My theory is people NEED to be busy. The old adage, idle hands are the devil's workshop, still rings through people's minds. Idle people, or those of us who work slow and don't aspire to great wealth, are a mystery to those who can't slow down and/or a menace to society. How can people just hang out when there's so much to do. Doing nothing scares the merde out of them. They believe their purpose is to do do do, focused of course on a particular occupation. (I'm basing this upon watching my sister-in-law, who is a fascinating example of a "purposeful" life.😁) It's ridiculous.
People live hectic lives because there are too many goals to achieve and not enough time to achieve them. In fact, there are so many experiences to be had and things to do that there doesn't seem to be enough time for anything and we are missing out on them all.
Concerts, parties, events, places to visit, goals, dreams of all kinds... Some people try to cover everything to the point of exhaustion, others enjoy focusing on slowly doing some of them.
Such is life in this century. I guess I grew up in a place that was so void of all the things you describe, there was no FOMO. Oh, there were goals, but until the 1970s, they weren't all piled on top of each other. That decade, with its movement toward women's equality, life's offerings could be experienced in stages. There were concerts, parties, etc., but not in the feverish pitch as now. And there was such difference between country and city life. Now, with online entertainment so available everywhere, FOMO is a thing everywhere. And we gotta get it all done today!
That is something I experience. Sometimes I miss leisure opportunities, it happened to me today. I had to choose what I wanted to do because I had two possible plans.
I thought about this text once again. We have to change our mentality and realise that we can't do everything, we have to know how to manage time wisely in this day and age, time is becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable resource.
Great column and insight regarding technology and expectations. I first encountered this kind of argument in a little and fantastic book that explore hoovers and how these increased rather than decrease work for mothers. The book is a wonderful read and aptly titled, More Work for Mother.
It's amazing how technology, despite how much it is advancing, still hasn't been able to change our mentality towards work. We are still working the same.
It will take a big change on a societal level and not just in terms of technology to change the landscape.
In some ways, technologies become actors (see Latour and Action network theory), and in some cases, it can be interesting to think about them having some kind of agency... or rather, if one wants to be more cautious, interacting with humans as if they had it.
Thanks for sharing. I would propose a slight modification to Parkinson’s Law, to say that work expands to fill the space that is considered socially acceptable. In early 20th century Britain, most working people (=men, at the time) worked the best part of six days per week, with Saturday afternoon watching football and Sunday off. Today most people work five days per week. In the future it will hopefully shift to four or less!
That's a very good point you make. Certainly, Parkinson's Law is defined for individual behaviour, but it could be extended to a social definition. And yes, it is as you say, it will be society that determines what working time is acceptable. Technology will play a crucial role in that process of changing mindsets.
My theory is people NEED to be busy. The old adage, idle hands are the devil's workshop, still rings through people's minds. Idle people, or those of us who work slow and don't aspire to great wealth, are a mystery to those who can't slow down and/or a menace to society. How can people just hang out when there's so much to do. Doing nothing scares the merde out of them. They believe their purpose is to do do do, focused of course on a particular occupation. (I'm basing this upon watching my sister-in-law, who is a fascinating example of a "purposeful" life.😁) It's ridiculous.
Hi Sue! :)
Happy new year!
People live hectic lives because there are too many goals to achieve and not enough time to achieve them. In fact, there are so many experiences to be had and things to do that there doesn't seem to be enough time for anything and we are missing out on them all.
Concerts, parties, events, places to visit, goals, dreams of all kinds... Some people try to cover everything to the point of exhaustion, others enjoy focusing on slowly doing some of them.
Managing free time is an art form
Such is life in this century. I guess I grew up in a place that was so void of all the things you describe, there was no FOMO. Oh, there were goals, but until the 1970s, they weren't all piled on top of each other. That decade, with its movement toward women's equality, life's offerings could be experienced in stages. There were concerts, parties, etc., but not in the feverish pitch as now. And there was such difference between country and city life. Now, with online entertainment so available everywhere, FOMO is a thing everywhere. And we gotta get it all done today!
That is something I experience. Sometimes I miss leisure opportunities, it happened to me today. I had to choose what I wanted to do because I had two possible plans.
I thought about this text once again. We have to change our mentality and realise that we can't do everything, we have to know how to manage time wisely in this day and age, time is becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable resource.
True.
Hello,
Great column and insight regarding technology and expectations. I first encountered this kind of argument in a little and fantastic book that explore hoovers and how these increased rather than decrease work for mothers. The book is a wonderful read and aptly titled, More Work for Mother.
Happy new year!
Hello! :)
It's amazing how technology, despite how much it is advancing, still hasn't been able to change our mentality towards work. We are still working the same.
It will take a big change on a societal level and not just in terms of technology to change the landscape.
Happy New Year to you too! :)
In some ways, technologies become actors (see Latour and Action network theory), and in some cases, it can be interesting to think about them having some kind of agency... or rather, if one wants to be more cautious, interacting with humans as if they had it.
Oh, I hadn't thought of that at all, I was unaware of this theory, thank you for that information, you've given me a whole new perspective!
Thanks for sharing. I would propose a slight modification to Parkinson’s Law, to say that work expands to fill the space that is considered socially acceptable. In early 20th century Britain, most working people (=men, at the time) worked the best part of six days per week, with Saturday afternoon watching football and Sunday off. Today most people work five days per week. In the future it will hopefully shift to four or less!
Hello! :)
That's a very good point you make. Certainly, Parkinson's Law is defined for individual behaviour, but it could be extended to a social definition. And yes, it is as you say, it will be society that determines what working time is acceptable. Technology will play a crucial role in that process of changing mindsets.