Listening to the recent Darkhorse Podcast (133) and there is a discussion towards the end of a historical fiction book, where the character, a rich, beautiful, and intelligent, but strictly ‘kept’ woman says: “I wanted for nothing…. but liberty and purpose.”

This becomes the springboard for discussing many people’s idea of leisure. This woman had all the elements many people desire when they think of their ideal life: nothing to be done except enjoy pleasures.  

Such as in the above referenced book, this kind of thing could be seen in powerful, controlling men giving what they imagine their women would like- a life where the woman need do nothing except exist beautifully. That isn’t the life they (the powerful men) want, but they imagine the woman should be happy with it. The mindset can also play out in parents who try to do too much for their kids- they enact control, which looks like love and protection over their children. But that control limits children from learning to move away from helplessness so that they can increasingly handle life. Humans need be helpful and useful; to do work in the world and find value from their own productivity, service, or creativity. These are the things that give us meaning in the world.  

Fun is something you’re supposed to have in the process of accomplishing something. When you make fun the whole point, rather than seeing it as a reward to induce you to activity, then you invert the system.

Having a life that is focused on fun as opposed to accomplishing something will be shallow and unsatisfactory.  It leaves you rudderless.