In this episode we unpack Scottish Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson's essay "An Apology for Idlers" from 1877.
The essay explores…
-Why we should spend a good deal of time being idle in our youth
-Why we have a moral duty to be happy
-Why books aren't all they're cracked up to be
Links to Reading and Articles mentioned
"An Apology to Idlers" by Robert Louis Stevenson
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Alex Berner Pocket Bard (Interactive music app for gamers and tabletop RPG's like D&D)
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:42 Does idleness make us grow weary?
00:08:21 Stevenson’s definition of Idleness
00:12:58 how different generations view idleness
00:17:57 how one’s happiness effects other people
00:22:24 better to be happy and poor than miserable and industrious
00:28:04 the resentment workers feel towards idlers
00:31:01 rethinking priorities
00:31:31 the story of Alexander the Great and Diogenes
00:41:57 the resentment unrecognized workers feel
00:45:58 equating one’s self worth with one’s economic value
00:48:51 spending time being idle in youth
00:50:28 Experiential learning vs. book learning
00:54:12 books are a bloodless substitute for life
00:59:11 leaving yourself space for having your own ideas
01:06:26 all work and no play is soul crushing
01:08:52 assessing how much time we spend on certain tasks
01:12:17 your work doesn’t matter as much as you think it does
01:13:12 the “great man” theory of history
01:17:45 why sacrificing your youth for work is a bad idea
01:21:25 fame and money doesn’t make you happy
01:24:17 sensitivity to talking about work
01:26:59 wrapping up/outro
