depressive/existential and nihilistic mindset. But this is also bad if the work you do is repetitive and non-constructive. This is just random intuitive thinking. Take it with a grain of salt.
It's a myth that people had to toil from dawn to dusk in order to sustain a living. There were certainly places and times at which this is true, but it's also true that in some places working enough to sustain oneself took only a few hours a day, after which there was plenty of room for leisure.
Source: www.primitivism.com/primitive-affluence.htm
The other point, that passivity and depression are linked is profoundly incorrect. It's not passivity that is at fault, but rather meaninglessness. For instance, the happiest people in the world are arguably master meditators that have spent literally 50,000 hours sitting and doing "nothing". If sitting for 50,000 hours doesn't count as "passivity" in the Western estimation, I don't know what does.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthieu_Ricard#Life
Taylor's solution to the existential problem of "what to do?" is the Western existential approach rooted in that same mentality that continues to drive capitalism and what Weber wrote about in the Protestant Ethic, namely: a person's worth is proportional to their diligent industriousness. That somehow one can achieve greatness or satisfaction by achieving some goal is deeply myopic. It's not achieving a goal that satisfies - I mean, deeply satisfies - but, rather, developing a practice that's intrinsically rewarding and enjoyable.
For instance, Picasso didn't paint to be the best painter, or to be recognised, but rather because he found it rewarding in an of itself. It's learning to enjoy the journey, not the goal, that's important. Achieving greatness and fame is the delusion of the masses. The greatest people can only hope to be the faintest of memories given enough time; Einstein will be a footnote in 1,000 years. Given the whims of historians and the common masses he might even be forgotten in a century. Even if you only want to be rich or famous within your lifetime, what makes you think that'll be fulfilling? There's research that shows that people that value and money are less happy than those that don't (source: mitpress.mit.edu/books/high-price-materialism), and we know that above a certain income which is around 75k having more money doesn't make you much happier (source: www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/17/map-happiness-benchmark_n_5592194.html).
If you want to be fulfilled focus on living a holistic meaningful life. Invest in your well-being and that of your family's. Pursue that which is inherently rewarding and learn to let go. You're worthy of love and respect regardless of your achievements.
Or you can compete against everyone else to be the most important speck in the universe. I'll leave the decision to you.
My 2 cents.
Great comment
Thank you for saving me the trouble. We might have more diversions, but that doesn't mean we necessarily have more leisure time--at least people who work full-time for a living.
legit comment
Amazing comment. This video has good points, but overall I disagree with it. I’m glad to see people challenging it, instead of just accepting what so-posed intellectuals say.
Yes. There were many societies who couldn't toil from dawn to dusk. Look at all the farmers who lived in cold climates. There is nothing you can do in the winter time.
This is so unbelievably spot-on. Basically describes everything I've been going through for years now, which has come to a head in the last year to where I haven't burnt out--I've rusted out.
Also, I read this not as a call to be constantly busy with work and to not be idle with leisure, but rather underlines the importance of doing meaningful, edifying things and being intentional vs passive. People today can distract themselves either through frantic busyness or idle appetitive pursuits and pleasures: both function to distract from having to exist alone with oneself and the rumblings of the conscience. There's definitely a range of good work to play ratios, but the big factor is whether the work and play is meaningful and edifying or soul-destroying and vegetative.
Yeah ... Work, work, work ... do the legwork, and then they are going to steal everything from you that you ever worked for.
In my own experience leisure time is dreaming, visualisations, reading ,piecing together my past for answers etc. To one person this may be seen as passivity or a waste of time, to another it may be the most practical activity.
Deep down we all know what to do in order to feed our souls, its whether we have the courage to act on it.
That’s great you consider that leisure but the average mans down time doesn’t stimulate growth like yours does.
Well said
I do that all the time and it still feels like a waste of time
If these TRULY satisfy you, then this video's criticisms are inapplicable to you. There will be plenty of exceptions. However, I know that if I, personally, spent too much time visualizing ideas and concepts and unraveling the past, I would grow depressed, unless I then utilized these ideas and concepts or took my new understanding of my past to forge myself a future.
I had a long incumbation period where I spent a lot of time learning, reflecting, observing. This was a critical part of my healthy development, but it would've been unhealthy had I stayed there until death. Not accusing anything, I just hope you're truly alright.
There is no such thing as a soul. Don't sound like a fucking Christian lol
"Equal rights is not the same as equal worth." - I find this absolutely well said and true to the core.
@Timothy Leehow you got that from what I said is beyond my imagination.
@Timothy Lee what do you think equal rights mean?
Wrong. We are worth the same. All humans are in the eyes of God. BUT we are not equally gifted, with the same abilities. That does not mean, that there's any worth to us, other than our soul which is divine and priceless for each of us.
sounds like a justification to any kind of discrimination. there's no value in comparing worths of human beings besides satisfying one's ego.
Equality of opportunity...
But is it anywhere on this earth
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Something along the lines of:
"The less you do, the harder the simpler things become and the less likely you will do them. (a vicious cycle)"
Mark Chee I been going through this.
Mark Chee A much greater scale of that which is really so incredibly important it should be scripture and that is: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men, weak men create hard times.” That’s exactly what’s happening in academia with these gender study’s, social grievance study’s, radical social justice warriors, etc. They’re trying to find struggle in the wrong places
That's basically depression lol
"Toiling from dawn to dusk just to survive was the lot of all men women and children up until a couple hundred years ago"
I'm pretty sure this is a common misconception
if its a "common misconception", then at least say what the contrary is. i would like to know what you mean
@@agentdills As many other people have stated in the comments, hunter gatherers, for example, had a lot of free time. But as it happens, I had medieval serfs in mind. I follow quite a few medieval history channels, and I believe I've seen this issue adressed in either Shadiversity's channel or Lindybeige's channel, though I didn't actually ellaborate because I'm fuzzy on the details and don't really have any specifics to provide as to where I actually heard it, just "I've seen this adressed in one of these channels". I'd much prefer to redirect you to the video where I heard this, but alas. But with this caveat in mind, crops were seasonal and there's only so much you can do in the fields, at a certain point you need to wait for nature to take its course, and in that sense medieval serfs had a lot more free time than is commonly thought. That's about the gist of it.
@@alexsm3882 that's fair, but would you argue that they had more *passive* free time? Or were they doing things other than work that one could define as a hobby or passion or elsewise? I think the main distinction in this video (and our era in general) is that while HGs and serfs may have had more free time, was the free time spent doing other things such as crafts, reading or learning (in any sense of the word), or was it free time spending WHOLLY relaxing, or doing nothing, or scrolling useless information about what others were doing?
I do get what you mean, and a better term than "free time" could have been used in this video but I do feel that that is an important distinction. Also, I love me some lindy beige so I'll go looking for his video on the topic on my own time don't worry lol
@@agentdills Well one thing is sure they weren't reading for they couldn't ! They probably weren't working on Sunday for religion was essential back then and I believe more or less everyone was going at church at least once a week.. Appart from that It seems to me that serfs enjoyed their free time in Nature, Or socializing or having family time
@@bluerosestudios8703 but you see that seems to be the exact the opposite of what the video was saying in the sense of "passive" free time. Rest is essential, of course, but I think an important part is that for them, rest came when work was done and that wasn't scheduled or planned (besides Sabbath) whereas post industrial society heavily regimented days were the norm and specific times were assigned to rest depending on the schedule.
Maybe I'm pulling hairs and even putting words into the video maker's mouth but I think the difference between "random, resting periods" and "regimented times where rest is allowed" is the key difference. That and the type of work done
Balance...balancing the scales of life. Truly too much of anything is bad.
And once we find that balance, it's no longer needed.
@Worldwide Wabbit Most of the rich are depressed.
You bet, Joshua. I was just about to type that very idea. Thanks!🙋🏼♀️
being too serious about nervousness and envy is hard to socialize to feel relief of or from being or seeming interested
And all... if can be experienced in moderation, is not necessarily bad.
Are you shading me because I've been on UA-cam for five hours?
I washed dishes, okay.
😂😂
stfu so much pride u have in doing nothing, fat fingers
I relate to this too much :(
@@GetFunnied ikr? This insecure people trying to remind themselves how "great" they are every fking minute, so pathetic
Ahahahahahhaha
If I have to achieve greatness before I can love myself, what can I call that but failure?
On the other hand, people who can put a smile on their own faces before they've achieved anything... that is an incredible strength I don't possess and I admire it greatly.
it depends on what you value in yourself.
But you already have half the answer right there because you just spelled it out: you don't have to be rich or famous to be of worth. In fact, most people don't become rich or famous, some who do lose it all, and some who are rich and famous are truly awful people. And many are famous for things they never intended to and their lives are a mess as a result. Stop thinking you are crap and say to yourself I AM THE BEST
It's because they already know they will accomplish a thing. Build up enough unrelated skill sets and see how connected they are when it comes to getting things done.
The point isn't to achieve but to walk down a path in life you can truly take pride in.
Be wary of exceptionalism. You don't need to be the best to be allowed to take pride. You also don't need to have skills that are rare/highly paid/ romanticized. Having the mental stamina to do a job you hate in order to give your family a comfortable life? That is something to be proud of. Having fought depression by making sure you eat, wash, and excerise every day? Damn right you should be proud of that. Commited to a new hobby for 30 days? Be proud. Keep a clean house? Take pride in that. Have a good eye for style? Take pride in that, and don't let anyone tell you that it isn't creative.
Focusing on the life you actually live, and trying to use your time and resources in a way that allows you to continue growing as a person, that allows you to connect with others, that keeps you safe and healthy, that is definatly a reason to be proud.
Didn't the ruling classes in, say, Ancient Greece have a lot of free time, since slaves labored for them? Which resulted in huge advances in art, science and philosophy, and not mediocrity and mental illness.
One could argue the elites filled their time with challenging art and philosophy instead of laboring in the fields. Science, art and literature are fulfilling ways to spend time if your daily needs are provided by someone else.
I would like to note that we are the slaves in modern times. We are too busy chasing money for basic needs and expenses and are left without enough time and/or energy to pursue a passion.
I know what I am talking about, recently changed jobs from physical labor to remote IT support and oh boy, the time I save on not having to drive to workplace is enough for me to do my daily chores, and some days in work are so lazy that I can learn something in the meantime while monitoring the servers I service.
I feel like I woke up from a feverish dream.
Agree with above, were the slaves now but the people at the top aren’t a visible ruling class, there like ghosts pulling strings from the hole they hide in….
@@KaltVT I agree with your statement and have been saying something similar for a long time. Just because we don't see the chains doesn't mean they aren't there. We are free to choose our masters, even if we choose self employment we owe to the government and state for property and prosperity. The Elite learned a long time ago not to "tax without representation" so they mandate representation and tax us into permanent contribution.
In part, but they also were the ones waging war, defending their lands from wild animals. And though slaves did some of the tasks, only those who were able to afford them kept slaves. Becoming a slave was seen as disgrace since it meant you valued living above honor, dignity and pride.
A lot of slaves were household slaves, not so much working the fields.
Time to close youtube
Or open into deeper realms
Guilty as charged. Gotta start a personal project again!
And open it again a few minutes later, right? FML
😅😂😂
listen to it while you're doing something
This feels like a very one sided, opinionated theory. We bring into argument what constitutes mental illness, the roots of most mental illnesses and the entire philosophy of buddhism this theory starts to show cracks. Granted being a creative and curious human is important but having spare time where one is not creating anything, but simply existing, is considered a fundamental to being calm, mindful and understanding your emotions. Endlessly creating or turning ones mind over can do even more damage at time to mental health. As a creative person, always being creative can be your fall. Its crucial for me to turn off my brain if I want to be consistently going up in life.
Agree, and also this entire fixation with acheivement, and excellence as measures to judge worth, and happiness in living itself. Like the entire essay keeps hammering opinions around the idea of having a purpose towards existing, and that meaning is only derived with such action to break forth from normality, but that argument looks at existence and living with a very one-sided elitist kind of a heirarchical look at things. You can live an uneventful, normal life and be perfectly content with the small things that make it worth living, sure many would find great pleasure in serving something bigger, greater than themselves, but there is nothing wrong with just being and finding contentness in a smaller frame of view.
@@psydart5945
And ultimately, even if you "only lead a normal life" (whatever normal even is) simply by interacting, living with other people you are part of some thing greater.
@@xCorvus7x Yeah exactly the words normal, uneventful/small are again coined from a perspective of one who views lives in these hierarchies
@@psydart5945 and ignores that every life is unique.
I feel like this essay also goes against something encouraged in our society greatly today, which is being and living in the present. This kind of life style points to a person who is constantly looking to the furture or regretful of the past. When we only look forward, we dont exist today.
Ok, best, simple take away from this video
Leisure is not just break from work but to find the time to grow mentally and emotionally. Work should not just be simply hard, arduous tasks, but a puzzle that challenges you and make you see smarter ways to work.
Sounds like the challenges posed by self employment.
Yup, Not just Netflix-Mountain Dew-Bonbon-and chill.
My grandfather use to spend hours watching golf after he retired but he also fought in WW2. Died of Alzheimer's disease. It's environment. Staying active, using one's creativity, fighting the good fight not bad and focus on helping others are a good outlet to combat mental illness.
There's a reason why depression is on the rise. Having this "True Pride" is more and more unattainable. Human civilization is now globalized on insane scales. Having knowledge and or skill that others around you don't, is so incredibly difficult. With technology today, I can learn several languages, create 3D Models, design applications, learn several instruments more and more. people are growing less relevant because you aren't competing with your town to become unique and the best; to stand out and feel relevant you need to surpass the world.
It's always been you vs the world. That's why people and design have gotten more creative. It's a good thing. You need the competition or else you will be bored
@@redlightclinicdrummer ...and how wonderfully unbored we will be when the machine deems our contributions of negligible value and throws us away
@@AexisRai this isn't the matrix. There's no machine. The hierarchy is not a result of cultural misleadings but actually a process much more deeply rooted. We created the system because its the thing we need to survive. Watching jordan peterson or steven pink will really help explain why we need te5 hierarchy
@@redlightclinicdrummer not that "machine", the literal machines that _will_ outpace us and _will_ put every human below the rising waterline of how much economic value you must be able to contribute to support yourself
that's very true as we have easy transportation and access to digital content at our fingertips. There has always been economics advantages to be the best at something but having access to the global best makes everyone struggle. From employers wanting the best employees they can't find in their market because it don't exist and they won't pay them what they're worth, to employees wanting the best job they aren't qualified for, to people staying single because they have standards out of their league and they don't work on themselves on the right thing to attract those people instead often just living as a projection of what they want not attracting those people at all. So inflated expectations for everyone and deflated egos, wallets, results. There's also the fact that media lies all the time and we believe it, we believe in overnight success and these people let these stories air because it's the default narrative but their success took a decade or more, sometimes not of the people themselves but at least of the people involved with them.
I was feeling pretty good about myself today until I saw this.
Try not to let it make you feel bad, think about it in a way that’ll make you feel good
Mook Faru these are jokes, kinda
"the hour of the great contempt"
So what are you going to do about it?
Nothing wrong with enjoying your leisure time the way you want it... Especially if you are performing your personal responsibilities. I must agree with this video though, that too much leisure dulls the mind, and no matter how much of an introvert/homebody I am, I am beginning to feel bored after months of semi-retiring from work.
“We’re capable of much more than mediocrity, much more than merely getting by in this world.” - Sharon Salzberg (author).
To be perfectly honest, one of the things I love most about your videos, is I find myself "called out" in one regard or another. Introspection is like scrubbing with sand paper at times, but quite worth it.
Actually it's proven that hunters and gathers had the most free time
High stress situation would require more of a break no?
@@Ramezk23
Yes, but where is the problem if they have the capacity to take that break?
@@Ramezk23 is it higher stress than now in days ???
@serendipidus1 id rather be born in Hunter gather times I think we fucked with the balance of it all with this society we created its too much too big and too out of nature
Leftists like science after its prostituted to Leftism. H-G cultures spend vast amounts of time gathering wood for heat and cooking. And they live daily on the edge of starvation. Youre trying to get high without having to pay.
kinda gross how they define “worth”. this way of thinking is futile and destroys the excitement behind the GIFT of life. life is not something that needs to be grappled or conquered everyday. live how slow or how fast paced you want. youll always receive what is for you.
I kind of needed this, thanks ✨Life is beautiful on its own. Instead of shaming people into working hard every minute to be worth something, it’s much gentler to help people find beauty in their own lives, in their own terms
EXACTLY. Personally I never really understood “worth”. I reject that idea.
thank you. this video really stressed me
@@fluffy6628
I wouldn't completely reject the idea, but I do think there is a balance between striving for excellence and leisure time. If you constantly push yourself to do more and be better, you will get burnt out quick. If you spend all your time leisurely, you will become lazy and worthless.
You define your own worth, and that's where pride comes into play. When you can achieve something great (by your definition), you can be proud of who and what you are and what you are worth.
I haven't had much to be proud of and the times I was proud, It was always shot down by those around me. Its hard to learn that your worth isn't what others think of you, and that was always my mistake. Searching for validation from your peers can push you into a deep depression because EVEN IF they appreciate your worth, they will never appreciate it as much as you do. They, too, are searching for that same validation and self worth after all.
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Everyone should make a list of things and activities that emotionally fulfill them.
:(
1. Painting
2. ??????
Writing
Painting
Drawing
Talking with my little sisters
Walking
Building things
Sitting on our porch swing, and thinking
Gardening
Climbing
Running
Driving
Listening to music
Making music
Baking
Playing Board games with my friends
Learning spanish
There’s probably more, but this is what I’ve got.
@@Creepsneakninja That's such a nice list!
I’ve tried that multiple times and I can’t come up with any
As I was told so many years ago. "The only people that get bored are boring people."
que burrice
@@crolmoreno no, that would be you.
Oh you poor thing, you don't know how horribly wrong you are. Bless your heart😂
@@probablyahorse1389 I was also told opinions are like ass holes, everyone has one. And you just showed yours. Have a good life.
Interesting quote
What’s interesting - when I had more money than I knew what to do with it and a monotonous (but well paying) job with little work to do, I eventually got super depressed and know what this video is talking about. In a sense, you made it financially and there was nothing left to strive for at least financially. Now I have a job that keeps me more busy and takes much more effort (with less money). Now I am not depressed in that way, but instead am stressed with having too much work and some financial worries. Perhaps somewhere in between is a good middle ground.
A challenging hobby was always the rich people's solution, or several
@@itsmeGeorgina exactly it should be a routine because it's good for our mind and body. For me I think I'm going to create new hobbies for myself like horseback riding, kayaking, biking, swimming, fishing, etc etc to my list
Bruh
What is the purpose of life?
Is it not to learn...
About the universe, other people and, ultimately, about oneself?
You reply, "Ok, but then what?"
But can you not see that there is no 'then what'?
The destination is the journey itself.
Why? Because the truth is, you can never know about all those things,
And so your journey merely continues;
Learning all the time as you go.
And so the purpose of life is this;
Right here, right now.
Simply learn to savour and appreciate
The specialness and uniqueness
Of each and every little moment in life,
For it will all too soon be gone,
Never to be experienced again.
Finally someone getting the spirit of this channel; not making it about capitalism vs socialism, victims vs oppressors. Thanks!
I hope you came up with most of that yourself, Mike Foster. There's more to this than learning, although that's a great start.
Life is a gift. Thats why they call it "the present". We humans seek to break free from boredom and mediocracy but at the same time are too scared to step into the real world.
The purpose of life is to experience for yourself what life is about.
We'll all die anyway: the learned and illiterate. From the biological point of view, the purpose of life is reproduction!
@Paul Oomel Even from the biological point of view, not only reproduction, but evolution also - changing, adapting, developing, growing, learning. And even the human organism is not immune from this process. In fact man, perhaps more than any other creature, since so many others are reliant on us, needs to learn to adapt to the current situation - and learn fast! Not only about things 'out there', but perhaps more importantly, about the reality 'in here' - the way we are perceiving life; both collectively and individually.
Wilson's connection between passivity and depression may only be correlative. Not causative. For example, people's habits and behaviours while passive are different to the habits of people who are active. Bored people tend to eat more and workout less which are two direct factors that influence depression and have more variables within that would take a lifetime to figure out alone. Active people are engaged with their day and are animated by something that keeps passivity at abeyance, but their habits are also different. Maybe they are so active that they forget to eat and work right through. It's the meaning and sense of purpose that keeps bad habits knocking. And with fewer bad habits comes fewer depressive episodes. Depression is an illness, it can be the cause of passivity more than passivity being the cause of depression.
It correlates with me, I notice the same pattern.
Agreed.
one of the few worthwhile comments to read
Life is not about finding happiness but conquering your inner demons, challenges and overcoming adversity.
It's about pushing the limits of being a human being, finding the deeper meaning of life.
Does UA-cam recommend this to anyone who just watched a 45 minutes of “dunkiest doggo vines” compilation because....
Same
Nah fam
I just came from a video that covered the basics of tax evasion
Lol
Or 4+ hour long speed running videos
"Apathy is death."
- Darth Traya, cca 3952 BBY
Ronove Cute lol
@Ronove good for you
@Kiflaam Statement: Correct, meatbag.
@Ronove and yet you still replied...
Hmm, seems like Darth has been wormfood for quite some time himself.
I just want to quit my youtube addiction and do something with my life
My advise is get a job, something that it doesn't allow to spend your time in a futile way. I was kind of in your place in the beginning of august, I went catching apples for 3 weeks. At the end I felt much better! 😉
I suggest hitting the gym.
I suggest you install Tik Tok. This is more fascinating than UA-cam
River Piscean I agree River - TikTok is like YT in it that you can watch it for hours without realising how much time you’ve wasted. And it’s not like you’re using your time productively working or going to the gym
@@bellamckinnon8655 are you a robot to constantly care about productivity?
It's not about accomplishing something that meets the approval of others; but rather accomplishing something that gives you pride. That accomplishment may or may not make you famous and/ or rich, but if its genuine and gives you pride then it doesn't matter; it has fulfilled you.
if your work gives you pride, then you are fulfilled. If nothing gives you pride, and you feel trapped in a wheel in your leisurely activities, then you may not be happy, or as happy as you could be.
Playing a musical instrument brings me intense joy; and while I'll never be famous or 'great', i know that true happiness is the journey and success is the byproduct.
Very well said
In summary: You are not depressed you are “bored”.
More like boredome causes depression. Or at least the two are related.
You’re depressed because you’re bored
Or you are depressed because bored... Depression accompagnies Boredom...
Depression can come with brainfog, and devastation of willpower. In which case, just doing something that isn't boring isn't something you would do. It is to be perpetually lost in thought, of not being a coherent personality, death.
@@Viriyascybin ...Total Confusion and hesitation
I think balance in everything is key.
Some need more work
Some need more rest.
Find your own balance.
Taga Way underrated comment.
FAXS
Found the Aristotelian
You found the secret my friend.
@Josh Ruzicka "the more u rest the more you want to rest, the opposite is true"
Can't say that applies to me, the more i work the more i want to rest.
I agree with the base idea that too much "down time" can breed stagnation and depression. But it's narcissistic to extrapolate a hierarchy of "worth" from that. We should all strive to take advantage of our time on this world because we've got some pretty cool things to take advantage of. And if the thing that drives you leaves society different (hopefully better) than you left it then the altruistic pride stemming from that is great. But there is no universal grounds to say that people who want to work, catch up with friends, and indulge in entertainment have less worth.
Messages seem sort of mixed as the narrator accounts for "Hey, maybe we do need to take time for mental health and there could be nothing wrong with time spent idle when properly metered out" and the quotes used language like "merely to do what others have done" and "satisfactions of the animal side of our nature". The writer of the essay may not believe he/she is above other people for having aspirations but the source material seems to believe people who are happy with day to day pleasures are lesser.
very sharp comment my man, nice!
read 'In praise of idleness' by Bertrand Russel
After the "great recession" of 2008 I became a passive drunk, sitting around doing nothing. Finally I realized that I wanted to do something creative and got involved in Wood Turning, taking different woods and turning it on my wood lathe to make useful items. I was surprised that people liked my work and paid fair money for the different items. Then I needed major surgery and have been home bound and weak for over six months. My goal is to recover and begin again with my little wood work shop. Being inactive for months now I yearn to return to some creativity.
I agree with the video and resist the temptation to molder.
One thing I've noticed with people and their phones...they don't seem to be able to hold a conversation without referring to the internet to support their views, it's a strange way to converse, I don't own a cell phone.
"Wood turning" sounds lije a sexual maneuver that people do with their mouth and hand on someones private part.
What do you mean by refer to the interest...?
I like how you cite philosophers on the evils of idleness, yet most of the philosophers were very rich and had a lot of empty time on their hands. (That's how most of them created and nurtured their ideas)
Irony
except the whole idea of the video is not to work like a horse, but to nurture your mind in the spare time that people increasingly have - dont watch netflix after a long day at work, but rather read or watch something which helps you on the long term. you seem to have missed the whole point of the video
@@robdoubletrouble yes, their statements are right, however, their statements are also a product of their Class
@@robdoubletrouble With the advent of AI and Robotics , humanity will be free to do what they have not had time to do over milenniums ; namely to THINK .
@@lesteryaytrippy7282 so stupid people be stupid?
I get the idea but it is difficult to conciliate this to the thoughts of 'the burnout society' by BC Han... Self exploitation also causes illness and unhappiness and in a certain way some boredom allows the mind to sort some things out. When you meditate and reach the ultimate state of passivity, you can get lots of clarity on what's important and on what pursuits feel most natural... There is something in the midway between this video and burnout society that should allow for effortless action and creativity.
Great point!! This channel is pure gold. One of my favorite subscriptions on YT. You might enjoy my channel if you enjoy this. Different vibe, but intended to be thought-provoking. Have a great day!
I think you’re spot on. The creative mind needs rest, but the rest should serve to re-invigorate the creative pursuit. In my experience the guilt of procrastination is the sign to get back to creating, while the frustration from too much hesitation is the sign of needing rest.
What I just described could be applied to the day-to-day, but I also feel that there is balance on a higher level, too. Lately, I rarely experience the guilt of procrastination, even though I know it well. I’m in a period of high creativity, but that can shift. I’ve found myself in periods of low creativity in the past and will probably be there again one day.
I think it’s difficult if not impossible to control the level of creativity I possess from season to season, but self-compassion combined with awareness of where I am on the larger pendulum doesn’t hurt. It reminds me to focus on how I’m feeling right now: Guilty? Get to work. Hesitant? Take a break.
Everything in life consists of ebbs and flows, ups and downs and highs and lows. We strive to find balance because leaning to one extreme proves to be too much. That is why we must work and we must rest. Both are important but too of one can lead to problems.
There's a difference between boredom and peace. A person could be sitting deep in thought, distressed. While the other could be also just sitting there, meditating, peaceful and content with feeling small and idle. My point is: purpose and intention are the distinction. So many citizens of capitalistic countries work on auto-pilot like cogs in a machine in professional environments only to come home and work tirelessly on a project they feel called to do (rarely any have the time or energy but people with hobbies still exist in capitalist nations) and end up feeling fulfilled and recharged.
Was gonna comment this. Capitalism is one the main reasons theories like this where people work like machines and people see peace and quiet and rest as wasteful and may even feel guilty while doing said tasks. Even though the mentioned tasks are their BIRTHRIGHT. The engagement in Capitalism that most people are forced into is what breeds mental illness. Not peace and rest. Not to mention that many mental illnesses are genetic so trying to blame it on “passivity” is just plain tone deaf. We have worth no matter how much work we do. We are human and our lives are invaluable no matter how much we achieve.
Vyes Sampson Right on. Hopefully we evolve past the need for labor (and equating worth with productivity) so that we may live a life of leisure, peace, & community. It seems like a utopian dream with the way neoliberalism has commodified everything from actual human beings to atrocities like war.
Leftism is the love of primitive mindlessness and stagnation where the same work is repeated generation after generation because innovation destroys mysticism and tradition. As you say, you want to feel small (to evade the need to use your mind).
thanks---many people that are often not professional types, though some are, have never even asked themselves what it is they really enjoy doing. it has been clear to me in the last two years that there is an absolute dilemma were these people who have bought tooth and nail into all this covid madness clearly don't seem to have anything better to do then get caught up in some kind of hypochondria. if we don't decipher what it is we want will never find it. i have spent most of my life just trying to find myself due to my child abuse, but have still maintained working at my goal to be a pro musician for a living, which still hasn't happened for me even after i had the guts to go to New York for a week back in the 90s. i don't believe for a minute that the way things are had to be how it is, and an example is chronic i-phone use in the last 20 years, that was just one of the things that were orchestrated by a technocrat cult that knew exactly what it would do to the youngest generation mostly. there were people warning in the 1980s that we will become controlled by technology; not the other way around if there weren't limits/boundaries put on it, and people's relationships often don't work because they don't set boundaries for those either.
I have a garden this year. Its been dedicating work. It brings me into presence and I feel self empowered. Healing.
Bring those backyard chickens amigo
:You must have a love for yourself justified in the person you are."
Are you your skills? Are you your talents? Are you your education? Are you your wisdom? Are you your actions? Are you your wealth? Are you your social standing?
No, these are all things that you have, they are not who you are. Advocating for loving yourself on the basis of what you have is a road that leads towards an endless grasping of straws in the hope that one day you will be worthy of your own love.
Instead, you should love yourself. It is that simple, you do not need any reason, and it is not selfish or narcissistic to do so. It is not a bad thing to love yourself for no reason, just like it is not a bad thing to love someone else for no reason, it is, in fact, a very, very good thing.
Love is not a finite resource, it is not something that can run out. When you love yourself you are like a cup that is filled to the brim, and as it continues to be filled it cannot stop from spilling the excess out into the world around it. Love yourself, and it will be hard not to love everyone around you, and when you love everyone around you it is very hard not to be a good person.
Xenath Cytrin exactly thank you. this video is (understandably so) filled with outdated values and ideas
I mean it's sounds quite cheesy and from something taken from a coca cola ad but yess you made some points, But this video still makes some fair points
@@thunder956 +It is also quite common this days the confussion between self-love and narcisism, selfishness and arrogance though.
++ you cant really love everyone, sometimes people around you can be horrible and toxic 😭
I agree. The video wasn't very good!
I’m torn between Wilson’s view and my experience of other cultures. I can acknowledge that I was not raise in an inherently loving family and so I sought praise from accomplishing things. High achiever mentality. If I’m good enough then I will deserve love. I think most people have at least some of this feeling.
But there are people who grow up in very emotionally healthy families who know they are loved and so don’t have to achieve anything extraordinary to receive love. We’ve all had the experience of blissfully wasting days with a love doing absolutely nothing productive. And yet we were so happy because we felt loved.
I think the depression that stems from a lack of productivity comes from the idea that I need to achieve to receive love. If I believe this and I do nothing then I believe I am not loved or worth of love.
It’s broken people that push themselves to extraordinary achievement because it’s a way to emotionally survive.
But if we’re all going to end up in the ground regardless why not just strive for a life of pleasantries instead of suffering? I think about this a lot.
In my personal case, suffering comes whether I want it or not, so I may as well find ways to suffer to my benefit.
Well done, you've spotted the emotional malaise at the heart of this video's philosophy. If you're not a horrible person, you already have plenty reason to love yourself. And if you are a horrible person, it's probably because you don't love yourself.
others true tho in this society we live in now in days
Yes! So true
But i think that in this case, love itself is a achievement
"Suffering comes whether I want it or not, so I might as well find ways to suffer to my benefit"
Just to let you know, you don't have to suffer. I also grew up in a toxic household, and one of the things I've realized is that as an independent adult you can choose to find love, community, and support in other people, and that it is possible to live life without a constant feeling of inadequacy and low self esteem. It takes a while to cultivate these types of relationships and a different perspective on life but it is definitely worth it
"Your creative output/ ammount of labor defines your worth as a human being."
This is the very thought that spreads malign in people.
That sounds suspiciously close to why I have a mental illness.
@@powerthrucontrol Go figure.
Way to miss the message.
The point here is that empty activities and idle distractions can't keep a person fulfilled, even if they are necessary, in a *tempered* way, to keep one sane. Even something as simple as drawing or messing around with an equation can make you feel like you did something during the day other than burn oxygen.
The black-and-white "Oh no, don't let anybody define you by your creative output! That's just handing your worth to someone who exploits you!" mentality is an exaggerated absolute that, ironically, robs you of meaning by providing an easy way out of the effort that grants meaning.
And saying "your life might actually have some meaning if you do something creative/productive" is *not* the same as saying "you are worthless unless you're a productive robot 24/7". There must be a balance. This is a basic concept spread in all major philosophies and religions that people seem to forget. Now, people seem to see their options as either toxic self-abuse or equally toxic idleness, for some incomprehensible reason.
I suppose it's easier to be an edgy absolutist, though. Less mental and physical effort.
@@DanyIsDeadChannel313 There is quite literally nothing deep in the comments I responded to.
And yes, a black-and-white, contrarian view of things, wherein one picks the cheap cop-out of refusing to ever produce anything of value at all as an ongoing fit over the fact that someone valued them by their productive output, is the very definition of "edgy". And I see the above view expressed far too often.
It's a very over-simplified, spiteful/bitter, self-destructive and self-pitying point of view. And it's not deep. It's also a privilege to be able to even survive having an edgy "you can't judge my value by my contributions" mindset, to be honest.
Yes, to a certain extent, your creative output *does* determine your value. There are obviously other criteria, like kindness and spiritual maturity, but nobody appreciates idleness. Nobody aside from those blinded by some edgier modern cultural currents is going to respect someone who's too cool and deep to ever do anything. Moreover, if you don't do things and just lounge around telling yourself that "my worth isn't in my productivity", you won't respect yourself, either. If you look back on your day, week or month and you did much less than you could, it's not going to be very satisfying.
Andrew Raslan Surely you are talking about societal rather than personal? I mean, a person who learns to love their parent or a person who works hard to keep away from their drug addiction won’t have much value on a societal level but they will gain a lot of value on a personal level.
Or let me ask you this. Is the person who is obese but fulfilling a 150K (50 hours per week) job more constructive than the healthy and fit person fulfilling a 25K (15 hour per week) job?
Once we start talking about value, we really must define what exactly it is that we value. For me, the point of this video was to highlight that the value of being a wage slave isn’t really constructive to western civilisation ✌🏼
I think the only thing that has kept me from sinking into profound depression is that I’ve kept up with exercise and hobbies, namely drumming. If I gave those things up, there would be nothing in life to keep me even remotely happy.
Then you're relying on "things" to keep you happy.
Things are great (I'm a drummer also), but the spirit is where "happiness" lives.
There's a reason that statistically, people raised in a stable, loving, two parent, natural home, are far less likely to suffer from depression and suicide.
The hippies were partly right, it's all about "love, man!"
I'm 55, married, and we have a wonderful, loving daughter, now moved out and working in the healthcare system. We also have 3 dogs in the house that we adore, but our daughter is our heart and soul.
I too am a drummer. My drums are a passion, and to a lesser degree, playing and singing Neil Young songs (acoustic guitar/harmonica).
My 20+ year long hobby is remote control car racing. They're cool, they're expensive, and they're time consuming. There's the time practicing to be better on race days, and the time spent disassembling several hundred pieces of dirty toy cars in order to maintain their competitiveness.
I've pitted with the same friend for almost 15 years now. He loves and lives this stuff also, but at the end of the day, no matter where we finish, it's really about all the "track" relationships we've forged over the years with other friends and hobbyists.
Peace man!
@@triggerhappydad65 the thing this society has forgotten is how to be a community. Everyone is some selfish prick these days and feels very disconnected. I feel current tech also factors into it despite it bringing many positives
Hope you're doing well these days, Kenny.
TLDR: *There is much truth in this video, do not misunderstand the message.*
A lot of negativity in these comments. Almost like people hate being told their "leisure" is likely a waste of time. I think something untouched in the video is that there is a difference between healthy and unhealthy leisure. Passivity refers to things that require little to no action (scrolling social media, watching your show, talking about simplistic topics) and these activities, if you can really call them that, are what lead to the "neurosis" referred to in the video. Engaging in an activity that requires repeated input to receive an output, I think, is the basis for healthy leisure time. Do something that isn't fun unless you make it fun. Something that gives you what you put into it. People at my work and about are frequently surprised to hear that I don't watch and shows or movies at all. I'm a huge nerd so the fact that I haven't seen the new anime series or any of the new marvel movies is usually what starts the convo. I just prefer to challenge myself when I get home by either playing a challenging game, playing music, drawing, or writing. It's not really laborious unless I make it that way with the wrong state of mind. Some days are pretty miserable, where I can't produce any satisfying results, but others are more rewarding than anything I could get from outside sources.
I used to be suicidal. I was admitted to a mental hospital at 17, before my physically self-destructive tendencies escalated any further, and even after my release I battled with my crushing depression for years, having no concrete answers for why I felt this way. Living like this: practicing self-discipline to challenge myself in my free time, has and will continue to give me life. Because the days where I struggle only lay the foundation for the personal successes to feel that much more satisfying.
It gives off the idea that 'you should aspire to be x or else'. It's authoritarianism.
@@nik8099 Well, technically, you don't have to do anything, but if you act passively and complain about why you're so unfufilled, there's a fundamental lack of self-awareness there. If you are comfortable and not spiteful about your place in life, then there's nothing to worry about. Do as you please.
Taylor Evers I love your take on this and I do hope that you find true happiness in your life. I have a mental illness as well and seeing you brave your way through yours helps me too :)
@@nik8099 wtf?
I also read the comments and im suprised how easily come with conclusions about things this video never said. No wonder it's hard for people to achieve, they have terrible reading and listening comprehension!
I like being passive in a way. There is so much pressure today to work and to do something all the time that it often flings me into depression and anxiety.
Downtime is important and a necessity but Life is literally change and as exhausting as it seems it’s constantly moving and never stopping.
ya it all depends on the person. How can a persona deliver my mail if they went on to become a internationally known painter?
Yes. And I don't think anyone should have the right to decide what a human being should worth or whether their pride is real or not!!!!
If that's you in the UA-cam account picture I think your very very sexy
@@apparitionlightworker4819
Aww! Thank you no one called me sexy before 🥺
To me, this is more motivational than all of these "motivational videos" you can find here on youtube.
Thanks, good job!
male6561 its because motivational videos are simply just a spice to the main meal. In our generation, young men like myself need an answer and the logical procedures to becomig mentally healthy and productive but the lacking in father figures have really taken that away. So we look to the internet for answers, however we can. We may not be a whole vase, but a broken vase being put back together.
They are often spreading problematic types of messages:
-You are a great loser if you don't "succeed" in life.
-If you want to succeed in life you must do all of those 127 things that have nothing to do with success, and do them all right.
-The whole idea of there being other ways to succeed in life than to became rich and/or famous is stupid.
-99% of all people are great losers for failing to be in the top 1%.
-You should start your day by getting up from your bed in 10 seconds after hearing the alarm bell, because if you start your day by procrastinating you are subconsciously... (I don't remember what, just that the reason was stupid. Also, 10 seconds is not enough time to properly wake up.)
-Every second of your day counts, so don't waste any single one of them.
-No matter how trivial, stupid or boring your pursuit is, never give up!
I love to watch this type of videos when I feel unmotivated, because after some 10-15 minutes of watching them I would get motivated. But, when I watch the type of videos described above, instead of getting motivated, I feel bad. I would be less motivated to do the task than I was before watching it.
That's because as the Bhagavad Gita describes, Understanding is superior to the mind which is superior to the senses.. The Self is most superior to all because it is eternal.
In videos like these you learn some stuff.
In most "motivational" videos they really only say stuff that is common sense and stuff you already know but they rely on making you feel better by watching it so you get addicted too watching motivational videos with mediocre advice
I hate it when I find myself bored with no energy and end up scrolling on social media, it only makes it worse and seeing how well other people seem to be doing in life only makes me more miserable and has me feeling like feeling like a failure. However, when I distance myself from the wicked screen, I feel so much more peaceful, even though I'm not constantly indulging in pleasure.
A 40hr work week doesnt leave much leisure time after you take away time for household chores and sleeping.
@Catty Lynn try picking one up then silly
Then don't work.
Simply explore an interest, and once you do, figure out how you can use it to the betterment of society.
Now that's how leisure time should be best spent.
Lazaro Quintana, Jr. Why for the betterment of society? And what does better really mean? Less pain and suffering? I, for example, view pain and suffering as necessary and ultimately positive things in one’s life so I would never want to lessen that. That might make for a worse world for you. Also, to enslave one self to society and to work for them is to soon oneself and become a slave to fleas.
@@SmotheredDreams Spoken like someone who views an increased quality of life as a sign of cruelty and oppression.
Personal perception (albeit narrow) aside, I would find it pragmatic to imply the betterment of society by means of making it more productive as to increase the output of prosperity, whether by means of agriculture or craft.
Take it from a guy who has dabbled in playing "Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence" from time to time.
Wow. Moments of inactivity leads to depression.Very true. First hand experience. Really appreciate the videos. I feel lucky I found this channel.
@Treinstein thanx a lot. What I wanted to say was , there is this innate need for me to always strive to learn and work. Leisure also has varying elements of "rest". Depends on the person. Sometimes mobile surfing can be leisure for some, meditation for some or learning a new skill for some. What I think he is trying to say is about passivity in living and thought . People who meditate for years , they are working in their own way. I really appreciate your views too. 😊
@Treinstein definitely . Some people just need to keep doing something or the other. What I was trying to specify is he is talking about passivity. You can work a lot and be passive also , at the same time. It is the quality of leisure , that I am focusing on. Maybe for some doing nothing is the best form. But do people really do nothing for leisure now a days?
@Hansol's Friend been through that too. But don't you get moments of desperation , when you get irritated at the world ,then think about its futility and at the end confront yourself. I had series of these over 2 years -up down up down after which I finally understood what caused it. Those years are still not totally behind me , but they have made me learn some important things.Hope you also make through it and lead a satisfying life , true to the best possible version compatible /incompatible with the world.
This is actually Western philosophical view of life. Work so much that you forget about your depressing thoughts. Eastern view does not look at the world like this
Only if what you do is who you are. Who are you apart from what you do. That is what needs focus and fixing.
I’m more productive and feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m doing things I enjoy.
I dunno.... I agree with this being the majority of the mindset of creatives but I think it's a pretty self indulgent mind set to think that the only way to life is to create or be driven. I think just enjoying life as it is, is an artform in itself. Always reminding yourself to look for the positives in situations is work and also a form of being creative. When I meet very positive genuinely kind people that don't need to boast about anything it is very inspiring to me... I love being around those people as well not just "creatives or the driven".
There’s this word that pretty much sums this up
“Balance”
Waiting for Noble prize
I gotchyo prize Hahahaaa ;)
*moderation*
I got your nobel prize right here boi *unzips pants*
Having had 2 months staying at home and been unemployed, I could tell you just really connected the dots and showed my a clear picture of what has low-key impacted me. This time truly drove me insane. Crazy thoughts and actions took place without me being able to control. Some of the worst habits have been developed, not to mention me ruining the relationships with Mom and Dad. Thank you for the beautiful message it had to offer, I am definitely going out there and starting to get myself a job. Can't stay idle for too long!
And you probably hurt yourbdick beating off to porn too. And pribabky too much video games.
Felt like I was being roasted during the video not gonna lie
The problem is not activity, it’s the mind numbing monotony of routine
"The unexamined life is not worth living"
wubba lubba lub lub How could we ever know?
False
Dogs live the greatest lives of all.
Doubt they examine their lives on any level...
@@consciousgentile5141 "false". Im just stoic.
Lol philosophy course?
@@consciousgentile5141
That's because they haven't the capacity to do so. You see, the dog's brain is small. Even with an advanced brain, a dog's eyesight coupled with its complete lack of thumbs, would hinder it from performing any "real" tasks.
Having a purpose & meaning in life, i.e., lack of passivity, the opposite of lack-of-belief, whatever you & experts want to call it.... is the main purpose of life. Humans grow with active pursuit of "something" (however mundane, finite, hedonistic results it may lead to) rather than sit back & be passive to every/ most things around them. The youth of today or for that matter every age, run that risk of slipping into passivity that has big consequences later in their lives as they find themselves depressed, disillusioned & lost. Thats the key message of this video & its right.
I fundamentally agree and disagree with so many things about this idea. Hasn't happened to me in a long time where I've been so divided in my own opinion, so thank you.
Xan Bell would you care to elaborate?
Depression is usually caused through some type of trauma. It's more of a mental blockage of feelings which has not been expressed. Be kind 💕🙏
You were capable to put into words what I couldn't. Everything I read about depression says it's an imbalance of chemicals in our brain with no known cause and doesn't need to have a reason for that, I gave up trying to understand it because that's not my case, I know exactly the moment I started feeling depressed and know the cause as well, and you, in just a few words in the comment session of an arrogant video, answered it for me. Thank you! Have a wonderful life
@@edna.c.s Depression can be caused by trauma or a chemical imbalance.
@@edna.c.s depression doesnt have one main cause. There are multiple. The chemical imbalances is a factor but not the only one
Nice
I've been this passive person for 26 years. I've got severe health anxiety, and I suspect more than that but I won't say before a therapist does. Tbh, last week I reached mylowest point. I couldn't sleep for 3 nights because I felt like I was having a stroke everytime I started to fall asleep... I talked with my parents about my anxiety, which was the hardest thing I could do, I went to the hospital, and now I'm waiting to see a therapist. I'm so tired of living like this, really. It has been 5 years since it started, and it's just terrible.
Tomorrow I'll have an audition for the first time, to join a musical theathre school. I don't know if that's my answer, cause to be honest, I feel like I was molded to a point that I don't even know what I really want. But I always loved musicals and singing. I hope all goes well. I hope that's my turning point :) I'm glad this video was in my suggestions, cause it came right on time.
Good luck, yall! And sorry for the personal essay xD
Achieving goals, and bettering yourself leads to greater happiness and self-worth, than sitting around getting fat?
Who knew?
Lol not I. *nom nom*
Purpose seems to be key in this matter, without it one seems to be empity and then gives room to distress and axiety
+Treinstein to me the lack of purpose is the root of the evil
you say that one without purpose at all would be free and happy. I say it would drown in doubt and the void of anxiety
I agree. I was depressed because of purposelessness and now am no longer.
Treinstein Beautifully written.
Only to the ego/survival mind! Don't fuck up humanity's progress cause we're bored and pointless! If it's that bad for a rigid mind, suicide is ok
@goldenhotdogs It doesn't even have to be a profound purpose either. Yeah, life is great and all, but it's the things we do in life that contribute to making it great. The little things that create a sense of purpose whether it's creating dank memes to learning how to be a better artist, they all add up significantly over time and give us an accomplished feeling even if failure is involved.
My dear Wormwood,
Obviously you are making excellent progress. My only fear is lest in attempting to hurry the patient you awaken him to a sense of his real position. For you and I, who see that position as it really is, must never forget how totally different it ought to appear to him. We know that we have introduced a change of direction in his course which is already carrying him out of his orbit around the Enemy; but he must be made to imagine that all the choices which have effected this change of course are trivial and revocable. He must not be allowed to suspect that he is now, however slowly, heading right away from the sun on a line which will carry him into the cold and dark of utmost space.
For this reason I am almost glad to hear that he is still a churchgoer and a communicant. I know there are dangers in this; but anything is better than that he should realise the break he has made with the first months of his Christian life. As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago. And while he thinks that, we do not have to contend with the explicit repentance of a definite, fully recognised, sin, but only with his vague, though uneasy, feeling that he hasn’t been doing very well lately.
This dim uneasiness needs careful handling. If it gets too strong it may wake him up and spoil the whole game. On the other hand, if you suppress it entirely-which, by the by, the Enemy will probably not allow you to do-we lose an element in the situation which can be turned to good account. If such a feeling is allowed to live, but not allowed to become irresistible and flower into real repentance, it has one invaluable tendency. It increases the patient’s reluctance to think about the Enemy. All humans at nearly all times have some such reluctance; but when thinking of Him involves facing and intensifying a whole vague cloud of half-conscious guilt, this reluctance is increased tenfold. They hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in financial embarrassment hate the very sight of a pass-book. In this state your patient will not omit, but he will increasingly dislike, his religious duties. He will think about them as little as he feels he decently can beforehand, and forget them as soon as possible when they are over. A few weeks ago you had to tempt him to unreality and inattention in his prayers: but now you will find him opening his arms to you and almost begging you to distract his purpose and benumb his heart. He will want his prayers to be unreal, for he will dread nothing so much as effective contact with the Enemy. His aim will be to let sleeping worms lie.
As this condition becomes more fully established, you will be gradually freed from the tiresome business of providing Pleasures as temptations. As the uneasiness and his reluctance to face it cut him off more and more from all real happiness, and as habit renders the pleasures of vanity and excitement and flippancy at once less pleasant and harder to forgo (for that is what habit fortunately does to a pleasure) you will find that anything or nothing is sufficient to attract his wandering attention. You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday’s paper will do. You can make him waste his time not only in conversation he enjoys with people whom he likes, but in conversations with those he cares nothing about on subjects that bore him. You can make him do nothing at all for long periods. You can keep him up late at night, not roistering, but staring at a dead fire in a cold room. All the healthy and out-going activities which we want him to avoid can be inhibited and nothing given in return, so that at least he may say, as one of my own patients said on his arrival down here, ‘I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked.’ The Christians describe the Enemy as one ‘without whom Nothing is strong’. And Nothing is very strong: strong enough to steal away a man’s best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why, in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man is only half aware of them, in drumming of fingers and kicking of heels, in whistling tunes that he does not like, or in the long, dim labyrinth of reveries that have not even lust or ambition to give them a relish, but which, once chance association has started them, the creature is too weak and fuddled to shake off.
You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,
Your affectionate uncle Screwtape
Wow! I did not know anyone had a brain to write like this anymore. You are well educated. I deeply respect that.
@@grandmasage3738 it’s a CS Lewis excerpt from “the screwtape letters”
Oh! Thanks for telling me.
I agree with this to certain point. As someone who study PhD in university, I find physical labour very relaxing, especially really hard 10 hours a day work. The feeling I got when I came home after such a long day was really awesome. Although I needed a lot of rest, mentally it made me better than hours of solitude working on college degree. After a while I realized, I need both, mental as well as physical labour to stay sane and happy.
Yeah me too, once I read a big book. I felt smart for a moment. Good time..
The Fuzz Nice!
Yeah I agree with you. Balance is key.
Perfect slave keep it up 🙏🏽 (I’m joking before anyone gets on my ass)
Same here. I’ve been writing and working out on my days off for a few weeks now. Honestly never felt better
This is untrue. Leisure was common in the days of the hunter gatherers. It’s thought that it only took about 5 hours a day to gather food and hunt , what about the other 19? Minus 10 for sleep you have 9 hours. Leisure is not new
You are correct. Journals from Australian Explorers handbooks marvelled that the Indigenous seemed lazy, choosing rather to play and tell stories than to work, stating that their survival was a result of the bountifulness of the land and oceans. The early explorers knew nothing of the permaculture that had been worked into the land to make it so bountiful. So yea, not my words, Matthew Flinders, Captain Cook and more all stated the indigenous frolicked and played all day
Idk bud, go live in the bush for 2 years , work your ass off to stay alive day after day
They had more free time, but at the cost of having a low chance you'd survive until adulthood
It is true. Your arguments lack the wholistic considerations of hunter gatherers. Hunting may have taken 5 hours a day but it is not like in their own ways (meaning the differing cultures, peoples, tribes throughout the world) they didn’t fulfil other necessary and vital tasks. We can be sure that they had leisure time but their leisure time was “down time” from the rigors of hunting not in a grocery store but across vast expanses of rough, raw wilderness. Like any athlete, they would need rest and recovery for the next outing. Today, do we really need rest and recovery from picking up some stuff from Safeway?! So, don’t so easily pass this off as untrue... because there are many more nuances and details involved with surviving, thriving, living without modern conveniences and such. Your statement is a perfect display of your limited perspective.
I’m not saying, and nor is he, that we need to go go go all day every day.... but as a whole, our modern culture is terrifically privileged to sit around most of the day, every day, and to get as fat as say, most Americans are. Unhealthy, emotionally unhealthy and psychologically unhealthy. Period. There is a reason why the US alone consumes the world’s greatest quantity of pharmaceuticals.
@@Torrque
Hunter/ gathering activity is not equal to stopping by at a mall to do shopping 😂😂😂😂 it is all that goes into keeping food, house, clothes... work -- and with 5 hours work we wouldn't need that much rest to recover, hunters did not run constantly, and why do we think they did? Working 12 hours a day as a waitress,,, yep, that will need recovering time
Isn't the availability of choices, between being active or passive, a privileged position not afforded to everyone?
No.
why do you think this? @@krisfrank_
I guess it depends on how you define "passive". A person who is working a minimum wage job (in other words - not privileged) and sits on the couch for the rest of the day when they get home could be seen as passive. Doesn't matter how much you earn.
Being passive is just a sign of depression and it can happen to anyone.
lotta over simplifications and jumping of logic in a society were we are just wage slaves and only contributing to the betterment of the corporation instead of ourselves. its just not that hard to figure out that humans are not adapted to the current ways and we've lost the plot almost entirely.
maybe, and i know this is a crazy idea right, what if people stopped voluntarily applying to those corporations and applied to other businesses instead that do value their employees? or made those businesses themselves. people just put up with their mundane wage slave position because theyre too lazy and apathetic to do anything about it. not because they cant. id rather work for a small business that appreciates me than work for a soulless multinational, even if they pay more.
@@TheSuperappelflap That is if the wage you get from your "small business" boss is enough for you to get by (rent, food) + get things you want which is hardly the case in 1st and 2nd world countries due to skyrocketing estates, and with the covid situation, even 3rd world countries follow suit.
@@ranielvincecabarrubias6118 dont pay rent, worst case buy a log cabin or a trailer and save up for a house
Personally, I find it relaxing to watch my favorite show and dance to my favorite songs after a long day of working and studying. Spending leisure time on these activities not only didn't cause any harm to my well-being but also boost my mood up. And thanks to them, I can enter the stable state when I am devoting for my personal project.
It's for those people who watch or endure them all the time.
Is it “work” that gives humans value? We’ve become obsessed with it unfortunately. Pursuit of “passions” has been stifled.
Self Realization is the worthiest goal and the most rewarding .
@@JDPBelhumeur in today's world, it's becoming less possible. Let's say you want to be a painter/dancer/whatever but you have to work all the time just to survive. Overtimes are becoming the norm. I mean, yes, you can pursue your passion but it's getting harder to do
There was a guy who claimed so.
"Arbeit macht frei."...
This is actually quite a disturbing and ignorant view on the dynamics.
Sure the old Greek philosophers could feel superior and spent their free time engaged in fulfilling creative work while their slaves and women were basically sacrificing their lives by doing everything else that needed to be done. It is always easier to look down on the small people so you can feel superior. But actually it is just heartbreaking.
Truee
its not about looking down bro they dont feel superior because they are rubbing it in and laughing at weak people, they feel superior because out of everything on this planet the men who go the farthest in creative endeavors of self improvement for themselves create divine transcendent beauty that transcends humanity and everything on this planet, and ive realized everyone who is trying to hate on the ideas presented in this video are jealous and a lot of them are getting defensive possibly because they feel theyll never not be lazy pieces of garbage lol
The idea that philosophers were/are lazy, disconnected, bourgeois fogies stretches all the way back to Plato. You can bet your life savings that if Plato wouldn't himself qualify as a philosopher king, he wouldn't be advocating for it, or his "noble lies". It is the nature of kings to find reasons for why they above all others deserve power, be that intellect, divine command, or command of strength.
Very true. I have great ambitions, beyond just making a decent amount of money; beyond being known within just my country. I always wonder why people throw away their lives for something basic in a world of opportunity and look down upon those, but they are the ones we need.
Yeeeeah. This.
You'll never know how much this one video has me thinking about my life and what I can do to make the most out of the passivity/extra time.
So much emphasis put on self pride. Didnt know it was so vital.
I have found it to be the key to genuine happiness.
My self pride died long ago. That's why now I kill myself eating lots of junk food and playing videogames.
Self-Respect is an inherent quality of Self-Pride.
If you have self-respect, you care for yourself - What you eat, how much you sleep, what you do.
I think it is vital and not to be confused with arrogance.
Seems as though pride and self love are awfully dependent on exterior virtues and values. You rise above the herd because the herd puts you there. They pay attention. And I don’t think most people talk about “nothing”. That seems to be an illusion adhered to by pretentious academic circles who think because they’ve read Hegel they understand these secrets of life that “the herd” won’t get. If you hear people talk about “nothing” it’s because they don’t need to openly discuss deep philosophical ideas about life to be motivated to live. They just chug on. Good video, a few holes in da logic tho.
yeah i hate the 'talk about nothing' thing that's called socializing and building connections, just because everyone does it doesnt mean is bad.
mediocrity (laziness, distraction etc) and conformity(fear, cultishness) are the two biggest obstacle which comes in the way of human potential achievement. sometimes I find that mediocrity and conformity are reciprocal to each other such as fear makes you passive and lazy and passivity leads to future fear. maybe we human being instinctively seeks comfort and do not like to take the risk, personally, I find that after a period of long work my mind seeks an award in the form of the mediocre thing(leisure, procrastination). I think it is a human tendency to learn only from an accident, incident, and guilt.
Rajan sometime i feel jealous of his wisdom What would be the point of “human achievement” if you can’t experience the “mediocre” activity that comes with it? what is the purpose? wouldn’t achieving just to achieve be conformity?
Simon Li because you won't need or desire that mediocre activity if your fulfilled with a more meaningful purpose.
Very well said. We have been given a tremendous privilege by time to live in this era. It makes sense to contribute and to use this time well. Take care.
Your mind desires the mediocre thing because you perceive it to be desirable. You view work as something to be endured, as an undesirable action which takes you away from the desirable thing. The difference between this way of thinking and the way workaholics think, is that workaholics do not perceive the mediocre thing to be desirable in the first place. Instead, they might be disgusted by it, for whatever reason, and instead fantasize about continuously working. They may be trying to reach a goal, but usually they simply view idleness as contemptible. They often do not find any joy in retirement. There is a difference between genuinely loathing procrastination and thinking it would be ideal if one did loath procrastination. So they don't constantly fight against themselves when choosing between work and leisure, at least not the same way that most people do. If one wanted to avoid leisure and procrastination, then he would have to change his fundamental perception of it so that it was no longer desirable.
In an abstract way, yes, the traditional idea is to work hard so eventually you can retire. Most people do want that, and that's why they constantly struggle with maximizing productivity versus leisure and procrastination. But every field of endeavor is basically a competition, and those who are most successful often give up everything else in order to work constantly. The irony is that many of these types of people are never really able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
A few days ago Macron explained that the authors of the last riots in France were very young this time. And prior to this, interestingly, they had many months of inactivity due to school strikes and covid. In Gaza, 80% of people are unemployed as Gaza is getting welfare money from abroad. This mass passivity/inactivity/mediocrity precedes everywhere chaos bursts. I am beginning to connect the dots. A leisure society is doomed to fail. It would actually be a nightmare.
This channel is what I was hoping "The School of Life" would be. Thanks you for the quality thought provoking content.
When I suffered a leg injury, I spent a almost an entire year in leisure as I went through recovery. I think that, worse than the physical damage, the psychological damage of having lost all purpose and routine was far greater.
It culminated in a mental breakdown, where I had to be hospitalized, and now, I've noticed I'm almost incapable of enjoying long periods of leisure, as I will get too restless within an hour of inactivity. If I have a long passage of time of idleness, even a week, my mental health takes a drastic decline, to where, exercise and creating is the only cure
I’m the same way.
yes!!! i experienced the same exact thing
If I do not fool myself into thinking what I'm doing is productive or an "active" activity, then I become restless.
I think most of the frustration over life that people have comes from them feeling as though they ought to strive to be an ideal promoted by those that they are imprinted upon they say it is their own but are miserable when partaking in it, and won’t admit it to themselves, and so one should realize that you don’t have to be anything, when you do that you will achieve all that you truly desire I do not think one must be a master at anything, I think it is best to find love for what could be better, and mastery is often a side effect of love