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Søren Kierkegaard: We Are Too Busy to be Happy
“A happy person has no time to be busy”
In our modern world, being busy is a status symbol, an indication of drive, determination and success. It’s something to strive for. We tend to see it as a necessary part of life: an inherent good. Something anyone who wants to be successful should aspire to have more of in their lives.
But what if this entire outlook on being busy is actually misguided? What if being busy isn’t necessarily something we should strive for but an indication that something has gone terribly wrong with our priorities?
When we have time for everything yet still feel unfulfilled, it becomes apparent that something is wrong. In an attempt to discover just why our lives appear so empty and unhappy despite being so busy all the time, we must ask ourselves what busyness is doing to us.
When you’re busy, your mind is filled with thoughts of schedule and to-dos. It feels good to be so organised and accomplished. You may even feel proud and superior when comparing your super-busy life to those of others who appear less productive. And why wouldn’t you?
Being busy means you have a full life, and everyone wants that. But let’s not kid ourselves: being busy isn’t always a good thing, at least not in the way we view it today. We…
