Is The Purpose Of Our Labor Leisure?
Aristotle once said, “The purpose of labor is to gain leisure.”
The words seen especially appropriate this Labor Day. Several recent news reports lament the number of jobs that have gone unfilled since the start of the pandemic. These tend to be high stress, poorly paid jobs. Think teaching, waitressing, or working in an Amazon warehouse.
Is it any wonder that after being reminded so starkly of the brevity of life people are passing on work that is both demanding and devoid of a decent salary? Still, some employers and politicians question what’s happened to the American work ethic.
In truth, Americans are no slackers. More than half of U.S. workers do not take their full allotment of paid vacation time, according to a 2019 survey. They cite dedication to their work, but also a real fear of being replaced. Our culture reinforces this attitude. Most European countries guarantee five weeks of paid vacation (not to mention generous maternity leave terms). The U.S. has no laws mandating paid vacation or holiday leave.
Here is where I feel a certain confession is in order. Most of my life I’ve suffered from what I call a dual diagnosis: workaholism and over-achieverism. Both illnesses have haunted me throughout my writing career. Still, I’ve learned some lessons about the need for balance from both my interest in monastic spirituality and my many visits to Italy.
My friends who are monks and Benedictine sisters have taught me that there is a time to work and a time to quit work. St. Benedict in his “Rule” for monastic life is critical of “idleness,” the deliberate wasting of time and talent. But, like Aristotle, Benedictines are also clear that we need to balance labor with leisure.
Back in the 6th century — long before the birth of the term “time management” — St. Benedict divided the daily monastic schedule equally between prayer, work, study and rest. It was a recognition that leisure is essential, that leisure too can be holy.
Old habits do die hard, though. I received a refresher lesson on the value of leisure on a recent extended stay in Italy. I was invited to a friend’s home for a traditional Sunday lunch with her extended family in the lovely seaside town of San Vito on the Adriatic Coast. I usually post a column on Medium.com and Facebook every Sunday and hadn’t yet finished writing it that morning. I took my computer along to my friend’s house, figuring I could finish the writing before the meal began.
When I began typing at the coffee table, my friend’s lovely Italian mother looked at me quizzically. I explained that I wanted to finish some work.
“It’s Sunday!” she exclaimed.
I shut down the computer and kept it out of view for the rest of the afternoon.
The real lesson came later that day. When lunch was over, we all went for a long, leisurely walk along the Adriatic shore. I remember it vividly because I was so touched by how my 36-year-old friend still strolled arm and arm with her parents.
The sea air refreshed all of us. I finished writing my column later in the day, in plenty of time to post it. I didn’t have to sacrifice time in the company of friends. I could enjoy a delicious meal, relax, take a stroll with friends, and still get my work done.
For that important reminder of what really matters, I have to thank my friend’s wise mother.
I now try to follow a rule of thumb: when work conflicts with a family commitment or a leisure activity, I ask myself: which one on my death bed will I regret not doing?
The Labor Day weekend offers a chance to reflect on how well we tend to our work-life balance. Are we taking our full allotment of vacation days? If not, why not?
How often do we let work interfere with time we could spend with family and friends and on the kinds of leisure activities that renew us, like going to a play or taking a long, after-dinner stroll with friends?
Has our work become a distraction to keep us from reflecting on what truly matters? Or, as Aristotle might ask, is the purpose of our labor leisure?
