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There is an entire industry dedicated to “getting things done.” I’ve found some very useful ideas and practical tips that have made me more efficient, productive, and better at my work. However, Josef Pieper asks in Leisure: The Basis of Culture,
“Is there a sphere of human activity, one might even say of human existence, that does not need to be justified by inclusion in a five-year plan and its technical organization? Is there such a thing, or not? (p. 38)”
There is such a thing. Many have exaggerated the value of work, and forgotten about something else we need for true happiness, namely, leisure. But what is leisure? The sense of the term here is not vacation, being idle, nor is it rest for the sake of returning to work refreshed. Rather, leisure is an openness towards and contemplation of the deeper truths of life. Leisure requires a calmness, an inner stillness, and I think it is also in part constituted by these.
Leisure, according to Pieper, is a mental and spiritual attitude. It is not laziness, but rather an inner silence that enables one to see reality. One is able to apprehend the world, to encounter parts of reality that we often miss in our daily toil. Leisure is also a "contemplative celebration," a harmony between oneself and the rest of creation. Finally, it is not a mere break from work. Rather, it is done for its own sake. It affirms us in our humanity and is part of what it means to flourish as a human being, to be whole.
My aim is not to give practical tips on leisure, but to understand it and motivate us to find a place for it in our lives. But for those wanting to do so, leisure can include include reflection upon nature and its beauty, meditative contemplation of the character of God, focused reflection on the nature and value of a virtue such as compassion, or a thoughtful reflection on what we are as human beings.
A life with this type of leisure will be fuller and happier; most importantly, it will be more truly human.
Photo by Timothy Tolle, CCL
