and now for something completely different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k799LiPqu2g
[Bertie in Bollywood]
Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
51–60 of 126 posts
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I am now thinking we are confused between leisure and procrastination. It's even simpler than that. We're addicted to the instant gratification of easily digestible information packets. Humans like to be informed and we innately think this is valuable, even when it isn't.
We're addicted to the applications that were designed like VLTs. Practically every application feeds into the animalistic trigger, action, reward habit loop in order to retain users. Advertising and sites that sell user data attain value through eyeballs. It doesn't matter whether those eyeballs are glazed over, sad, and lonely.
It actually helps if those eyeballs are sad and lonely, since sad and lonely people frequently buy stuff in the hopes that it will either make them less sad and less lonely, or make it easier for them to cope with their sad loneliness.
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#53There is a great deal of anarchist and libertarian communist literature critiquing the modern concept of work, notably Russian anarchist Kropotkin's book 'the conquest of bread' originally written in around 1906.
http://libcom.org/library/the-conquest-of-bread-peter-kropot...
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#54Anyone looking for more praise of idleness should look into the works of Tom Hodgkinson. How to Be Idle is particularly brilliant.
Here's the 5 minute summary: http://www.wikisummaries.org/How_To_Be_Idle
The irony of only having time to read a Cliff's Notes version of a book called "How To Be Idle" is truly sublime.
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#55It is rather strange. More and more things of everyday life are automated and computerized. Nevertheless, I have the impression to have less and less time to do all the things I want/need to do.
And why is it we all seem to spend the majority of our time doing things for others? Surely there must be a net equality to this?
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#56Of a similar thinking is, I suppose, "The Right to Be Lazy" by Paul Lafargue. I read it some time ago and if I remember correctly he believed that there isn't/wasn't any need to work more than 3 hours a day because of the technological advances of the time (and to think this was in 1883!) After a quick search I found it is available online at: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lafargue/1883/lazy/
Trivia: Lafargue was Marx's daughter's husband.
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have noticed the same. Then I remembered the internet makes my day feel like running with a parachute. Sure, I could just get up and go make lunch when I'm hungry. But I could also just refresh HN first. I think it takes a second, it actually takes 10 minutes. Especially if I reply to something. Sure I could just get home from exercise and start working. But I can also check out imgur and twitter first. I feel liek…
>the internet makes my day feel like running with a parachute this phrase gets you an upvote. thank you! :-)
Especially considering he replied to "parasight".
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#58It is rather strange. More and more things of everyday life are automated and computerized. Nevertheless, I have the impression to have less and less time to do all the things I want/need to do.
Something happened to me yesterday that I haven't quite had the time to figure out.
I'm normally the introverted "stay at home and relax" type, at least during the week. I frequently want to get home from work as early as possible to play video games, play music, or read. The only problem I've had lately is I've had little motivation to do the creative parts (e.g. creating music or programming something).
But last night I went to the gym after work, making me get home an hour later than usual. Then I went out to an open mic with some music friends and had food and beers. Then I came back home and played video games for an hour or so. Then I managed to actually write music for another hour and a half.
It was weird, because normally I'd feel like I had a huge block of time in front of me (in theory, "relaxing"), so I could do whatever I wanted. But the catch was that I actually wouldn't do them! I'd procrastinate, and feel like I wasn't using the time "best" way. Last night was so different, and I felt really energized this morning.
What's the takeaway? I don't know yet. Maybe I'll try to do more. It was fun.
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#59I wonder how much Mr. Russel was idle himself having written on average 2 books per year throughout his life and significantly contributing on so many levels.
Re: Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness (1932)
#60As wikipedia notes on Bertrand Russell: > His work has had a considerable influence on logic, mathematics, set theory, linguistics, artificial intelligence, computer science (see type theory and type system), and philosophy, especially philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics. Plus he won the Nobel Prize in Literature ! For a very approachable overview of Russell's complex life, I highly recommend the gr…
For a very approachable view of Russel's thoughts and work, you can try reading his own writing:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/355
My personal favourite so far has been 'Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays' with 'Analysis of Mind' currently at the top of my reading queue. Not everything he did was like reading 'Principia Mathematica' and his writing is very open, readable and eloquent.