What books or articles have you read recently that fundamentally shifted the way you think about the world, and how you interact with it (work, social, play, whatever)?

  • thericofactor@sh.itjust.works
    15·
    2 days ago

    I’m currently reading 4000 weeks by Oliver Burkeman and it really hits home.

    Burkeman is a former productivity guru that has tried all kinds of productivity tools and lifehacks only to realize that trying to get more efficient only results in keeping you even more busy.

    People are always striving for that next step to get to a mythical point in life where they think they can relax and enjoy life, and for most of us, that point never comes, because we’re too busy trying to get there

    • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
      6·
      2 days ago

      I’ve done almost the opposite lol. I’ve got my shit dialed I can get paid more for less. We gotta live life, not be a slave to it.

    • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      1 day ago

      Sounds like an interesting read. The premise makes sense. Take the washing machine for example. Before the advent of the automatic washer, women spent most of their time cooking and doing laundry. Incredibly time consuming manual labor.

      Washing machines freed up a ton of time but also require complex infrastructure to operate. Same for any other “time saving” appliance.

      The comforts and conveniences enjoyed by much of modern society are unparalleled by any other point in history but just maintaining all those comforts and conveniences is a ton of work in itself.

      • thericofactor@sh.itjust.works
        3·
        1 day ago

        One example he gives is Facebook - it allows you to keep track of events you might like to go to, which seems convenient, but then it will show you hundreds of other events you might want to go to, much more than a single person can visit.

        Another example is food delivery - in the US there was even one company advertising with the fact that when you order food, you can do so without having to interact with anyone. While that might be convenient, a lot of neighborhoods lose cohesion, because people stop meeting each other at the local takeout or have a small interaction with the people behind the counter there. The gist of it is, that it’s okay for some things to be a little less convenient, because there is always a cost involved.

        What he promotes is to accept that you can’t get everything done. You have limited time, and sometimes you’ll have to accept that the laundry might pile up while you are working on your book/application/… whatever.

        It also puts in perspective what you are actually working for - he quotes the parable of the businessman and the Greek fisherman to illustrate.