In a few cases, ‘laziness’ is the very opposite of what it appears.He then gives some examples of leaders using idleness through history to demonstrate that
Adepts of this kind of strategic idleness use their ‘idle’ moments, among others, to observe life, gather inspiration, maintain perspective, sidestep nonsense and pettiness, reduce inefficiency and half-living, and conserve health and stamina for truly important tasks and problems. Idleness can amount to laziness, but it can also be the most intelligent way of working. Time is a very strange thing, and not at all linear: sometimes, the best way of using it is to waste it.What a beautiful write up about what is so often missing in our dominate cultural narrative about work [1]. There is a very important negative capacity to living well. It is also how most us do our best work, not just our only sustainable work (same thing over a long enough time frame).
Compare with the discussion in Locate the Minimum Effective Dose.
This is not to say the art of strategic idleness is easy to do well; it is not, as Burton's essay also acknowledges. But it is worth it, if you are playing life for real and on your terms [2].
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[1] Incidentally, the piece goes on with many other great points. I highly recommend the whole thing, but I have enough for my essential point.
[2] Too many people don't see through their own eyes, even with what you would think is the most important matters of all -- what to do and how to think in the only life they will ever have.
