I think it was one of those Alan Watts-inspired channels that got me thinking about worry and laziness.
People love to tell you not to worry. But when somebody actually doesn't, we start wondering whether they care enough. Like concern only counts if you can see it making them miserable.
Say you've done what you can about something and now you have to wait. You could spend that time worrying, or you could go do something you enjoy. Nothing changes either way. But somebody watching might come away with a very different idea of how much you care.
Doing nothing gets the same treatment. Now you're lazy, or wasting time, or you could be doing something useful.
Useful for what, though? Why does every hour have to lead to something else?
Even rest gets justified by what it lets you do afterward. You need a break so you can get back to work. Take a walk because it'll help you think. Fair enough. But what if you just want to take a walk? Does that need a better reason?
We tell people to relax and enjoy their lives, then wonder what the hell they're doing with themselves when they try.
And we make those calls fast. Somebody's calm, so we wonder if they care. Somebody's idle, so we decide they're wasting time. Usually without knowing much about what's going on with them.
How worried does somebody have to look before we believe they give a shit? And how much do they have to get done before we let them do nothing?
From the Workbench
Personal videos with FrameStak. I'm still working on FrameStak, the system I'm building to make my personal videos. The goal is one prompt in, a finished video out that's ready to post. It's getting closer.
I also put out the first video I set out to make as a long-form piece: Why the Happiest Life Isn't the Most Meaningful One. It's on my personal YouTube channel, and it's a good place to start if you want to see what I've been making.
What Has My Attention
We watched the Ted Lasso season finale the other night. Amazing as always, and it left us wanting more. I hope there's another season.
Trail Marker
Has anybody ever mistaken your calm for not caring? Hit reply and tell me what happened.