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Comment by globular-toast | Hacker News Reader

> However, to be able to spend 2 hours a day on this seems like an indescribable luxury to me.

Is this how far we've regressed? I'm sure most humans through history have had more free time than you.

While agreeing with your general principle, I think you're being unfair.

Two hours a day, every day, is a lot of time. I barely watch television and still, if you asked me to find two more hours every day I'd tell you that you were crazy.

I already have hobbies. I relax. I spend time with my partner. I sleep, I cook, I work, I walk.

I do not find myself with two hours that I don't know what to do with, and I'd challenge you to find someone that does.

Wait, do you think the OP has somehow discovered a 26 hour day? Everyone gets 24 hours. Take off about 8 hours for sleeping. That's what you have to play with. How you choose to divide that up is up to you but it's always used in full, no matter how you choose to use it. In this day and age the amount of time you need to dedicate to just surviving is close to zero. It's your choice to work more and not have enough time to play chess.

Every hour ends up going to something. To make space for something new, something else always has to go.

Reminds me of Nietzche: "Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.”.

You can add 'a parent' to your list.

That is exactly why I would consider 2 hours daily to spend on mastering a game a luxury.

Before kids? Sure. After the kids are old enough to basically be on cruise control? Likely. But now? Not even close.

To be fair, pre-lockdown I use to have an hour long commute and that would allow me to study Japanese close to two hours a day and still let me a lot of time to look after my baby once home.

I have 4 boys, 2 of which under under 5 months; I dearly miss my 1 hour drive to and from work, with podcasts, tech talks and thinking space.

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