I think with How to Do Nothing, the point Jenny Odell makes is that capitalism is the context in which people feel obliged to always be doing things for some future benefit. Her suggestion, that it is okay to do nothing, is inherently opposed to that capitalist context. It's not that the goal is to resist capitalism - she leaves that to other books - she is just inviting people to remember that that sense of urgency, of obligation, comes from outside, and it would be wise to consider other ways of being in the world.
Doing nothing and making no decision is a road to hell. Seeking external rewards only is the same as doing nothing, as the text clarifies nicely, we are not governed internally by the voice of the Truth
Its funny that many a weekend I feel insecure about responding what I accomplished over the weekend. It seems that, in my professional milieu, the expectation is renovations, building something, taking a course of study on the side, etc. when my answer is often instead that i drank tea, read a book, went on a hike, and hung out with a friend/pet.
Maybe to be fair to Jenny Odell, enjoying live for intrinsic rather than instrumental purposes can be a rebellion without intent, but I do agree if the intent presupposes the action (or lack thereof), then it is instrumentalized and therefore less pleasureful.
Is this a paradox of hedonism? in hedonism, all pleasure is instrumentally of moral value. Therefore is it best to be a virtue ethicist or deontologists that happens to align with hedonism but without that explicit goal?
Again similarly, the focus on an identity of a true self is its own narrative, quite in conflict of the daoist dudism of the dude.
I agree that optimizing does take the fun out of life. But it is interesting that people haven’t caught on. Why won’t people give optimizing a rest? Why is it such an effective way to advertise, even for the most dubious products (actually i can only think of dubious products that use this marketing scheme)? You would think this type of marketing would stop working after a while because it’s making peoples lives boring?
Side note — I wonder if this type of advertising specifically target people who struggle with meaning in their lives. it seems like alternative media with these types of audiences use this type of advertising the most.
I appreciate the sentiment and enjoyed reading this. I also wonder, doesn’t choosing not to optimize for X mean you’re optimizing for something else? Bowling, running in wheels, reading and commenting on this newsletter, watching The Big Lebowski again - not inefficient but effective ways to optimize for… what? Energy? I argue there IS something worth optimizing for, and that attempting to do so is a great idea, just that few have clarity on what it is.
Wasting an entire dayevery few months is a necessity. So it putzing around with friends, shooting the breeze.
Our culture has taken things too far in one direction in the name of productivity and status, and as tech does more for us, that pendulum will swing the other way.
More wise words. I had a knee injury earlier this spring and part of my rehab was going for EXTREMELY slow walks around the neighbourhood. I took no phone, no ear buds, nothing, just slow walks. I appreciated every step!
I think with How to Do Nothing, the point Jenny Odell makes is that capitalism is the context in which people feel obliged to always be doing things for some future benefit. Her suggestion, that it is okay to do nothing, is inherently opposed to that capitalist context. It's not that the goal is to resist capitalism - she leaves that to other books - she is just inviting people to remember that that sense of urgency, of obligation, comes from outside, and it would be wise to consider other ways of being in the world.
Doing nothing and making no decision is a road to hell. Seeking external rewards only is the same as doing nothing, as the text clarifies nicely, we are not governed internally by the voice of the Truth
https://hrabmv.substack.com/p/the-dragon-beast-and-false-prophet
Its funny that many a weekend I feel insecure about responding what I accomplished over the weekend. It seems that, in my professional milieu, the expectation is renovations, building something, taking a course of study on the side, etc. when my answer is often instead that i drank tea, read a book, went on a hike, and hung out with a friend/pet.
Maybe to be fair to Jenny Odell, enjoying live for intrinsic rather than instrumental purposes can be a rebellion without intent, but I do agree if the intent presupposes the action (or lack thereof), then it is instrumentalized and therefore less pleasureful.
Is this a paradox of hedonism? in hedonism, all pleasure is instrumentally of moral value. Therefore is it best to be a virtue ethicist or deontologists that happens to align with hedonism but without that explicit goal?
Again similarly, the focus on an identity of a true self is its own narrative, quite in conflict of the daoist dudism of the dude.
Yes, AIMING to have fun without purpose is a bit of a conceptual vul the sac: today we'll be spontaneously creative at 18:25
I agree that optimizing does take the fun out of life. But it is interesting that people haven’t caught on. Why won’t people give optimizing a rest? Why is it such an effective way to advertise, even for the most dubious products (actually i can only think of dubious products that use this marketing scheme)? You would think this type of marketing would stop working after a while because it’s making peoples lives boring?
Side note — I wonder if this type of advertising specifically target people who struggle with meaning in their lives. it seems like alternative media with these types of audiences use this type of advertising the most.
I appreciate the sentiment and enjoyed reading this. I also wonder, doesn’t choosing not to optimize for X mean you’re optimizing for something else? Bowling, running in wheels, reading and commenting on this newsletter, watching The Big Lebowski again - not inefficient but effective ways to optimize for… what? Energy? I argue there IS something worth optimizing for, and that attempting to do so is a great idea, just that few have clarity on what it is.
TRUTH----is only worth optimizing for--and you know it too
https://hrabmv.substack.com/p/the-dragon-beast-and-false-prophet
Wasting an entire dayevery few months is a necessity. So it putzing around with friends, shooting the breeze.
Our culture has taken things too far in one direction in the name of productivity and status, and as tech does more for us, that pendulum will swing the other way.
As always, its about balance.
More wise words. I had a knee injury earlier this spring and part of my rehab was going for EXTREMELY slow walks around the neighbourhood. I took no phone, no ear buds, nothing, just slow walks. I appreciated every step!
Great piece. It's making me reconsider some of my attitudes and behaviors. Thank you.
The same way as speak now, regret later is turning the Truth upside down. JP supports this LOL
Beauty and pointlessness are going well together, as black and white, as day and night!
NO, there is no beauty in being pointless
https://hrabmv.substack.com/p/the-dragon-beast-and-false-prophet
You should investigate the Happiness research next !