A Meander Through the much Maligned Act of "Doing Nothing"
"Christopher Robin, what exactly is doing nothing?" Pooh asked
"Well I'm told it means going along, listening to all the things you can't hear and not bothering."
We live in this world where "industry," productivity and staying busy are regarded as the highest virtues of living. People talk about "The Protestant Work Ethic" and even if some claim that things have changed, we still tend to look sideways at those whose lives are not consumed by ambition and the quest for success and label them "underachievers" and slackers.
It's peaceful to look at trees...
Even when we are not working, so many are frantically engaged in something designed to fill every conceivable waking moment with doings: clubs, events, meetings, hobbies, courses, classes.
Whatever happened to just sitting still; to "idling?"
Different Kinds of Nothing
Is "Nothing" really such a bad thing?
Peaceful view from the kitchen
I occasionally consider the possibility that we start out biased against nothing from childhood, because we use "nothing" as the universal excuse to get off the hook when doing something other than what we are "supposed to" do.
I'm sure most people remember this scenario: You're in your room doing something your parents would definitely not want to you do...
Mom: "It's very quiet in there. What are you doing?"
Me: "Nothing...."
Of course, we weren't doing nothing at all... we were probably using our chemistry set to try to create rocket propellant.
Then again, "nothing" is also associated with certain activities people might engage in in the bathroom...
But that's not the "nothing" I'm talking about, here.
I'm talking about the "nothing" of non-doing.
Are we Human BE-ings or Human DO-ings?
I'll be the first to admit that I have lived most of my life under the spectre of being perceived both "lazy" and an underachiever.
A busy butterfly taking a rest
I have always been much better at simply being, than at doing. There just were never that many things I wanted to do, and the notion of "work" never meant anything more than a means to fund the basics of life so I could "be."
A couple of days ago, I wrote a piece about the way FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) seems to dominate many people's lives. After publishing that, I spent quite a while considering the fact that I have never really felt afraid that I was missing out on something.
And I have never felt afraid that I was somehow "missing out on the fullness of life" if I didn't make sure that I was using every waking moment for "something." Even as a kid, I could be left alone for hours and never give a moment's thought to the possibility that "my friends might be doing something fun without me."
Nothing... and Stress
I have previously mentioned this in passing, but I find it ironic that so many get all wrapped up in doing — to such a degree they suffer from perpetual stress... and then pay good money to attend meditation retreats where they learn how to essentially "do nothing."
Watch flowers bloom...
Now don't get me wrong here — I'm not suggesting that we need to become a world of career idlers; I'm merely suggesting that there has to be a balance. "Doing nothing" isn't a bad thing, and it doesn't make you a bad or lazy person.
Personally, I have always felt very content sitting in our back yard watching leaves in the breeze, watching the birds fly by; sitting on the beach watching the seagulls and the waves... and not "making" or "doing" a damn thing... for hours on end!
Which leads me to the final point: that "idling" has never bored me.
People say things like "you must be very bored!" but quite the contrary is true. My life feels equally full when doing nothing and doing something.
How about YOU? Are you generally an idler or a busy bee? Is the idea of "doing nothing" welcome to you, or does it make you feel edgy or anxious? If you generally feel compelled to "stay busy," what do you fear will happen if there were nothing to "do?" If you try to stay busy, are all the things you do an authentic representation of things you truly want? Or are they just there to keep you from being idle? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
created by @zord189
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180507 16:27 PDT
When I read your article, the first image to come to mind, the one that really says, "Doing nothing", comes from a PBS video series, In the Wild.
In that series, every episode features some celebrity exploring nature with a film crew. The image I have in mind is from an episode when Julia Roberts explores a forest populated by gorillas. We see this older male gorilla, sitting on the forest floor, eating a banana, looking up at the sky, doing nothing. He appears oblivious to the film crew and Julia as she approaches him.
This is typical for an ape. They know how to do nothing. We inherited the capacity to do nothing from them. Our capacity to pause and do nothing is required for our capacity for industry. You cannot have one without the other without losing your mind.
Bravo for having the guts to admit to doing nothing. The Protestant Work Ethic is overrated. Your article is just one more nail in the coffin for that addiction that passes as the mark of a good citizen.
It's something that has been with me since I was a little kid. The adults all were insistent that little boys should be running around getting into things and doing stuff all the time, and yet I was mostly quite content to sit on my duff and do as little as possible.
As an adult, it has manifested into my not being completely without ambition, but having little desire to do much more than what it takes to "get by" and "have enough." Unless I am thoroughly enjoying myself, I really don't understand "activity, for its own sake."
back when I was in the military my specialty was bombs.
my instructor told me...
"if you don't understand it..DON'T MESS WITH IT!"
DON'T ` do anything...you'll live longer that way.
I paid heed to his advice..I'm still alive and I have all my parts.
unlike some.
lol, now nothing is the new something
Sounds like wisdom to me.
Curiosity killed the cat and all that good stuff.
Hmmn, i have never actually thought about it in that way before, human-Be and human-Do, very interesting...i dont know why our parents did that, nothing became so bad, how sad....
Hmmn, me i love when it only seems like im doing nothing but im actually doing something, but that method seemed to not be going well, im not a busybee, i like my free time, my idle is always occupied with something i like to do or sketch or think about, never really idle idle i hope you get
What prompted me to write this was in large part a "question mark" to those who seem outright anxious or uncomfortable when they have to sit still and no be "engaged in something" for even 10 minutes. They get up and start fidgeting, and looking for something to "do." And I'm not just talking people who are living with ADHD.
Personally, I really enjoy idling. I actually do less of it now that there is such a thing as Steemit... although surfing Steemit could be seen as "idling" by many.
Yes exactly what i meant by what i said
especially as some people consider steemit as idling, big mistake
I really appreciate your perspective actually
I've been wondering that a lot lately too. I am all by myself now after years raising kids and afterwards still having one kid or the other around, then my brother...who drove me crazy. I sit in the peace and quiet and have found for the most part I rather enjoy it. Jumping the hurdles of life takes a lot of you and now just to sit back and enjoy some quiet time isn't half bad...the winter time gets a little rough, limited to mostly inside activities, so I'll go get the grand kids who I love having around anyway.
Me and you must be similar. I love going to my backyard at our little Cabana and just love to Reflect while listening to the birds and looking up at the blue sky.
I definitely think at heart have always been someone who loves tranquility and just being "idle" and observing the World around me.
Don't get me wrong !! Of course I do work but Iam NOT one of those guys who is a busy body around the house, tiinkering here and there.
Not at all. I get my work done and then sit outside and have a beer :)