The Benefit of Thinking Idly

I've recently been using Instagram to post poems (@28zacthrav) and have been struck by how mindless the algorithm is for choosing the videos and pictures that come on your feed.

I mean, just because I clicked onto a video of a fish swimming in a beautiful blue sea does not mean that I wish to be inundated with images of sharks and dolphins and divers. Equally, I happened to click on an image of how to promote your business, and now I am swamped with ideas and hints and tips for businesses and how rich people think.

What I have learned though is that the message being sent out for how to be rich is contrary to new books that I am reading on the subject. These images on Instagram must be ancient, because the world has moved on.

The majority tend to state that in order to succeed -

you should sacrifice leisure. Great. 

I guess this opinion was born in the 80's, and grew into Gordon Gekko from Wall Street. Here was a man who hated lunch, let alone reading a book.

It is statements like that which make the arts such a dour career to take. It creates an impression that being an actor or writer is not a proper job. This has happened for centuries, and still we think that an artist is a rubbish thing who should do it for free. Do remember, that the arts helps to boost the economy with billions of pounds per year. It is a serious vocation and should be treated as such.

I understand the need to work hard, and there are some useful tips like respect money, forgive your past, have faith, visualize success. But sacrifice leisure?!

If you do that you are more or less slaying your imagination; if you want to succeed and bring something new and exciting to your world, you will need to listen to and nurture your imagination. 

Otherwise you will only be following a path well trod, and you will not set a new example. 

Einstein said that 'Imagination is far more important than knowledge'. Imagination is what moves us forward and tries to find answers to questions.

Now, our minds are like our bodies and need to stay fit; the best way to stay fit is with regular exercise. How do we exercise our minds?

Reading - Watching - Listening - Thinking - Exploring - Probing 

Giving time to you to do all of those things. Learning and exploring the wonders of thought. You need to take time to simply sit and think.

Be idle; become a flaneur. 

You may be struck with inspiration from a passage in a book, or perhaps by a line from your favourite Netflix show. A lyric from a song; a speech from Youtube. What this does is open your mind to questions and to explore theories. You can argue that statement is not correct and explore other possibilities. Business is about imagination, otherwise we would all be doing the same thing. 


So, while I agree with a lot of these snippets of information, I think some of the advice is dangerous. Because work is not all about work, you can be inspired by play. Walk in the shoes you want to walk in, imagine the person you want to be and live the life that you want.

Life is for living, and sacrificing leisure is not living.