When it comes to the question whether we spend too much time on personal enjoyment, people’s opinions vary from person to person.
Some think personal enjoyment has taken too much time on our daily schedule. Everywhere we look, there are people playing games, watching movies and doing anything they think is joyful; there are clubs, parties, associations and various forms of sets for attracting different individuals to enjoy their collective hobbies. All above seems common in ordinary people’s daily life, because enjoying life is an indivisible right that god has given to us. However, in their eyes, it’s not only a waste of time, but also an evasion of responsibility. They think the society and nation would become more harmonious and prosperous if people could spend the time for leisure on what they think these people should do, like their jobs, care for the elder people, volunteer services and so on.
Others believe the time for personal enjoyment is appropriate, because the times has changed.
From the huge iron giants to the invisible internet, science and technology has vastly improved human’s efficiency on physical behavior, which means that the work our ancestors need to spend lifetime to do can even only cost us a little effort. Under the circumstances that they have accomplished what they have to do, the rest of time they have the absolute right to arrange. The obligation that the law imposes has fulfilled, and why can’t they spend a little more time on personal enjoyment?
As far as I am concerned, the foundation of social order is built not only by law, but by morality. If we are only satisfied with just finishing what law requires and don’t value what others have sacrificed for making the world better, the human society will become an icy machine to make profits for those with vested interests, indifferently with no mercy. We indeed have more free time to arrange now, but if we can spend the time to help others and benefit the society, the time will be more meaningful and valuable, which finally promote the social progress by those we called examples or heroes. From this perspective, I can say there are more that we should do. We can’t require everyone to be unselfish and sacrifice their leisure for society, but we can start with ourselves and influence others by our action. If everyone could do this, the world would become much more peaceful and harmonious.
