In the News (The Guardian): “A German university is offering ‘idleness grants’ to applicants who are seriously committed to doing sweet nothing.

“The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg advertised three €1,600 scholarship places… . The applicants … will have to convince a jury that their chosen area of ‘active inactivity’ is particularly impressive or relevant.

“The application form consists of only four questions: What do you not want to do? For how long do you not want to do it? Why is it important not to do this thing in particular? Why are you the right person not to do it? …

“The idea behind the project arose from a discussion about the seeming contradiction of a society that promotes sustainability while simultaneously valuing success, Von Borries said. ‘This scholarship programme is not a joke but an experiment with serious intentions – how can you turn a society that is structured around achievements and accomplishments on its head?’ …

“All applications will form part of an exhibition named The School of Inconsequentiality: Towards A Better Life… . It will be structured around the question: ‘What can I refrain from so that my life has fewer negative consequences on the lives of others?'”

My Comment: Being lazy is not easy. In fact, it’s not a simple task. A person who can feel free, unencumbered by any obligations is first of all a creative person.

Usually, such people tend to be creative. Where did science, art, music, and visual arts come from? From the type of people who never had to do anything in their lives, the aristocrats.

Question: They didn’t have to go to work?

Answer: No. They met, traveled, and talked. They held balls, engaged in all kinds of musical activities, and so on. This gave rise to science, art, and everything out there except physical labor.

Therefore, if we want people to have the right attitude to a person’s spiritual pursuits, the spiritual quest in this world I mean, then we must give them time to do this, provide for them so that they won’t have to work 15 hours a day like those poor programmers and many, many others do.

On the contrary, we need to make sure they have free time. So that they would travel, discuss things, sit and talk, so they can be like the aristocrats were. We don’t need to be aristocrats, with millions behind us, but we do need to feel that we have a secure income and can afford not quite to be lazy, but not to have to work. This is the only way to create special works of art, literature, and music.

This should be a person’s attitude to the world. Otherwise, nothing will come of it. See what is going on in our times!

If people relate to the world this way and organize themselves in this manner, provide for special people who can create a reasonable standard of living, we will see a great benefit from this so-called “doing nothing.”

These creative people should be like the landowners, nobles, who once had a guaranteed income.

Question: Does the world need them? The world says: “They’re idlers.”

Answer: The world can’t do without them. They give the world exactly the right attitude to life, to creation, to the Creator, to everything. They conduct themselves correctly. That is, they have time for everything. A creative person should not feel pressure from the outside, only from the inside, if it arises.

Question: And what is your attitude to laziness?

Answer: Laziness is the most useful quality in a person. It is due to the fact that one does not want to be lazy that he does a thousand different, completely unnecessary things. Therefore, it is written in the Torah, “Sit and do nothing.” It is better than running around and looking for something to do. And this is actually true.

In order to find the right attitude to life, you have to be lazy. To do nothing extraneous, nothing unnecessary. Only when you really feel: “I have to do this,” then do it. And you will feel in it how life forces you, the Creator is there inside and He demands it from you.

Comment: You have raised the word “laziness” almost to the level of the most hard-working person.

My Response: Yes, it would be better if we did it this way. Why do we need all the things that we have created? Just look at this world!

And now the Creator must use the help of all sorts of pandemics to clean up this mess, to clean out these stables.

Question: What meaning did you just put into the word “laziness”?

Answer: Stop recklessly, thoughtlessly “creating” something. Stop all this, sit down. It will pass. This is better. Let nature, let the Creator, let everything around you develop. If it is necessary, you will see that it is necessary and you will get up and do it. But only to the extent that it is really necessary, not for your inner egoism, but for the whole of human society.

It is very important. Because we live in the animal kingdom, and the animal does only what it needs. This is their instinct. And if not, then they lie, sit, walk, communicate. Actually.

And we’re running around like ants all the time. Well, I hope we’ll get better!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 11/26/20

Related Material:
Useful Laziness
Laziness: A Wonderful Quality
The Laziness Imprinted In Our Genes

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