Jul 02 / Simcha

The “Busy” Trap (T. Kreider)

Excerpted from the New York Times opinion piece by Tim Kreider, 6.30.12)

If you live in America in the 21st century you’ve probably had to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It’s become the default response when you ask anyone how they’re doing: “Busy!” “So busy.” “Crazy busy!” It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the stock response is a kind of congratulation: “That’s a good problem to have,” or “Better than the opposite.”

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