Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of people have a strong aversion to doing nothing. See how many people got deeply depressed during lockdown despite not knowing anyone who was ill and being financially fine. Others are okay with it. Is it a temperament issue? I'm an introvert but after a few days of doing nothing, I am having an existential crisis. My husband on the other hand could happily play video games and do nothing for days on end (I suspect, he hasn't actually done this since lawschool) without starting to wonder about the meaning of life like I would. I need to feel like I earned my downtime to actually enjoy it. Others think they deserve it by right. I don't think either is right or wrong, it just interests me how we are these ways.
Were you raised with the idea that your value was in your accomplishments? I was and I can’t relax very long either without an existential crisis!
I don't think I was, particularly or moreso than most people are. And my sibling who was raised the same as I was isn't like this. My mom didn't do much and always seemed sad to me, so maybe that is why I feel uncomfortable with too much free time - like it might make me start getting sad like her, which then causes me to be more melancholic. But my brother doesn't view her the same way I do at all. What it boils down to is that if I stay busy with my job and my kids and my house and hobbies and community groups and what not, I'm pretty happy. But if I have unstructured unscheduled time in too large a quantity, I start questioning the meaning of life ;P I wish I believed in God, I think that would help.