haha classmates and I were looking through today's papers and we saw an article that reminded us of our recently concluded GP comprehension. This triggered off a train of thought (haha reminds me of Taufiq's lame joke about losing his train of thought and having to wait for the next one xD) as I relate it to another economic framework, budget deficit.
From the study of Economics, we understand that an assessment of a budget deficit lies in what the funds were used to finance. If they were used in unproductive investments such as war expenditure or currency speculation, they are more than likely to have a negative impact on the economy. However, if they were spent on infrastructure, healthcare and/or education, in the long run, we will see shift in productive capacity of the economy to the right, thus having a positive impact on the economy.
This can be paralleled to idleness. Idleness can be used productively and unproductively. Unproductive idleness includes the classic examples of daydreaming, time-wasting and in general 'staring-at-the-sky-watching-the-clouds-drift-by' kind of activities. Remember this phrase? Time waste our bodies and our wits, but we waste time so we are quits. From another perspective, wasting time is equivalent to a slow suicide.
On the other hand, productive idleness is more popularly known as reflections. Cast in the backdrop of an ever-increasing competitive society with overzealous parents who cram their children with activities such as sports and musical lessons just so they may seemingly have an edge over their peers, it seems like the time for reflection has become marginalized, cast aside, and relegated to only a few who could afford such a luxury. Society seems to believe strongly in that increased time spent on productive activity bears a direct correlation to success in life, and while that is not far from the truth, individuals should also recognize the perils of a lifestyle filled with stressful and intense preparation for a high-achieving future.
Most importantly, I think everyone should learn to appreciate productive idleness. It is the time spent where one learns more about ourselves, where we find out more about what we want and who we are. In today's fast-paced and globalized world (wow this so resembles Li Jian's template hahaha), perhaps the importance of such an activity should be further highlighted and accentuated.
Don't let the unholy trinity of perfectionism, consumerism and technology-obsession conspire to erode your personal identity! haha act before it's too late!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/14/AR2008071401396.html?hpid=smartliving
looks like Singapore isn't the only country suffering from such a nuanced phenomenon (:
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