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I watch videos on youtube a lot, funny banter with friends, Is my time a little misspent?

PeaceandLovePeaceandLove
edited April 2011 in General Banter
Do you ever think about the.. you could say misused time? What is in YOUR life that you feel you should be doing? Or spending your time on? What takes up most of your time?

Comments

  • YacababyYacababy
    I spend an awful lot of time wanting to be productive, but remain too hesitant and wary to actually carry my it out :( ..... I also spend hours just thinking ...
  • AnupassīAnupassī
    I would say if you find yourself persistently entertaining thoughts about whether or not your time is being misspent, it probably -is- being misspent.
  • YacababyYacababy
    I would say if you find yourself persistently entertaining thoughts about whether or not your time is being misspent, it probably -is- being misspent.

    Well put

  • PeaceandLovePeaceandLove
    @Anupass that is, a great piece of advice.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    yea pretty much, but I would prefer to be doing nothing than to be in a job that causes stress and contributes to capitalism IMO
  • PeaceandLovePeaceandLove
    edited April 2011
    YEA!! :DDDDDD
  • KungaKunga
    "yea pretty much, but I would prefer to be doing nothing than to be in a job that causes stress and contributes to capitalism IMO"

    The last four years of university have been nothing but stress. I've sworn off stress. Never, ever, again. It isn't worth it to me.
  • beingbeing Veteran
    There's no misspent time. -_-
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    I left uni and moved to thailand where I do bugger all... I left uni 6 months before the end of the course due to stress and social anxiety, now my life is a lot more peaceful and calmer, happier. However, I am still unfulfilled and have slight social anxiety...

    But yea, get out of the rat race, back to how humans use to/should live. No cooped up in some office or in a career you hate. My dad said to me when I was a little boy, 'I do not care what you end up doing tom, be it sweeping roads or cleaning toilets, as long as you are happy''
  • Jason_PDKJason_PDK Explorer

    I left uni and moved to thailand where I do bugger all... I left uni 6 months before the end of the course due to stress and social anxiety, now my life is a lot more peaceful and calmer, happier. However, I am still unfulfilled and have slight social anxiety...

    But yea, get out of the rat race, back to how humans use to/should live. No cooped up in some office or in a career you hate. My dad said to me when I was a little boy, 'I do not care what you end up doing tom, be it sweeping roads or cleaning toilets, as long as you are happy''
    Tom, I think that's really well said!

    Jason
  • PeaceandLovePeaceandLove
    @ThailandTom What do you do in Thailandtom?
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited April 2011

    But yea, get out of the rat race, back to how humans use to/should live.
    If you look at history, capitalism isn't as bad as many of the other systems. Not ideal, but as a step in the evolution of social necessity, its not bad. I mean, its not as great of an evolutionary step as "lungs" or "caring for the young" or "burrito" but... but nature has had billions of years to work those kinds of things into the pool.

    As humans, capitalism is a social advance far better than feudalism or tribalism or kleptocracy or dictatorship etc. Wasn't it Marx that imagined that a true, incorruptible communism could only come out of the social unrest that arises from a capitalistic state? Seems wise, and perhaps where all of this is headed.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    Meh, compared to the ways in which society has lived in say the past 400 years, this is probably the best yes. BUT, it is blinding so so many people, causing so much suffering and fueling extremely greedy fat cats. As I have said before, I studied graphic design at college and university and that is actually what keeps the ball rolling, I dropped out as I consider it being almost as unskillful as selling meat to people. I won't go into details, but we shall see where it is headed.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    "I watch videos on youtube a lot, funny banter with friends, Is my time a little misspent?"

    Yes.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Well, he has a week in the naughty corner to reflect on his meanderings.....
    I hope when he comes back in, it will be with a more...."sober" attitude....
  • EpicurusEpicurus
    Interesting topic. It's something that bugs me too. I wonder what would be considered well spent time, from a Buddhist perspective.

    I wonder what a "Buddhist Day" would be like.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    A 'buddhist day' would probably be keeping the 5 precepts and the 8Fold Path in mind, as we progress through the hours....
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    "I watch videos on youtube a lot, funny banter with friends, Is my time a little misspent?"

    No.
  • ZaylZayl Veteran
    I don't think it is. I spend time with friends, listen to music, and watch funny videos at times. I do not feel this time is wasted because I wanted to do these things in the first place.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    And in doing these things, we give ourselves a brief break from suffering nd or boredom to whatever extent. In a general sense, how can you miss spend time, it is down to opinion... In the eyes of buddhism, it probably is. You are just acting in accordance to being ignorant and not having a right view. However, you are not wrong as such, just ignorant. You cannot blame somebody for being ignorant
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited April 2011
    Hi PeaceandLove,
    "I watch videos on youtube a lot, funny banter with friends, Is my time a little misspent?"

    No.
    To elaborate: The short answer is "no". The long answer is "not necessarily..."

    ...Because it depends on whether these activities lead to an increase in wholesome states and a decrease in unwholesome states (if so, it is not a waste of time) - or - an increase in unwholesome states and a decrease in wholesome states (if so, it is a waste of time).

    Does it lead to harming myself or harming others or harming both? If so, then it should be abandoned. If not, then it is fine.

    Any time you are wondering "should I do this or shouldn't I do this?" or "what is the right amount of time to spend doing this?" or anything else along those lines - use the same guidelines as mentioned above and you will come to the "right" answer. :)

    Metta,

    Guy
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    I would just watch what your doing. Insight of when to stop will come naturally if you are listening. Such activities can rejuvenate your spirit, but they can also be ways to close off from experience (and mindfulness). If you use them as opportunities to be mindful then you transform the experience.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    Agreed Jeffrey.
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