Last Entry blog 5 Emma Skipp

Last Entry blog 5
Emma Skipp

I’d like to start by saying just how much I enjoyed this module, working towards the presentation was very interesting and I felt the presentation itself was both informative and lively.

I felt collectively we addressed the “Virtues of idleness” in a coherent manor, illustrating the “For” argument and the “Against “ argument, directly addressing the fundamental differences between being idle and being lazy. Through Katrina’s Introduction, myself and Helens’s dialogue, olli’s research and Andres conclusion I felt the whole presentation came together well and I hope it was enjoyed.

In response to the criticism put Forward by William at the end of the presentation, “what about chronic fatigue syndrome, ME or the “Yuppie disease?” perhaps this was something we did not address directly, our main aim was to discuss idleness as being a choice, admittedly I was unsure of how to respond to this statement, and in fact not sure if I understood it in the way in which it was meant, I’m presuming it was looking for a response to idleness being enforced on someone. I suppose the only thing to be said is, should you ask someone with this type of illness, they would probably choose not to have it, and in fact have the ability to be physically functioning. Therefore still choosing (if they could) to be idle or not. Our point as a group was that the validity of being idle lies in it being a conscious decision.

From the same exert by Tom Hodgkinson (Please see last blog with link, roughly halfway down the page) this is a very interesting and accurate statement about how we now view illness.

Being ill - nothing life-threatening, of course - should be welcomed as a pleasure in adult life, too, as a holiday from responsibility and burden. Indeed, it may be one of the few legitimate ways left to be idle. When ill, you can avoid those irksome tasks that make living such hard work. Dressing, for instance. You can pad around the house in your dressing gown like Sherlock Holmes, NoÎl Coward or our friend, that hero of laziness, Oblomov. When ill, you are the master. You do what you like. You can play your old Clash albums. Stare out of the window. Laugh inwardly at the sufferings of your co-workers. Looking a little deeper at the benefits of being ill, we may argue that the physical pain can lead to positive character development, that bodily suffering can improve the mind. "That which does not kill me makes me stronger," said Nietzsche.

The point I’m making by using this paragraph is that, yes, at times we all wallow about enjoying being “Ill” but to some degree we still choose. A cold wouldn’t physically stop you working (the flu might, notice the difference men!) however I’m sure at times we have all enjoyed a day of “Idleness” put down to being ill, but if that illness rendered you incapable of activity, at that point the decision would be forced upon you and would no longer be your choice.

To conclude I have decided to sign off on a lighter note and share with you a poem I wrote after one of Meena’s lectures, please read it as it’s intended, as a light hearted response to idleness I felt compelled to write in that moment.

06/11/08

Nothing really matters
Could that be what it’s all about?
Is that the lesson to be learnt?

You can’t take it with you –
My father always told me,
And Now I see he is quite right

What can we be sure of?
Perhaps nothing other than the heart,
One day stops beating
And we call it death

But we don’t understand it do we?
Can we conceive of an end?
Probably not.

Aesthetics are unimportant,
As much as striving for the impossible
Would it not be better?
To sleep when we want?
Eat when and what we desire?
Close our eyes when we are tired
That way we might feel more inspired.

Stay in when it’s cold outside
Watching the grey fall into night
And do “Voice over” for squirrels if we choose,

To be aimless.