__/ [Jeff_Relf] on Monday 19 September 2005 09:56 \__
> Hi Roy_Schestowitz, Looking at your website, Schestowitz.COM,
> I notived the following quote at Schestowitz.COM/Interests/Quotes/
>
> A man without free time is richer than a king.
> He is able to focus his mind fully on his passions.
I thought about it in the shower about a year and a half ago. Why I still
remember that very moment, I have no clue, but I am not embarrassed to
admit it either.
> Unlike you, I define _Free_Time_ as the time I spend doing what I want,
> e.g. coding for myself. I use MicroSoft C++ 7.1.
Why _unlike_ me? That's exactly what I meant.
Free time is time which is like clay in the hand. You choose how your day
will be formed rather than have that imposed, directed or influenced. The
nature of the human mind requires a diversity of activities. In contrast,
highest productivity is attained in a production line-like environment,
whereby a person acts as a peon, handling one individual task at a time,
doing so for many decades. That task, for example, can be programming the
security component of an O/S kernel.
As for me, if I like to program some bits (without duty or commandment) or
add some content to my site, for example, I may do so until bedtime. In the
past few years I have ditched many things I was excellent at simply because
I lacked the passion to carry on with them. In fact, being ranked quite
high for some particular aspects of work often meant the end for my
initiative in the area. It gave me the contentment I had sought. Examples:
MATLAB, Firefox theme, CSS Zen Garden, C++, Windows hacks, blogging, photo
management and many more including sports -- much of the luster was lost,
if not all.
Returning to "free" time", other people choose to watch TV, cook or stare
out the windows. The latter points are more conventional examples for
depiction of "free time". Some will refuse to think of your c++ programming
as "free time" or "play time".
> Free time is vastly more important than money, I say.
I have no interest in money, but I know the pain and inconvenience that
accompanies being broke or having an overdraft.
There are many so-called "losers" out there with billions in the bank, but
fundamental things like health, love and regular (truthful) friendships are
things they have never had and probably are too old to ever have.
> Money given to me is like a vote for me from someone who himself got
> votes. So it's too external for me, out of my domain.
> F.Y.I., Google's PageRank(c) is a voting system that works a lot like
> money.
Google's PageRank(c) has become a measure of status to some. A few even
exploit it for money by selling links. To me, it is a way of spreading
something that I believe in, namely free software, a fond community (I am
not a "dark-room-codemonkey") and mutual support or exchange of
information.
When someone tells me that he/she aspires to manufacture and sell gratuitous
software, make millions, buy a villa and a sports car, I may accept it with
silence. Then again, I know it is a fantasy that many fail to fully grasp.
Later comes the hatred, the midlife crisis, the divorce and the dependency
on assistants, cleaners, etc. Also come the enormous pressure and lack of
value for merchandise, shopping or property that remains. Money as the path
to happy life? Ask those who have money. I know I have... much effort, no
sleep, much hatred, few thank-you's and yet no happiness whatsoever.
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | WARNING: /dev/null running out of space
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 74572E8E
3:20pm up 25 days 3:34, 3 users, load average: 0.10, 0.31, 0.34
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