Those Who Cannot Occupy Themselves

“Those who cannot occupy themselves will be occupied by others.” I like this sentence because it can be understood in several ways. A person without direction becomes very available to other people’s priorities. Someone else always has a task, an opinion, an invitation, a problem, or an expectation. If we do not decide what deserves our time, the empty space rarely stays empty.

This does not mean every hour needs a productive purpose. Rest is a purpose too. So is play. The important part is ownership. Did I choose how this time was spent?

Or did I simply react to whatever reached me first? Phones make this question especially important. An empty minute can immediately be occupied by notifications, messages, videos, news, and other people’s thoughts. Boredom has almost disappeared. I am not sure this is entirely good.

Sometimes boredom creates the space where our own interests become visible. We remember the book we wanted to read. We think about a project. We call someone. We simply sit.

Having something of our own to do is a form of independence. A hobby. A goal. A responsibility. A quiet curiosity. If we do not occupy some part of our life ourselves, somebody else will usually be happy to do it for us.