Leisure of the basis of culture Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Every time I am free, I love getting my alone time, reading this literature. I can do this and never get tired, and when I am finally done, I feel a transformation, rejuvenation, as if I have suddenly gained more strength and drive in life. This is for sure the true meaning of leisure. Dancing wears a person out, drinking leaves one with headaches and irritation, sleeping too much makes one too tired; therefore, these do not qualify as the real definition of leisure. As this book’s title suggests, Pieper believed that leisure is the basis or foundation of all cultures. With regard to Pieper’s perception of leisure, the term leisure gets a brand new meaning, to refer to an attitude in the mind and a state of one’s soul, where it is possible for one to comprehend the realities of the world. According to him, â€Å"Leisure has been, and always will be, the first foundation of any culture, † further â€Å"Leisure is not the attitude of the one who intervene s but of the one who opens himself; not of someone who seizes but of one who lets go, who lets himself go (Pieper, 32). We will write a custom essay sample on Leisure of the basis of culture or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Therefore, leisure is more spiritual and less physical, as it reconnects us with our inner self, and makes us comprehend the most important life questions about our origin, the present, and our destiny. This is true, as most of the time I am alone, sited in a quiet place, my mind tends to wander to faraway places, and I keep asking myself who I am, from where I came from, and where I am going. Therefore, true leisure gives us freedom to realize our life purpose and pursue it. This is unlike entertainment, which makes us do whatever we want to do. Pieper also compares leisure in the Medieval Greek and leisure as it is was in the 20th Century, and today. During the Medieval period, the Greek valued leisure and it was part of their culture. Arguably, â€Å"The value we set on work and on leisure is very far from being the same as that of the Greek and Roman world, or of the Middle Ages, for that matter—so very different that the men of the pas t would have been incapable of understanding the modern conception of work, just as we are unable to understand their notion of leisure simply and directly, without an effort of thought† (Pieper 22). However, today, humans have adopted an education and philosophy that denies them the opportunity to be receptive and contemplative in nature. People adore and worship their jobs, as they cannot survive without them. They use any extra time they have to engage in alternative moneymaking activities.