This resonated. The line about work being the output of living, not the input, is a good way to put words to something I’ve felt but never had language for. And the distinction you draw « leisure that produces something vs. leisure that just numbs you » feels like a more useful question than “did I procrastinate today.” Appreciate you writing this.
the gods and robots idea is the best thing in here and i have not seen anyone make that argument before
The two most powerful kinds of being we can imagine are inhuman for the same reason, they run at full output with no breaks. So the inability to do that stops being a defect and turns into the actual marker of being a person. That is a properly original move and it does more philosophical work than most essays on this subject manage.
Then you follow it with the distinction that makes it usable. Procrastination that produces something, a conversation, a mood, a song, a thought you can use, against procrastination that just switches your mind off. Same hours, opposite substance. Everyone can feel that difference and almost nobody has language for it, and now they do.
"The work has always been the output of living crazily, not the input" is the sentence i would put on a wall. You worked out at seventeen what plenty of people never get to at all, which is that you have to live first and the writing comes out of that.
And you refuse to resolve the dilemma. You say plainly that staying consistent would mean cutting clubs, sport and dating, which are the exact things feeding the writing, and then you leave it standing there unsolved. That takes more confidence than tying a bow on it would have.
one thought, and it is only about the opening. the first paragraph, the stream of people and the room with the disappearing door, kept me at arm's length. i read it twice and still was not certain what i was looking at. and then paragraph two is sitting right there, you and your friend on FaceTime practising Spanish and switching to English because neither of you had the words to describe your futures. that is a real scene with real people in it, and it is quietly a metaphor for the entire essay, running out of language exactly where the important thing begins. i would open on that and let the abstract material arrive later, once the reader is already in the room with you
strong piece and the closing question is the right one to end on. thank you for writing it, i will be back for the next
My man Anton, I really appreciate the detailed and thoughtful comment here you really hit at every single point I was trying to make! I love how you turned the opening scene into a metaphor haha. Thank you so much for thoughtfully reading but most of all taking something away from this, I was afraid I had just written another piece that simply went into the void of “I’ll read your story if you read mine.” Really love the intention and attention behind this review man, the next post is a little darker but that’s something I do around here that some of the subs are used to, so if ur chill with pieces about obsession and stepping into the mind of someone who gets high off people be sure to stick around for that haha!
the facetime scene was already a metaphor before i said anything, you just put it in the wrong place)
running out of language exactly where the important thing starts. that is your essay in one sentence and it happened to you for real. open on it next time
I usually procrastinate when I feel anxious about the project - it feels too big, a bit overwhelming, or as if my future depends on it. I start vacuum cleaning intstead :) Suddenly I notice the mess around me that I had been gracefully ignoring.
Oh how I related heavily to this! Especially when we’re all living in the world of overstimulation right now I feel like I will always have a million things to do so I just get nothing doing from being overwhelmed! Lovely article, Ethan!
It was a good read! :) You described some important aspects of procrastination that people rarely name. First of all procrastination shows up when we’re tired and overwhelmed. Seeing your friends or doing whatever makes you happy is not a lost day or a problem, the problem is having a life that isn’t organised for living :) if we have our life organised around achieving all the guilt and feeling behind can cause huge problems. Then there’s the aspect of conflicting needs/wants. Genuinely wanting to study and genuinely wanting to see your friends can both be true at the same time :) Choosing which one to prioritise—and why—is a different question altogether. You also mentioned “motivation” tips - they do work (some of them) if they’re designed to work within our actual life and around how our brain behaves (like the tendency to choose the option that costs the least energy). Linking your actions to identity is another pretty useful one but somehow whoever gave instructions forgot to teach how to do it properly, so that it actually works… :) I could talk about it for hours like you already noticed :D but anyway I enjoyed reading, you captured aspects of procrastination that are actually important :)
This resonated. The line about work being the output of living, not the input, is a good way to put words to something I’ve felt but never had language for. And the distinction you draw « leisure that produces something vs. leisure that just numbs you » feels like a more useful question than “did I procrastinate today.” Appreciate you writing this.
Tysm for reading!!!! I plan to get to ur piece soon I’m just busy writing today 😅😭
the gods and robots idea is the best thing in here and i have not seen anyone make that argument before
The two most powerful kinds of being we can imagine are inhuman for the same reason, they run at full output with no breaks. So the inability to do that stops being a defect and turns into the actual marker of being a person. That is a properly original move and it does more philosophical work than most essays on this subject manage.
Then you follow it with the distinction that makes it usable. Procrastination that produces something, a conversation, a mood, a song, a thought you can use, against procrastination that just switches your mind off. Same hours, opposite substance. Everyone can feel that difference and almost nobody has language for it, and now they do.
"The work has always been the output of living crazily, not the input" is the sentence i would put on a wall. You worked out at seventeen what plenty of people never get to at all, which is that you have to live first and the writing comes out of that.
And you refuse to resolve the dilemma. You say plainly that staying consistent would mean cutting clubs, sport and dating, which are the exact things feeding the writing, and then you leave it standing there unsolved. That takes more confidence than tying a bow on it would have.
one thought, and it is only about the opening. the first paragraph, the stream of people and the room with the disappearing door, kept me at arm's length. i read it twice and still was not certain what i was looking at. and then paragraph two is sitting right there, you and your friend on FaceTime practising Spanish and switching to English because neither of you had the words to describe your futures. that is a real scene with real people in it, and it is quietly a metaphor for the entire essay, running out of language exactly where the important thing begins. i would open on that and let the abstract material arrive later, once the reader is already in the room with you
strong piece and the closing question is the right one to end on. thank you for writing it, i will be back for the next
My man Anton, I really appreciate the detailed and thoughtful comment here you really hit at every single point I was trying to make! I love how you turned the opening scene into a metaphor haha. Thank you so much for thoughtfully reading but most of all taking something away from this, I was afraid I had just written another piece that simply went into the void of “I’ll read your story if you read mine.” Really love the intention and attention behind this review man, the next post is a little darker but that’s something I do around here that some of the subs are used to, so if ur chill with pieces about obsession and stepping into the mind of someone who gets high off people be sure to stick around for that haha!
Loved reading this so much means the world
the facetime scene was already a metaphor before i said anything, you just put it in the wrong place)
running out of language exactly where the important thing starts. that is your essay in one sentence and it happened to you for real. open on it next time
I usually procrastinate when I feel anxious about the project - it feels too big, a bit overwhelming, or as if my future depends on it. I start vacuum cleaning intstead :) Suddenly I notice the mess around me that I had been gracefully ignoring.
Oh how I related heavily to this! Especially when we’re all living in the world of overstimulation right now I feel like I will always have a million things to do so I just get nothing doing from being overwhelmed! Lovely article, Ethan!
Appreciate u reading 💙
It was a good read! :) You described some important aspects of procrastination that people rarely name. First of all procrastination shows up when we’re tired and overwhelmed. Seeing your friends or doing whatever makes you happy is not a lost day or a problem, the problem is having a life that isn’t organised for living :) if we have our life organised around achieving all the guilt and feeling behind can cause huge problems. Then there’s the aspect of conflicting needs/wants. Genuinely wanting to study and genuinely wanting to see your friends can both be true at the same time :) Choosing which one to prioritise—and why—is a different question altogether. You also mentioned “motivation” tips - they do work (some of them) if they’re designed to work within our actual life and around how our brain behaves (like the tendency to choose the option that costs the least energy). Linking your actions to identity is another pretty useful one but somehow whoever gave instructions forgot to teach how to do it properly, so that it actually works… :) I could talk about it for hours like you already noticed :D but anyway I enjoyed reading, you captured aspects of procrastination that are actually important :)
Glad you took time to sit and read thru this haha! Thank you so much it means a lot