You Don’t Have to Always Do Something

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of accepting moments of inactivity and not constantly feeling the need to be productive, suggesting that peace and focus come from acknowledging life's opportunity costs and not comparing one's choices to others.

Abstract

The article "You Don’t Have to Always Do Something" reflects on the societal pressure to continuously engage in productive activities, arguing that this pressure often leads to dissatisfaction and a sense of wasted time. It suggests that the constant comparison to others' choices, driven by societal expectations, is detrimental to personal contentment. The author posits that acknowledging the inherent opportunity cost in every decision and not comparing one's choices to those of others can lead to peace and the ability to focus on the present task. The piece encourages readers to strive for self-improvement rather than competition with others and to remember the value of relaxation without guilt.

Opinions

The author believes that societal norms instill an unnecessary urge to always be busy, which can lead to unhappiness and a feeling of time being wasted.
It is expressed that the mind tends to question our choices when we engage in activities, due to societal expectations that push us to constantly compare our decisions to those of others.
The article suggests that accepting the trade-offs of our choices and not comparing them to others' is crucial for finding peace and focusing on current endeavors.
The author emphasizes that personal progress should be measured against one's past, not against others, and that it's important to recognize the value in occasional idleness.
The piece reiterates the wisdom of Lao Tzu, that doing nothing can be more valuable than being busy with unproductive tasks, highlighting the importance of being present and making mindful choices.

You Don’t Have to Always Do Something

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” — Lao Tzu

I don’t know how it was instilled in us but we all have this nagging feeling in us to do something at all times. Something is telling us to not rest and always be productive. Watch a movie, read an article, listen to a podcast. Just do something.

When we start doing one of those activities, the mind is ever so unhappy and bothers us by saying that we should’ve chose something else to do. So we are always unhappy and feel that we are wasting our time.

Start watching a documentary and your mind goes wandering and thinks whether or not we made the right decision. The reason why this happens is because society always wants more from us and is constantly comparing one choice to another. But these choices aren’t being compared to our previous choices. They are being compared to other people’s choices who have different characteristics, goals, wants, and needs from life.

There is always an opportunity cost at whatever we decide to do. We always say no to a bunch of things by saying yes to only one thing. That is the rule of life. Acknowledge it and move forward. Only then can you be at peace and focus on the task at hand. And don’t forget to remind yourself that your choices matter and should be better than the ones you made yesterday but they shouldn’t be compared to another person’s choices.

Society is always telling us to progress and do something because if you don’t someone else definitely is and will get ahead of you. But life isn’t about getting ahead of someone else. The key thing is to be better than how we were yesterday. So keep this in mind for the future decisions that you will make and don’t forget to relax at times. You don’t have to always do something.

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” ― Lao Tzu

Take a peek at my other pieces on Medium:

You Don’t Have to Always Do Something

Oh no! I’m Behind.

We feel left behind in a world where more is never enough.

Life is a Never-Ending Now

It is just one continuous moment.

Unanswered Calls

Do you hear that ringing coming from within?