In praise of idleness

In the shaky economic conditions around the world, with occupy movements everywhere and wars for power in many nations, it would be nice to reflect on this essay by Bertrand Russell. I read it today. One can only wonder how wonderfully has he argued in favour of idleness. The starting first few paras seem to be on lighter note and take you into hilarious state. And then he starts talking about how, although funny, these things about leisure and work make sense to compare. And just when you are enchanted by the flow of sequentially convincing arguments he will sneakingly pass a statement somewhere that modern machinery after industrial revolution have made it possible for us to do less work, which was something I could not buy. But as he explains his case well to justify the statement if you are flexible on your definition of 'work'. His example of manufacture of pins is presented very well. Although it doesn't work that simple. And the reason is that we haven't let it
The last para concludes that if we learn from idleness then how wars can be prevented because then all of us will have plenty besides the face that lazy people will not be willing to fight :D. He talks about war more than once in the whole essay which is understandable considering the timing of the article; it was published between the two World Wars. All I want to say that it is a very nice read and his discussion of work vs. leisure fits very well in today's society where the 'work' is virtue-ed too much and 'leisure' is considered to be bad for ones life. I can make the above statement with authority because I have worked in corporate for a year and most of my friends are still there. I will quote few lines from the text and hope it serves as a motivation to read the full text. Even if you get bored and dont read full text read the first few pages because they serve as humour and the last few pages because you need it.

'I enjoy manual work because it makes me feel that I am fulfilling man's noblest task, and because I like to think how much man can transform his planet. It is true that my body demands periods of rest, which I have to fill in as best I may, but I am never so happy as when the morning comes and I can return to the toil from which my contentment springs.'

First of all: what is work? Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth's surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first kind is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid.

The notion that the desirable activities are those that bring a profit has made everything topsy-turvy.

Broadly speaking, it is held that getting money is good and spending money is bad. Seeing that they are two sides of one transaction, this is absurd; one might as well maintain that keys are good, but keyholes are bad.

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