http://www.slate.com/articles/techno...work_more.html
Here's an interesting article critiquing the concept of lifehacking (basically, using technology to make our lives more efficient). It discusses two books that seem to undercut the very notion of lifehacking, at least as applied full-scale (obviously doing some things to make life more efficient is helpful, after all).
One point raised in the article is that humans seem to need idle time. We need to daydream in order to be creative, innovative thinkers. Daydreaming isn't actually idle time at all--it's time where we can get a huge amount done, if we let ourselves.
I've found that to be true in my own life. In school I used to walk to class every day, in part because the busses sucked (seriously, you'd think a university could make a freaking buss schedule!), but later because it gave me time to really think about things. Usually I'd simply idly daydream about nothing, but often I'd find myself working on thorny problems I had to deal with, or finding new ways to put together data I was learning in class. Much as I detest Plato, a Platonic-style dialogue works surprisingly well for this. It's not so easy to do that in car, but I've found myself finding other ways to drift off like that. Making maille jewelry is a fantastic way to do it--everyone thinks you're being productive, but seriously, E4-1 takes about three neurons to do.
I've also found that having idle time in relationships is a must. My wife and I go out to eat more than most. However, it's a good thing. It's time spent away from all the distractions, where we can focus on each other again and simply talk. We've worked through a lot of problems that way--and as I put it, dinner is cheaper than a divorce lawyer (it came close for a time, before we started conciously reocgnizing the importance of downtime in our relationship).
I've read similar reports as well, emphasizing the need for unstructured time in our daily routines in order to maintain maximum efficiency. A few hours a day, or a few days a week where you do nothing practical has an amazing impact on productivity the rest of the week.
I know my examples are all anecdotal, but does anyone have any thoughts on the necessity for downtime and idleness in human life?
Here's an interesting article critiquing the concept of lifehacking (basically, using technology to make our lives more efficient). It discusses two books that seem to undercut the very notion of lifehacking, at least as applied full-scale (obviously doing some things to make life more efficient is helpful, after all).
One point raised in the article is that humans seem to need idle time. We need to daydream in order to be creative, innovative thinkers. Daydreaming isn't actually idle time at all--it's time where we can get a huge amount done, if we let ourselves.
I've found that to be true in my own life. In school I used to walk to class every day, in part because the busses sucked (seriously, you'd think a university could make a freaking buss schedule!), but later because it gave me time to really think about things. Usually I'd simply idly daydream about nothing, but often I'd find myself working on thorny problems I had to deal with, or finding new ways to put together data I was learning in class. Much as I detest Plato, a Platonic-style dialogue works surprisingly well for this. It's not so easy to do that in car, but I've found myself finding other ways to drift off like that. Making maille jewelry is a fantastic way to do it--everyone thinks you're being productive, but seriously, E4-1 takes about three neurons to do.
I've also found that having idle time in relationships is a must. My wife and I go out to eat more than most. However, it's a good thing. It's time spent away from all the distractions, where we can focus on each other again and simply talk. We've worked through a lot of problems that way--and as I put it, dinner is cheaper than a divorce lawyer (it came close for a time, before we started conciously reocgnizing the importance of downtime in our relationship).
I've read similar reports as well, emphasizing the need for unstructured time in our daily routines in order to maintain maximum efficiency. A few hours a day, or a few days a week where you do nothing practical has an amazing impact on productivity the rest of the week.
I know my examples are all anecdotal, but does anyone have any thoughts on the necessity for downtime and idleness in human life?
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