I think we should seek to maximise both our own and everyone’s wellbeing and that that probably means productivity is good for others and self care/things we enjoy are good for us. I’m not quite sure if you agree or disagree.
I think we need to learn to be satisfied with good but also strive for better. That’s a hard balance, though its worth remembering that if we have interesting satisfying jobs, disposable income, a few hours of free time each day and safety for ourselves and those we love, we are doing really well worldwide and so it’s worth working for the good of others who are less well off and for our own benefit.
I think productivity is highly emphasized both within EA and within the wider society, especially in the context of work and studies. There is not nearly the same amount of emphasis placed on unproductive downtime and its value for our mental and physical well-being. I think that if most of our productive “output” comes over a long-term career, we need to value our own time more.
Another way of thinking about it is that being highly productive is not in itself a virtue, a bit like driving 150 km/h on the highway in a random direction doesn’t necessarily take you to where you need to go! So I would say its probably better to be driving a bit slower and taking lots of breaks along the way to check that you are going in the right direction.
Thanks for writing this.
I think we should seek to maximise both our own and everyone’s wellbeing and that that probably means productivity is good for others and self care/things we enjoy are good for us. I’m not quite sure if you agree or disagree.
I think we need to learn to be satisfied with good but also strive for better. That’s a hard balance, though its worth remembering that if we have interesting satisfying jobs, disposable income, a few hours of free time each day and safety for ourselves and those we love, we are doing really well worldwide and so it’s worth working for the good of others who are less well off and for our own benefit.
I think productivity is highly emphasized both within EA and within the wider society, especially in the context of work and studies. There is not nearly the same amount of emphasis placed on unproductive downtime and its value for our mental and physical well-being. I think that if most of our productive “output” comes over a long-term career, we need to value our own time more.
Another way of thinking about it is that being highly productive is not in itself a virtue, a bit like driving 150 km/h on the highway in a random direction doesn’t necessarily take you to where you need to go! So I would say its probably better to be driving a bit slower and taking lots of breaks along the way to check that you are going in the right direction.