Awesome essay here! I read Pipers book a couple years ago and have been pondering his message for a while. It was actually one of the reasons I decided to change my college major from business to classical liberal arts and humanities. (Luckily I’m at a conservative school so I don’t get any critical theory)
People ask me all the time, “what are you going to do with that degree?” I’m not always sure how to answer their question because of its utilitarian assumption. How about “become wise” or “fill my soul” for an answer? Of course I do still need to figure out how I will support myself financially but I have faith it will work out.
“Seek ye first the kingdom and then these things shall be added unto you”
That's awesome! For what it's worth, I think you should definitely just start answering the "what will you do with that degree" question with "fill my soul." Based response.
Cheers! I agree. My husband and I got undergrad degrees in Philosophy and Literature, respectively, and I want my children also to get a Liberal Arts degree for the very reason you switched. It is so important during the college years to have this "leisure" to expand, dream, ponder, and collaborate.
I'll have to look it up, but I remember Bishop Barron giving a talk about art, where he said something like True art doesn't have a purpose, but is good in and of itself.
I cannot agree more with this philosophy; however, leisure is not very “affordable” these days. I think societies should enforce weekends off or at least a Saturday or Sunday off, as in certain religions. I don't belong to any institutionalized religion; however, I believe it’s good that people congregate together for a common objective, whether it’s praising god or helping the community, through which we will learn to disconnect a bit from the digital world and bring us back to interact with other physical brings.😊
Reading this essay reminded me of Mark Slouka's, "Quitting the Paint Factory," and its opening paragraph.
"I distrust the perpetually busy; always have. The frenetic ones spinning in tight little circles like poisoned rats. The slower ones, grinding away their fourscore and ten in righteousness and pain. They are the soul-eaters."
What a thoughtful article! I believe that the very essence of life is based on creative power and this occurs in relaxation and contemplation and not so in routine work, sometimes monotonous and stressful. I even see it as an opportunity or niche business to dedicate yourself to promoting leisure every weekend, planning to visit parks, museums, magical villages, etc. is perhaps what could give meaning to life. Congratulations on the article.
Provocative post! As an industrious American, I recoiled at the article’s first third. It evoked the observation that “Strong men create good times; good times create weak men; weak men, bad times; bad times, strong men.”
Working is creating—including creating “depth”, as described—and is marked by periods of intensity to produce something society or our family values. But a healthy, balanced individual leaves time for other pursuits.
As I reached the end, I began to consider the thesis reflected the state of “work-life balance” that is currently epitomized in remote work culture.
Furthering Pieper’s argument, convincing social science data on lifetime reflections support the idea of experiencing breadth in life (less work; more time with family, friends, and hobbies) and less “inaction” towards one’s ambitions or desires.
Excellent article! The most important point (in my opinion) is that Pieper defines leisure differently than idleness. I recall an interesting discussion of this distinction in the essay, where he quotes Thomas Aquinas who believed that "acedia" (idleness) was a sin against the Sabbath, against the "soul's resting in God."
The comment on how education is now only seen as training for economic productivity has changed how I feel my future endeavors in education such as college. Education is for the soul.
"But perhaps Pieper’s most urgent message is this: you must learn how to be at leisure. It’s not something that happens automatically during time off. It requires intention and a willingness to cultivate stillness."
"It’s a paradoxical discipline, in the sense that it requires effort to relax in a way that truly restores. But if you want to foster a deeper engagement with life itself, it’s absolutely necessary."
It's work up front, but eventually becomes second nature
The article actually alludes the fact that we are quite literally wired to think the way you are Larry. Albeit, I would like to learn how to enter a state of leisure too I hope there’s an article for that. However it’ll seem like work at first but once you’d get the hang of it, it would give the soul the rest it needs to flourish. Leisure isn’t supposed to be a luxury, it’s supposed to be a necessity for us humans.
“The modern workaholic is the true idler” — a brilliant remark
Thanks, glad you found it insightful
avoidance
Awesome essay here! I read Pipers book a couple years ago and have been pondering his message for a while. It was actually one of the reasons I decided to change my college major from business to classical liberal arts and humanities. (Luckily I’m at a conservative school so I don’t get any critical theory)
People ask me all the time, “what are you going to do with that degree?” I’m not always sure how to answer their question because of its utilitarian assumption. How about “become wise” or “fill my soul” for an answer? Of course I do still need to figure out how I will support myself financially but I have faith it will work out.
“Seek ye first the kingdom and then these things shall be added unto you”
That's awesome! For what it's worth, I think you should definitely just start answering the "what will you do with that degree" question with "fill my soul." Based response.
Cheers! I agree. My husband and I got undergrad degrees in Philosophy and Literature, respectively, and I want my children also to get a Liberal Arts degree for the very reason you switched. It is so important during the college years to have this "leisure" to expand, dream, ponder, and collaborate.
What’s wrong with critical theory?
Its tearing down all the foundational institutions of the West — the family, patriarchal headship, Christianity, religion, the market, etc
Rejects objective truth
Creates division
Erodes responsibility through oppressor-oppressed dynamics
I'll have to look it up, but I remember Bishop Barron giving a talk about art, where he said something like True art doesn't have a purpose, but is good in and of itself.
yep, excellent point!
I found it! https://youtu.be/xrjJbWJuPa8
I cannot agree more with this philosophy; however, leisure is not very “affordable” these days. I think societies should enforce weekends off or at least a Saturday or Sunday off, as in certain religions. I don't belong to any institutionalized religion; however, I believe it’s good that people congregate together for a common objective, whether it’s praising god or helping the community, through which we will learn to disconnect a bit from the digital world and bring us back to interact with other physical brings.😊
Thanks for this very contemplative article. 🙏❤️
Reading this essay reminded me of Mark Slouka's, "Quitting the Paint Factory," and its opening paragraph.
"I distrust the perpetually busy; always have. The frenetic ones spinning in tight little circles like poisoned rats. The slower ones, grinding away their fourscore and ten in righteousness and pain. They are the soul-eaters."
nice, very apt
What a thoughtful article! I believe that the very essence of life is based on creative power and this occurs in relaxation and contemplation and not so in routine work, sometimes monotonous and stressful. I even see it as an opportunity or niche business to dedicate yourself to promoting leisure every weekend, planning to visit parks, museums, magical villages, etc. is perhaps what could give meaning to life. Congratulations on the article.
Thanks Edgar! Glad you enjoyed it
Good words. I remember hearing of how older writers and theologians would talk of leisure as "recreation" (re-creation)
There's a lot to this! Tolkien discusses this as well...
Provocative post! As an industrious American, I recoiled at the article’s first third. It evoked the observation that “Strong men create good times; good times create weak men; weak men, bad times; bad times, strong men.”
Working is creating—including creating “depth”, as described—and is marked by periods of intensity to produce something society or our family values. But a healthy, balanced individual leaves time for other pursuits.
As I reached the end, I began to consider the thesis reflected the state of “work-life balance” that is currently epitomized in remote work culture.
Furthering Pieper’s argument, convincing social science data on lifetime reflections support the idea of experiencing breadth in life (less work; more time with family, friends, and hobbies) and less “inaction” towards one’s ambitions or desires.
Love your content!
Thanks Ryan, glad to hear it was provocative — hopefully, in all the right ways! Cheers
Excellent article! The most important point (in my opinion) is that Pieper defines leisure differently than idleness. I recall an interesting discussion of this distinction in the essay, where he quotes Thomas Aquinas who believed that "acedia" (idleness) was a sin against the Sabbath, against the "soul's resting in God."
exactly! Thanks for sharing that
The comment on how education is now only seen as training for economic productivity has changed how I feel my future endeavors in education such as college. Education is for the soul.
"But perhaps Pieper’s most urgent message is this: you must learn how to be at leisure. It’s not something that happens automatically during time off. It requires intention and a willingness to cultivate stillness."
That sounds like work.
Ha, sort of! See what I wrote further down:
"It’s a paradoxical discipline, in the sense that it requires effort to relax in a way that truly restores. But if you want to foster a deeper engagement with life itself, it’s absolutely necessary."
It's work up front, but eventually becomes second nature
Let's face it, Evan.
Leisure is a luxury that most people really can't afford.
No. Please re-read the article
The article actually alludes the fact that we are quite literally wired to think the way you are Larry. Albeit, I would like to learn how to enter a state of leisure too I hope there’s an article for that. However it’ll seem like work at first but once you’d get the hang of it, it would give the soul the rest it needs to flourish. Leisure isn’t supposed to be a luxury, it’s supposed to be a necessity for us humans.
"I would like to learn how to enter a state of leisure "
Maybe you can explore mindfulness;learning how to be present
This read like a tall drink of cool water to my parched mouth. Thank you.
So happy to hear that, David. Glad it was refreshing 🙏
Great!
This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you!
Sure thing, Jyoti 🙌
I didn't realize I was writing about this topic when I wrote this: https://joedonatelli.substack.com/p/the-joy-of-a-party-without-obligation
If only!