knight_dog

37d agoFinance

Why is leisure viewed with suspicion in America?

I noticed this is a uniquely American phenomena. In Europe, many times people will go to café's, and sit quietly reading a book for hours, or just enjoy the scenery. In America, it'd be viewed as a nuisance if you don't consume your meal and go soon after. > Even places like coffee shops, where it's typical to order a coffee and work on your laptop, it's still *working*. It's under the guise of 'productivity' that you are tolerated. I rarely see people going for strolls here. Instead they are in a rush to get from point A to point B, or doing something 'productive' like jogging. > It almost feels like it's stigmatized to simply sit back and smell the roses. Like you're a bum with "nothing better to do". If enjoying the small things in life is so bad, then what even is the point of working? Grinding so you can buy an expensive toy to impress other grinders, then aspire to buy an even fancier toy by grinding some more?