Beware the Busy

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

Socrates

Welcome to a New Year! Rather than link to one of the many articles about the “difference between being busy and being productive,” let’s be lazy and let ChatGPT summarize it for us: “Being busy is about the volume of tasks and activities, while being productive is about the value and impact of those tasks. It’s possible to be very busy without being productive if the activities are not contributing to your overarching goals. On the other hand, someone who is focused on productivity may not be constantly busy, but they are likely accomplishing tasks that align with their priorities and objectives. The key is to strike a balance and ensure that your efforts lead to meaningful outcomes.”

About the author

Socrates (c. 470–399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no texts and is known mainly through the posthumous accounts of classical writers, particularly his students Plato and Xenophon. These accounts are written as dialogues, in which Socrates and his interlocutors examine a subject in the style of question and answer; they gave rise to the Socratic dialogue literary genre. Contradictory accounts of Socrates make a reconstruction of his philosophy nearly impossible, a situation known as the Socratic problem. Socrates was a polarizing figure in Athenian society. In 399 BC, he was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth. After a trial that lasted a day, he was sentenced to death. He spent his last day in prison, refusing offers to help him escape.