The Puritans and Leisure

As C-blog readers know, I have been contemplating and struggling with trying to reconcile a life of simplicity with a life of robustness. We live in a time of material abundance, but minimalism is now the antidote to the problems created by that abundance. Minimalism is about deliberate use and abstention from certain material things. It is not new since this is a problem the Puritans and other colonial Protestant groups dealt with. We can see some of this clash today with the Amish and their disdain for much technology. I am probably the only blogger that makes this connection between minimalists and these religious groups. I mine their heritage to find clues for how to live today though in a decidedly much secular way.

The idea that we should live in a deliberate manner as opposed to a haphazard manner may seem bizarre and restrictive. But religious types aren't the only ones who do this. Secular folks do things like become vegetarians or adopt running, cycling, weight lifting, and other things into their lifestyles. We have people who drink, and people who don't drink. These choices may make sense or be extremely stupid. But the question comes down to this. Is it better to live deliberately or to live chaotically? Obviously, living deliberately is the choice of most as it appears that everyone wants to live in a better way. Even diehard smokers consider cutting back on their habit.

Deciding how to live is a personal matter, and I am not inclined to force my lifestyle choices on other people. But I do criticize certain ways of living but less from judgment than from prudence. I think certain ways of living are dumb because people have expectations that can't be met by those ways of living. For instance, you can't be financially secure and also spend money in a lavish way. You can't sit on your ass all day and also be in shape. You can't smoke crack all day and also have a flourishing life.

I think the Puritans had some good ideas on the subject of work. The subject of play is another matter. Ambivalence is one word that can be used. Hostility could be another. Either way you cut it, having a good time was not high on the list of Puritan priorities. However, the Puritans did concede that leisure had some worth as a means of restoration, health, and intellectual development. If the leisure activity did not meet these requirements, it was considered frivolous and to be avoided. The result was that the Puritans condoned reading, spiritual practices, and socializing but frowned on gambling, sports that people gambled on, dancing, drinking, and other revelry. Needless to say, they were not always successful in suppressing these things.

Leisure and how it is used is a matter that causes a bit of conflict for many minimalists especially in regard to the internet. We have Leo Babauta stressing focus. Other minimalists complain of distractions. Then, there is the fact that many office workers rip off their employers all day long by secretly surfing the internet instead of working. All of these things deal with the fact that people like to goof off. The problem is that people then have a difficult time deciding what is productive work and what is goofing off. For instance, playing a game is considered wasteful but designing a game is not considered wasteful. These things are relative.

The problem with distinguishing between productive uses of leisure time and frivolous uses of leisure time is having criteria for making the judgment. By reading about the Puritans, I have been able to steal a threefold set of criteria for deciding if what you are doing with your leisure time is worthwhile or just a waste. These criteria are rest, physical development, and mental development.

REST

The most elemental part of leisure is taking a break. The body needs rest, so it is OK to sit down for a spell. It is definitely good to get adequate sleep. The body needs these things, and very few people sleep too much. If anything, people sleep too little which is why they drink coffee or do other stimulants (usually illegal) to maintain consciousness. Without a doubt, whether you are a crass hedonist or a eudaimonist, being awake is preferable to being asleep since sleep is akin to a temporary death. But going without sleep for extended periods proves to be counterproductive, so taking a nap is fine in my book. I take naps when I feel especially tired, but overall, I don't sleep that much. I get four to five hours each night and not much more. Naps are strategic recharges, but I don't get anywhere close to eight hours of sleep each night/day.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Getting exercise is also an important part of leisure. Going to the gym or running a few miles is good for the body. Unfortunately, most people including me tend to neglect this aspect of leisure. I think the reason we do this is because we turn exercise into another chore. People can't walk the block anymore. They have to be in training for a marathon. People can't do daily calisthenics. They have to be pumping iron as if they are Schwarzenegger. When it becomes this serious, it becomes daunting. The result is that people hit the couch. Yet, they could easily get in some crunches and push ups in front of the tube while watching TV shows. But because this exercise isn't a "real" workout, people don't do it at all. They aspire to become gym rats and end up being guilty couch potatoes. This is how those fitness centers make all that money for charging people to not come in and work out. It makes about as much sense as renting a house you never live in.

MENTAL DEVELOPMENT

The final aspect of leisure is mental development. This is mostly reading books though it can also involve certain vocational activities such as making pottery, woodworking, and what have you. I am a big believer in lifelong learning, so I think the internet, books, watching Discovery channel, and other media consumption is beneficial in developing your mind. Games can also help in mental development. Chess, puzzles, and strategy games also develop the mind.

This threefold list of criteria fits well within Aristotle's philosophy about flourishing. There is a lot of room for doing things with your leisure time that benefit you. But the point of these criteria is to show you what is a waste of your leisure time. For instance, I noticed some years ago that I no longer enjoyed drinking alcoholic beverages or hanging out with my drinking buddies. I turned to being sober 24/7 and have not regretted that move at all. I also don't regret not having the 24 hour party people in my life. The Puritans would smile on this.

Another thing I have noticed is my growing disdain for the weekend warriors. I seem fine with someone running a marathon on a Saturday morning, but for some reason, I think golf is just a complete waste of life. This is because the physical benefit from the activity is negligible. The same can be applied to hunting and fishing, riding motorcycles, etc. But I tend to look favorably on mountain biking, rock climbing, and other pursuits that involve a great deal of physical exertion. This is because those activities improve you physically while playing golf or riding your Harley is just a frivolous waste and often just a prelude to drinking.

In the realm of media consumption and games, I notice that I don't care for watching sports anymore. I also don't like stupid games especially that Farmville game on Facebook. When I do play games, it tends to be Scrabble or other brainy pastimes. I don't like card games because they are not intellectually stimulating but are just games of chance. The same is true of video games. I can play chess online and find intellectual stimulus. I don't get the same from playing some first person shooter game. In reading, I tend towards non-fiction and cerebral fiction.

I try not to be puritanical in these choices since those old school cats could be ridiculous at times. I see music, socializing, and art as being neutral. They add seasoning to the dish of life. But other activities are the junk food of life. Living deliberately requires that we keep the good and eliminate the bad. I think any activity that does not contribute to rest, physical fitness, or intellectual development should be eschewed in favor of those activities that do contribute to these things. This would be learning to play chess instead of poker. This would be taking a nap to relax instead of smoking a bunch of dope to feel relaxed. This would be playing a basketball game instead of watching a basketball game.

I can't decide what is beneficial for each person. I think watching episodes of Dexter contribute to moral understanding which is part of intellectual development. I don't think watching UFC accomplishes the same objective. Of course, this begs the question. Can't we do things purely for fun? The answer is no.

Doing things purely for pleasure is hedonism, and as I have pointed out, hedonism is not happiness. If it was, crack smokers are happy. This doesn't mean that a flourishing life is a life without pleasure. There is great pleasure in flow, and I would argue that there is greater pleasure in that way of living as opposed to either crass hedonism or refined hedonism. When I have indulged in watching sports, playing cards, and other similar fare, I am always left bored and disappointed. This is the reason why I don't take vacations. I can't think of anything that would eat a week of my life that would be as rewarding or as satisfying to me as being at work.

The Puritans were sensitive to the religious nature of their activities, but as an atheist, I don't have these hang ups. But I am sensitive to engaging in activities that are optimized for my flourishing. I like work because these decisions are made for me. I am always doing something worthwhile at work. Free time becomes a burden to me because I have to choose. I usually choose poorly which leads to regret, frustration, etc. I don't think I am alone in this regard. But I think my threefold list of criteria answers this dilemma. If the activity does not contribute to your physical or mental well being, you shouldn't do it.

---
NOTES

Sober Mirth and Pleasant Poisons: Puritan Ambivalence Toward Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England

Posted in: