The Malady of Busyness: A Philosophical and Psychological Approach to Curing a Modern Problem

Humanity has ever sought to distract itself from introspection and boredom; however, with the rapid development of technology in the digital age, and with the pressing need for productivity which seems to be pressed on us from a young age, this avoidance of introspection and leisure has become a growing epidemic in modern life. This thesis seeks to examine this problem from multiple angles to get a solid picture as to why the modern person abhors the idea of leisure so much. I first outline the current situation, and how this abhorrence of leisure continues to negatively affect our lives. Then, I examine the malady of busyness from the viewpoints of Friedrich Nietzsche and Blaise Pascal, comparing the two philosophers and giving their ideas on the necessity of leisure and introspection. Finally, I end the thesis by giving a few methods of curing tendencies toward busyness and turning toward leisure