Leisure as an Attitude of Humility

"Leisure is only possible on the premise that man consents to his own true nature and abides in concord with the meaning of the universe.". It seems to me that from this insight one can understand leisure as an attitude of utter humility.  Both ourselves as humans and the universe.  Both humans and the universe are created things.  It is an acceptance of and assent to divinity.  It is not only essential then for a virtuous life but a saintly life.  This must be why he is constantly comparing leisure with contemplation.  Taking from this analogy though, one can automatically become leisurely .  He must progress in virtue and knowledge and humility to live in leisure.

A reflection on Chapter III of Leisure: The Basis of Culture

Simplicity of Leisure

"When we really let our mind rest contemplatively on a rose in bud, on a child in play, on a divine mystery, we are rested and quickened as though be a dreamless sleep."  It seems so simple.  It is a passive reception not of sensory data: colors, shapes, and sounds.  It is a passive reception of the reality behind these things: who made them, that they in some way reflect His beauty, that this is a person who is made in His image and after his own likeness and has inalienable dignity.  It is amazing.  These are the things that bring about the emotion of joy.  They elicit from man a resting in a present good.  This then goes back to the discussion of the difficulty/reward ratio.  The end is the good.  Leisure seems to me, so far, as the apprehension of a creature's participation with the divine attributes.  Leisure is, consequently, connected with theology and philosophy.  It is the prerequisite for doing both.  Before philosophy there must be leisure and before theology ther must be philosophy.  This is where I find myself.  I have tried to philosophize or theologize without first being at rest.  I saw it as work, a task to be performed and accomplished.

a reflection on Chapter III of Leisure: The Basis of Culture

The Germans

Josef Pieper

This book is introducing us to a plethora of German authors that us English speakers will never be able to read. So it has that extra benefit of insights we'll never get the opportunity to read unless we belabored the study of the famously long winded German language.

a reflection (however short) on Leisure: The Basis of Culture

The Digital Age and Leisure

We have been reading now for a while (much longer than originally anticipated) Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture.  Points have been made on previous posts about "the worker mentality" and the "aggression of observation."  A concept of total work is established wherein leisure is seen as laziness or a waste of time and where others things can be done.  This concept has undoubtedly taken hold of our society and is perpetuated by contemporary media.

Images, words, videos, concepts, ideas, biases.  All of these are flashed before us in a Gatling gun barrage of sensory data and powerful memories.  They keep the mind and the body in constant movement and work.  It's both passive, inasmuch as it does not necessarily require intellectual interaction, and active, inasmuch as it is constant sensual stimulation that the brain is constantly processing.

This also occurs in social networking.  Many, including myself, have been "addicted" to Facebook or Myspace.  The need for human contact is so innate in man in relieving this desire that it can easily become disordered.  The brain and the body is in constant stimulation giving imitating this "worker mentality" of a world without leisure, without quiet reflection and contemplation.

Pope Benedict warned us of this last year in his Address for 43rd the World Day of Communications.

"If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development."  

Here Pieper's and Benedict's thoughts intersect.  Maybe we should begin to listen.

Leisure: She and Him

It seems now, in Chapter 3, that Piper is getting to the heart of the matter.  Leisure isn't an activity.  "It's not the inevitable result of spare time,"  which I must grant to Pieper, is my original conception of leisure.  This conception was formed by our turns of speech such as, leisure time, a gentleman of leisure, and leisure suit.  He says it is rather "an attitude of mind, a condition of the soul."  It isn't an action per se but rather a framework by which we act.  It is open to silence and rest.  Maybe I'm wrong in understanding him, though, because he says its an "attitude of non-activity."  He clarifies himself, "it is a receptive attitude of mind."  I can begin to connect the dots.  A worker mentality forwarded by Kant is aggressive and moving outward.  A leisure mentality is receptive and inward.  This calls to mind the Theology of the Body and the complementarity of the sexes.  More sense is being made in my mind.  Classic writers always refer to the soul in the feminine form.  St. John of the Cross does in his Spiritual Canticle.  Femininity is naturally related to receptivity.  The female body had the framework of receptivity.  The soul reflects this receptive reality and hence is attributed and spoken of with feminine pronouns, this is even mirrored in Scripture.  Kant and the worker mentality attempt to fit a masculine, outward moving mentality onto a feminine, receptive reality.  Interesting.  Thoughts?

A reflection on Chapter III of Leisure: The Basis of Culture

A Quote for You

Here's a quote for you from a friend of mine.

Book Sale

Ignatius Press is having a book sale.  Books as low as $3.  Anyone feel the urge?