The fine art of doing nothing
January 21, 2008 :: Link :: Textuality
It takes a certain amount of effort for me to do nothing. It only happens on certain days, when I wake up and decide immediately that not only do I refuse to go anywhere or to do anything productive that day, but I'm not even going to allow myself to feel any guilt or regret about it. I get out of bed and walk over to the window where I blink a few times and say, "Meh. That world is for other people. Today I'll be sticking to the couch."
There are certain conveniences that make doing nothing more enjoyable. Digital cable is one. I recently discovered the on-demand channel, which I didn't realize I had, and even after I first found out about it, I didn't realize it was free. A laptop with wi-fi connects you to the world. The kind of coffee pot that you can bring into the living room helps. A large blanket is essential.
One of the best things about sloth is that, when done properly, it puts you in complete control of your life. Sure, the phone's ringing, but it's way over there. I can't, or rather, won't, be bothered with that right now. The last time I had a slothful day I ordered a pizza because I didn't feel like walking to the kitchen, and when the delivery guy just knocked on the door instead of walking in and putting the pizza on my lap, I actually felt a little bit annoyed. I had the money right there. I would have given him an extra dollar. They're going to have to start anticipating my needs if they want to keep getting my business. Delivery means delivery, people.
That said, unless you're wealthy enough to have someone constantly bringing you your every whim, you have to lower your expectations if you want to enjoy some genuine sloth. For the most part, you're limited to the resources you have on hand. Most worthwhile things require some kind of effort, and quite a few of them require you to put on a pair of pants. But that's OK, because sloth isn't about what you do; it's about what you don't do. It isn't about what you think, it's about what you don't think.
Sloth isn't an achievement. It's the absense of achievement. It's a thing of pure beauty.
Comments
You could replace "sloth" with "meditation," and while the facts of your story haven't changed, the impression would be quite the opposite. Kind of a Buddhist thing.
Posted by: Beverly | January 21, 2008 4:30 PM
I really don't separate the two. I had a segment in the post about meditation and how our society is sedentary to the point of disease, yet perpetually stressed and harried. Americans have the reputation for being overworked while also being fat and lazy. I consider what I wrote about above to be "healthful sloth." It's important for people to learn how to relax mentally as well as physically. I took it out because it all seemed to serious and philosophical for this blog.
Posted by: Barrett | January 21, 2008 6:41 PM
Some days I don't shower or get dressed and eat nothing but chips and french onion dip. These are some of the happiest days of my life, no offense to my family or friends.
P.S. This comment thing NEVER remembers my personal info.
Posted by: Sarah B. | January 24, 2008 1:02 AM
I have not had a day where I did NOTHING aside from sitting on the couch in probably 10 years.
This summer I had a bad kidney stone and ended up on a large dose of Demerol.I could barely stop drooling and once my husband put me to bed I didn't move for 10 hours. That was GREAT.
Posted by: Beret | January 25, 2008 1:50 PM