Unbridled idleness?

Simon woke up in a panic. His alarm had not gone off: he would have to race or he would be late for work. There might not be enough time on the train to prepare for the morning meeting; there were texts he needed to send. And then he remembered: this was his day for not doing any work at all. Thank goodness!

Many people today struggle to relax and enjoy their free time. A study¹ found that 54% of Americans did not use up all their holiday allowance, and only 14% took two weeks' holiday in a row. Half of them work beyond the hours they are paid to.

According to Professor Anat Keinan of Boston University,² a lack of leisure time has become a powerful status symbol: "On Twitter, celebrities humblebrag about 'having no life' and 'being in desperate need of a vacation'."

In Ancient Greece, attitudes were very different. Work was considered an inferior activity and left as far as possible to slaves.

For AristotleA student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy., the ultimate aim of work was to allow us to enjoy leisure - which was, as Arthur Brooks writes in The Atlantic, "the pinnacle of human life - almost divine". It allowed people to contemplate the most important aspects of human existence: truth, beauty and goodness.

The Romans, however, came to see relaxation primarily as a way of gathering your strength in order to do more work.

In the 17th Century, John LockeA 17th Century English philosopher, known as the "father of liberalism". argued that leisure makes people anxious and encourages them to waste their time on activities like drinking and gambling. To be happy we need to spend even our spare time constructively.

In the modern world many people feel guilty if they are not working, or at least doing something useful about the house. But psychologists believe that there are great benefits to taking time off. As Nigel Barber writes in Psychology Today:

"When we are busiest, our brains are not necessarily doing very much. Conversely, when we take a break and engage in some apparently mindless pursuit like playing solitaire, walking, or shovelling snow, our problem-solving brains kick into overdrive."

DescartesRene Descartes was a 17th Century French philosopher, scientist and mathematician. had some of his best ideas while lying in bed, and EinsteinAlbert Einstein (1879-1955) was the most influential scientist of the 20th Century. His theory of relativity made the development of nuclear power - and the nuclear bomb - possible. came up with the general theory of relativity while daydreaming. Psychologists at Michigan University distinguish between the "soft fascination" found in activities which allow the mind to wander, such as staring at the sea, and the less productive "hard fascination" of those which demand attention, such as watching TV.

Jason Heller, another writer for The Atlantic, explains how to be thoroughly idle. Every Sunday he and his wife avoid anything that might be considered work - including clearing up and exercise. Instead, they binge-watch TV, taking breaks only to read or nap. He says it has helped them see each other afresh:

"When you take away all the tasks you might feel pressed to do on a Sunday, what you're left with isn't an absence. It's an opening."

Yes: We live in a work-obsessed world, but working too hard leaves people unable to think properly and eventually burns them out. Great ideas often emerge when we are idling and allow our minds to wander.

No: If people are not made to work they end up wasting their time on activities like computer games which serve no useful purpose. Achieving anything requires real commitment and long hours of slog.  

Or... Doing nothing is terrible for your health. In the UK, as many as 70% of people do not take enough exercise; 25% are classified as obese, and almost 60% of the rest are overweight.