A decent amount of people really do just park their ass on the couch and cease existing. I’ve watched more than a few people retire and die shortly after from having nothing to live for.
I noticed over covid that many people were telling me that they were happy to be working again after being furloughed (temporarily paused employment in the UK) because they’d been losing their minds with nothing to do. I couldn’t understand it, I was busy and really happy.
Here in Canada we had a similar system and I had friends on CERB for some time. Many of them didn’t know what to do with themselves. The ones who took it well were already accustomed to finding their own fun in the world, and did everything from DIY renovations to prototyping products they want to sell.
I wouldn’t know personally, I was working the whole time. Longest I’ve been off for was 3 months and I was more concerned with survival than keeping busy. But I’d like to think I have a lot of projects to work on. I’d love to move out of the suburbs into the country proper and have a workshop. Making custom furniture and electronics is so fun but I barely have time for it.
Thanks for sharing. You’re definitely right about the divide. I just found that I had so much time I could do everything I needed and wanted to do (granted, within the confines of social distancing at the time). Housework was joyful because I could do a good job of it, and have time for hobbies, and have time to relax from both. Aside from all the suffering and madness in the world at the time, it was a genuinely satisfying experience at home.
A decent amount of people really do just park their ass on the couch and cease existing. I’ve watched more than a few people retire and die shortly after from having nothing to live for.
I noticed over covid that many people were telling me that they were happy to be working again after being furloughed (temporarily paused employment in the UK) because they’d been losing their minds with nothing to do. I couldn’t understand it, I was busy and really happy.
Here in Canada we had a similar system and I had friends on CERB for some time. Many of them didn’t know what to do with themselves. The ones who took it well were already accustomed to finding their own fun in the world, and did everything from DIY renovations to prototyping products they want to sell.
I wouldn’t know personally, I was working the whole time. Longest I’ve been off for was 3 months and I was more concerned with survival than keeping busy. But I’d like to think I have a lot of projects to work on. I’d love to move out of the suburbs into the country proper and have a workshop. Making custom furniture and electronics is so fun but I barely have time for it.
Thanks for sharing. You’re definitely right about the divide. I just found that I had so much time I could do everything I needed and wanted to do (granted, within the confines of social distancing at the time). Housework was joyful because I could do a good job of it, and have time for hobbies, and have time to relax from both. Aside from all the suffering and madness in the world at the time, it was a genuinely satisfying experience at home.
What tying your entire purpose in life to how much you can enrich capitalists does to a motherfucker.
No kidding. When your whole identity is how hard you work, what do you have left in life?