Work and leisure

Bertrand Russell wrote a famous essay called In Praise of Idleness. Instead of repeating familiar praise for hard work, he explained the value of leisure for individuals and society. For the individual, leisure prevents us from missing the good things in life. For society, it makes people happier and therefore kinder, reducing suspicion and the harm people do to one another.

Russell's observation was forward-looking. In the last century, while humanity was still struggling with poverty and hunger, he anticipated today's material abundance and the possibility that everyone could escape deprivation. Widespread hunger, poverty, and excessive work are foolish and unacceptable. Modern technology can make leisure available to everyone instead of reserving it for a privileged few. Shorter working hours and more leisure can improve employment and consumption. They can also give more people time to think and contribute to social progress.

Reality seems to have moved in the opposite direction. People carry too much work and have too little leisure. They lose opportunities to live and develop, and society loses its vitality. A developed market economy and increasingly specialized work make it difficult for workers to survive outside an employer. People focus on skills that earn money rather than practical skills for living. Their bargaining power weakens, while employment, income, and daily life rise and fall with the economy. When large companies prosper, life improves; when they do not, life becomes harder.

For an individual, this is dangerous. Overtime and overwork are common. Both intense work and inefficient time spent at a desk reduce personal time and the possibility of personal development. Most university graduates finish their studies between twenty-two and twenty-five. Devoting the next ten years, when mind and body are at their strongest, entirely to work is not reasonable. A salary cannot fully compensate for the opportunities lost.

A career is part of modern life. But we should calmly recognize the limits of what a career can return for the effort invested. Those limits depend closely on economic conditions, not simply on how hard we work. In 2025, career competition consumes great effort while producing little. Even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of becoming an architect may not justify the investment. Much repetitive work does not contribute to growth at all. We should use leisure to rest and to take part in learning and activity outside paid work, such as reading, exercise, thinking, and creating.

Everyone lives through gradual social change. Change brings both opportunities and difficulties. Work is not the whole of life. The abilities and experiences we develop beyond work give us confidence to face it. Within our financial means, we should be willing to try things and experience our own lives.