Wow, i’m not writing neurotically for once. Rest your head here sweet child, its time to talk about ‘productivity’ the toxic word of the week.
Recently here on this very website, I witnessed a dispute on physical vs digital media, living in the real world and the virtual one. I’ve personally yet to see a single argument that can be validated for living digitally vs living in real life, in the moment. Away from the social media machine (surely you know how toxic it is by now), away from the algorithms manipulating you, away from the dead internet and the bots and the spam. All of it.
One of the arguments I saw was essentially “well, its not about the phone. It’s about how you use it. I can do work on my phone efficiently that would make me more productive than the person who doesn’t use one at all.” (something to this effect)
Not to call that person out at all, I’m sure they’re right. They could be more productive than a person not using a smartphone at all. They could be the most productive person in the world. Unfortunately, they have also been sold a lie. The lie of productivity. The lie that productivity means anything more than any other lived experience.
You see, your time on earth is quite finite. You get 80 years on average, some of you who take your health super seriously might get more, alot of you will get less and some of you will be dead within weeks after reading this. Have you ever met an elderly person, on their deathbed who wishes they were more ‘productive’.
I hate to say the magic word ‘capitalism’ I hate to say it so much, because i’m not some college student who hates the machine and sees themselves as a victim within it. I don’t see myself as a victim. I don’t wanna say the word because I honestly don’t know what the economic answers are, let’s be real, i’m a twenty seven year old who is trying to work their way through a company to a better paid position, my life is a struggle, of gym motivation and holding up relationships and friendships. I’m in no position to re-arrange society or think that i’m more intelligent than the hundreds of people who came before me with their economic models. But it really is a lie sold to you by corporations.
You see, you will spend the vast majority of your life working (depends what country you’re reading this from). So corporations, in order to maintain a high amount of financial success, need all of the staff that they employ to work simultaneously towards their goals like cogs in an engine. The lie that is handed to you is ‘productivity’ and that is to keep you moving to prevent the engine from seizing up.
“Jorin, this doesn’t apply to me. I am an entrepreneur, i’m working towards starting my own business.”
All credit to you to be honest. That’s a noble pursuit to escape said machine. But what if I told you it doesn’t need to be like this at all? What if I told you that life should be simpler than the pursuit of money, just so you can own things and get by?
I have a very close friend who grew up on the Mediterranean islands of Greece. Once on a Wednesday that I had taken off from work, he sat with me eating some fresh fruit, steak, cheese and sipped coffee. We had a conversation about hunting (as we are both avid hunters (get your gun licence and learn how to hunt your own food, best skill you will ever learn)), when he suddenly turned to me and said:
“Isn’t this an awesome way to live?”
I asked what he meant and he continued.
“where I grew up man this is how everyone is living. They aren’t all racing to work every day. They wake up, little bit of coffee, go fishing, hunting, farming, growing their food. Then they all eat a nice meal like this together at lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing, walking, playing games. It’s how life is supposed to be.”
The ideal he had set before me sounded like heaven on earth. Yet he had actually lived there, he had grown up there. Circumstance had him move to Australia and he longed for that life again.
To be fair, even when I was a kid here in Aus, it was much more relaxed. I remember my brother going to work as a mechanic in the morning and he would always be home by lunch, some food together, then back out for two more hours of work (i went with him once, work was servicing a car while talking shit and throwing things at one another. Having fun), then he would be back home by 4ish and settle in for the night. He supported a family of three on this wage. That was 2011.
I’m sure you, whoever you are who defended the phone because it’s more productive, had good intentions. I get it. The desire to wake up at 4am, get on the grind to get your bread, pre prepare all your meals, pilates class, yoga class, gym, work 9-5 absoloutely tirelessly, shower and dinner at 6, work emails, 8 o clock some netflix and then bed. Only to do it over and over, day in day out. Trying to push towards a goal that your gambling on to even achieve. Financial freedom? In this economy? Mmmhmmm.
All I’m saying is there is a reason we all look forward to our weekends.
Human beings weren’t designed even biologically for the system wr see ourselves in. We weren’t meant to grind for a company all day every day, substituting time with people we love for people we hate but pretend to love to advance our position.
The man on his phone grinding might for sure be more productive. But I guarantee you that the person who has found a great work life balance, who doesn’t own a smartphone, who takes his time through his day to be in the real world, with real conversations. Who buys a nice new dvd and pops it in a player instead of having a netflix subscription. Who buys his favorite CD’s instead of using spotify. Who takes the time to go for a walk out in nature to contemplate his life and his feelings. Who consciously chooses what to consume. Who spends more time with friends and family. Who takes a day off every now and then to just focus on relaxing. Yeah, they aren’t as productive as you. Maybe the company hates them for it, but they’re happier than you, and that’s what life is actually about.
Because at the end, when you’re on your deathbed, you’ll remember the times you were happy and having a fun, relaxing time. The sound of a waterfall you visited, not your coworker complaining.
People younger than you, have died. They never got to experience much of what life had to offer them. Most only got to work like a mule for a few years, spent a couple of weekends having fun and then died and missed out on so much more. With that in mind, you have the audacity to waste your time being more ‘productive’?
Thanks for reading, I have to go now, I’m running late for work.
Much love, xoxoxo
Thankyou so much! 🙏