Why You Should Waste More Time
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Kurt Vonnegut once told a story about needing an envelope.
His wife told him:
“Just buy a hundred online and keep them in the closet.”
Vonnegut’s response?
“I pretended not to hear her. And went out to get an envelope because I have a hell of a good time in the process. I meet a lot of people. And see some great looking babies. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up.”
Optimization culture wants us to believe life is a machine—you tweak it, hack it, make it run faster.
But you’re not a machine.
You’re a messy, dancing, wonderfully inefficient human who damn well deserves to give the thumbs up to some great looking babies.
That’s what Vonnegut was pointing out: all the things the world tells you are “inefficiencies” are where life actually happens.
People try to optimize every moment because they’re scared sh*tless of wasting their life.
Ironically, that fear guarantees they’ll never actually live it.
Slow down. Linger. Drift a little.
That’s where the good stuff is.
See you Monday,
Mark Manson
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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