Retired psychiatrist Hugh Winig wrote an article titled Il Dolce Far Niente (The Sweetness of Doing Nothing) for OLLI at UC Berkeley (16 January 2024).
« “going fishing”, a phrase used to exemplify using one’s free time just to relax, and not doing anything highly productive… We saw someone in a nearby rowboat fishing and we casually asked him “are you catching anything?” His humorous answer was: “I’m not catching, I’m fishing” »
« “Il dolce far niente” is an Italian phrase, and philosophy, I adore. It translates as “the sweetness of doing nothing.” It can mean having a cup of coffee with a friend, heading to the beach to look at the action of the waves, or sitting idly on a park bench watching people go by. When these leisure activities are the focus of how one is spending time, one is experiencing “il dolce far niente.” »
« If one fills their time with highly structured activities with a focused goal, there is less likelihood of accidentally stumbling upon something beautiful or wonderful that enriches your day. It’s the spontaneity and adventure of such unplanned happenings, unlike doing something with a specific goal, that can bring joy, pleasure and meaning. »
Hugh Winig is the author of Mind Fields: Stories from the Other Side of the Couch (2008).
Nassim Nicholas Taleb posted on Twitter: « The main difference between Mediterraneans and nonMeds: Farniente (doing nothing) is active for a Med. »
I replied: « Does this term encompass ideas such as: no decision is a decision; no response is a response? Or is it strictly in the sense of relaxation being an activity? »
Taleb rejoined: « Here you are getting it wrrrong, young NonMed. It is not relaxation. »
Nassim Nicholas Taleb is the author of Antifragile, Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, Skin in the Game, and The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms.
In the book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkeman writes:
« Taking a walk in the countryside, like listening to a favorite song or meeting friends for an evening of conversation, is thus a good example of what the philosopher Kieran Setiya calls an ‘atelic activity,’ meaning that its value isn’t derived from its telos, or ultimate aim. You shouldn’t be aiming to get a walk ‘done’; nor are you likely to reach a point in life when you’ve accomplished all the walking you were aiming to do. »
« And so the only reason to do them is for themselves alone… There’s a less fancy term that covers many of the activities Setiya refers to as atelic: they are hobbies… It’s fine, and perhaps preferable, to be mediocre at them. »
Articles of Interest 