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The Lost Art of Leisure
“A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two [different] things.” — Benjamin Franklin
“To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization.” — Arnold J. Toynbee
“The soul is dyed with the color of it’s leisure thoughts.” — Dean Inge
“The end of labor is to gain leisure.” — Aristotle
What is leisure? It’s an odd question. Ask it of contemporary middle-class citizens and you might get answers like down time, relaxation, or rest. And the follow-up question: How do you spend your leisure time? The answers to this one might be watching Netflix, drinking with friends, or sleeping; and, of course, the unspoken theme permeating the modern concept of leisure — scrolling aimlessly through social media.
Modernity has given rise to the misguided notion that our time is sequestered into three basic compartments: work, chill, and sleep. It’s understood that work time entails, usually, employment with the ostensible goal of doing something useful; though, really, the aim of work for most employed people is to earn money so as to theoretically improve their own circumstances. Chill time is the brief respite we get after having completed work — which includes attending the necessities of managing daily life — and going to sleep.
