https://fs.blog/brain-food/january-14-2024
A different take on what makes us feel so busy, stressed, and anxious.
… You have a finite amount of time to spend with friends before you die. The more friends you have, the less time you can spend with each one individually.
The thing about surface area is that the more you have, the more you have to defend and maintain. The larger your surface area, the more you are burdened with mentally and physically. ref: 知足之足恒足矣 & 为学者日益闻道者日损
If you think in terms of surface area, it’s easy to see why we are so anxious, stressed, and constantly behind.
We feel like we need more time, but what we’re craving is more focus. What we need is a smaller surface area.
The way to maximize your enjoyment in life is to keep your surface area small. It’s a lot of work but if the happiest people I know are any indication, it’s a lot less work to keep it small than to maintain it when it’s large.