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Comment by soneca | Hacker News Reader

You lack a lot of imagination if you think that the only thing someone would do with an extra 20 hours a week is watching TV.

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I don’t judge, but I rarely met anyone who spends their extra 20h on anything good. It’s mostly:

- TV/video games/Facebook

- drinking/drugs/gluttony whether as thrill-seeking or sedatives

- a creative “hobby” (i.e. another job that they’re not good at)

- “traveling” (larping to farm for Instagram validation)

I just find it more interesting to pursue my actual trade.

Of course we all need some amount of rest to stay sharp, but excesses of leisure never seem to produce much, not even happiness. YMMV.

When you say that hobby is ”another job they’re not good at” you are obviously judging them. Most of your examples are dripping with judgment. I am not sure why you even bothered to start your comment with ”I don’t judge, but...”

When you say ”I don’t get it...”, my interpretation is that you lack empathy toward people that face life differently from you. Not that is any sort of puzzling behavior, it’s just you failing to make an effort to understand other people.

I honestly don’t judge: zero negative feelings about anyone spending their time watching TV. If you read that between the lines, maybe it betrays your own disdain.

My observation is merely that a) people rarely seem “happy” in proportion to leisure time spent, b) most people’s leisure time consists of trite activities, steered by indulgent appetites, and is easy prey for others to profit off.

The thread at large makes it sound like all these philosopher kings would pursue their true calling and have wonderful adventures, living life to its fullest, if their boss never wanted them to work late.

Maybe a warmer more empathetic person would refrain from pointing this out. Would people be better off not hearing uncomfortable opinions? A consequentialist might approve of some tough love at times.

The fundamental difference is that what you refer as ”uncomfortable opinions” are, for me, plain misunderstandings of why other people do stuff. My perspective is that viewing hobbies as ”another job” is plain and fundamentally wrong. They are something else entirely. The same as viewing traveling as ” larping to farm for Instagram validation”. It’s just wrong.

I am not reading between the lines, I am reading the lines that you wrote. Accusing me of that ”betraying my own disdain” is just silly.

Obviously you have a very high opinion of yourself. I don’t. I just think you are wrong and silly at some times.

No, if I took more time off to “pursue hobbies and enjoy life” I bet I’d just end up watching more TV too. I doubt I’m above the ingrained temptations that make the leisure industry go round.

"most people’s leisure time consists of trite activities, steered by indulgent appetites"

Isn't this you "judging"?

As I see it:

Observation: most people suck at dancing.

Judgement: most people suck at dancing, and that makes them worse than me, for I’m a great dancer.

That's extremely reductive - for a lot of people, having time makes their life more fulfilling. Having hobbies, pursuing goals, raising a family, etc. those are all important things that make us human.

You may like to work your trade, and that makes you happy, but it doesn't apply to everyone.

I know, but that’s not exactly the point I’m making.

The point is that most people, given leisure time, let themselves down. People waste their free time mostly unintentionally. The best of intentions gives way to base impulse and then we rationalize.

Shorter hours would not make you finally learn that instrument.

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