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Not Working
'A PROBING EXPLORATION OF THE CREATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF INACTIVITY' FINANCIAL TIMES 'To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world.' Oscar Wilde More than ever before, we live in a culture that excoriates inactivity and demonizes idleness. Work, connectivity and a constant flow of information are the cultural norms, and a permanent busyness pervades even our quietest moments. Little wonder so many of us are burning out. In a culture that tacitly coerces us into blind activity, the art of doing nothing is disappearing. Inactivity can induce lethargy and indifference, but is also a condition of imaginative freedom and creativity. Psychoanalyst Josh Cohen explores the paradoxical pleasures of inactivity, and considers four faces of inertia - the burnout, the slob, the daydreamer and the slacker. Drawing on his personal experiences and on stories from his consulting room, while punctuating his discussions with portraits of figures associated with the different forms of inactivity - Andy Warhol, Orson Welles, Emily Dickinson and David Foster Wallace - Cohen gets to the heart of the apathy so many of us feel when faced with the demands of contemporary life, and asks how we might live a different and more fulfilled existence.
260 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
66 people are currently reading
1331 people want to read
About the author
Josh Cohen
37 books75 followersJosh Cohen is a professor of modern literary theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He is the author of many books, including The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 2, 2019
The premise of this book really piqued my interest. Unfortunately I found it very hard to get through. Meandering stories that I couldn’t really link back to the overarching message of each chapter finally caused me to give up on the book half way through. A real shame.
June 8, 2019
I liked Josh Cohen’s way of writing. What’s great about this book is that it isn’t prescriptive. It doesn’t give you a list of things to change about your life. What it does is puts forth ideas to mull over - it takes on ideas from Freud, Oscar Wilde, Hannah Arendt, Thoreau, Melville, etc to ask you to consider our relationship with being and doing. I like books that end in questions and not in over simplified answers.
Here are a few quotes/ideas I liked (the ones I remembered to note/highlight/copy. There are several other gems peppered in) -
“The desire for non-desire.”
“The state of doing nothing while doing everything.”
“Being is the essential antidote to the non stop inertia of doing, a way of resisting the gravity that drags us downwards.”
“The idea of UBI (Universal basic income) is promising because it points us beyond a technocratic solution to specific problems of job scarcity and automation, and asks us to address more essential questions : what is a human being? What is the human life for? - questions a blindly overworked life never has the chance to stop and think about.”
Here are a few quotes/ideas I liked (the ones I remembered to note/highlight/copy. There are several other gems peppered in) -
“The desire for non-desire.”
“The state of doing nothing while doing everything.”
“Being is the essential antidote to the non stop inertia of doing, a way of resisting the gravity that drags us downwards.”
“The idea of UBI (Universal basic income) is promising because it points us beyond a technocratic solution to specific problems of job scarcity and automation, and asks us to address more essential questions : what is a human being? What is the human life for? - questions a blindly overworked life never has the chance to stop and think about.”
August 3, 2020
With occasional nuggets of thoughtful statements, much of the book feels like a rant full of disjointed information. Most of the time, the sections meant to use an artist's life to illustrate an example of the character type described at the start of the chapter end up feeling like extended fan essays about their lives without any particular connection to the start of the chapter. That makes them ultimately feel like filler in what is already not a particularly long book. I struggled to finish this and considered giving up repeatedly. I didn't gain much for persevering. If it were possible, I'd rate it 2.5 stars, don't think it warrants more.
January 6, 2021
i went into reading this with fairly low expectations - the cover design of the copy I read made it look like a trite coffee-table/toilet shelf read. But I’m converted! I love the way Cohen weaves together his own lived experiences, narratives from his experience as a psychotherapist, and incisive analysis of classical philosophy and literature (as well as being a psychotherapist, he is also somehow a professor of modern literary theory at Goldsmiths in London). He writes with humility, vulnerability and compassion. It’s true that each chapter is not so much a linear argument as a web of reflections, talents and questions, but i loved that. The book is a call for all of us to think carefully about what matters in life and what makes for a fulfilled existence, and gently suggests that we (as a society) place a disproportionate emphasis on productivity and work, over creativity, rest, self-reflection and play. Big fan!
March 11, 2019
Work is a four letter work according to my long retired father. He is lucky to have left the world of work when he did, before the advent of 24 / 7 emails and messaging, constant stress and the relentless pace that we have today. Work can be a positive thing but it feels at the moment that there is no relief from it. The view from the treadmill of the people burning themselves out, seeing those that are choosing not to do anything is not always the best encouragement.
From his position as a psychoanalyst, Cohen looks at the four faces of inertia - the burnout, the slob, the daydreamer and the slacker. Using these generic themes he looks at four people, Andy Warhol, Orson Welles, Emily Dickinson and David Foster Wallace, who have shown strong signs of these types of inactivity. From these specific profiles, he poses the questions on how we might live a different and more contented life in the modern world.
There were several parts of this that I liked, in particular, the mini-biographies of the four people he uses to expand on the points he was making. However, I did find that he asked a lot of questions, but it felt like the answers were a little lacking as to how we set about unwinding our own personal addictions to the workplace. It would have been good to have methods to mitigate the effects that overwork has on our health and society. It did make for an interesting read though. 2.5 stars
From his position as a psychoanalyst, Cohen looks at the four faces of inertia - the burnout, the slob, the daydreamer and the slacker. Using these generic themes he looks at four people, Andy Warhol, Orson Welles, Emily Dickinson and David Foster Wallace, who have shown strong signs of these types of inactivity. From these specific profiles, he poses the questions on how we might live a different and more contented life in the modern world.
There were several parts of this that I liked, in particular, the mini-biographies of the four people he uses to expand on the points he was making. However, I did find that he asked a lot of questions, but it felt like the answers were a little lacking as to how we set about unwinding our own personal addictions to the workplace. It would have been good to have methods to mitigate the effects that overwork has on our health and society. It did make for an interesting read though. 2.5 stars
January 27, 2020
“So you abandon wage slavery for some long-term freelance project – a novel or invention or fast fortune or cult blog. You wake up now to vast expanses of time, craving the relief of the regular hours and definable tasks you stupidly gave up, feeling chronically deprived of the urgency, direction and clarity of purpose you’d taken for granted when you’d had somewhere to go and something to do each day.”
Not Working is strap-lined Why We Have to Stop – an interesting if somewhat impractical premise, I thought, when I chose the book to review. The author is a psychoanalyst and Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths, thereby appearing well qualified to create a compelling argument. What we have here, however, is more akin to a series of opinion pieces injected with memoir alongside personal critiques of artworks and their creators. As a whole it lacks coherence.
The book opens with a lengthy introduction. The author then tries to shoehorn his views into four sections: Burnout, Slob, Daydreamer, and Slacker. Each of these sections includes a study of an artist the author associates with the anti-work type he is writing about. All those included have created acclaimed output so I struggled with the connections being attempted. They each worked at their craft.
Many examples from the author’s life are included. Patient cases – merged for confidentiality – are also cited but added little to the main argument.
The author posits that modern man regards work as something to be avoided if possible. There is little discussion about: the pride that may be taken in a job well done, the self-respect gained from contributing to a project, the camaraderie amongst colleagues. There is acknowledgement of the potential downsides of not working including: depressive exhaustion, listless entitlement, loneliness, and marginalisation.
I disagreed that ‘serious’ art – however that may be defined – offers more pleasurable satisfaction than science.
Personally I cannot appreciate Tracy Emin’s bed ‘masterpiece’ but understand that the value of artistic works is whatever someone is willing to pay for, or pay attention to. The majority of artists may struggle financially but this is not a modern phenomena. The author does not discuss the quality of outputs beyond his famous examples. Perhaps it is the act of creation rather than the finished product that he finds worthwhile – although most creatives, at whatever level, do seek some form of affirmation.
“Not working has almost always been valued only to the extent that it serves the cause of work. It is time we spoke up for not working, in all its creative possibilities, as its own value.”
The author’s opinions are stated as facts. Assumptions are made – such as that a rabbit being looked after temporarily enjoys a ‘serene emptiness’. Cohen cannot know this as he has never been a rabbit and cites no scientific study of the creature. In many of his stated opinions he comes across as arrogant.
The problem of choice is discussed from several angles in what is described as our overworked and accelerated culture. Parents are blamed for both distancing themselves and being too involved in their offspring’s choices – supportive parenting leading to a fear of disappointing.
“there could be nothing worse than to choose one thing and so lose the possibility of others”
“I barely know how to do anything without wondering if I’m doing it well enough.”
I found no mention of the gig economy or part time working. The pressure to work seemed geared towards the professions who could, perhaps, afford a psychoanalyst such as Cohen. I pondered the author’s privilege and outlook.
When discussing Emily Dickinson he mentions her unwillingness to marry, declaring reasons for her behaviour without explaining how he reached his conclusions. Given the time during which Dickinson lived and the autonomy she would lose to a husband – more than just her own, lockable room – I saw strength of purpose and innate knowledge that her work mattered more than social acquiescence.
Towards the end of the book the author explores how minimal activity can lead to finding a perfect inner state – nirvanic bliss – albeit transient. It can also lead to an inertial void. Few of the arguments made or opinions stated refuted the problems inherent in doing nothing – or that freeing up time only rarely leads to creativity in the arts.
Overall the writing lacked direction and was too wound around the author personally rather than the subject he purported to be exploring. I found this book hard work to read, and regularly during its perusal considered stopping.
Not Working is strap-lined Why We Have to Stop – an interesting if somewhat impractical premise, I thought, when I chose the book to review. The author is a psychoanalyst and Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths, thereby appearing well qualified to create a compelling argument. What we have here, however, is more akin to a series of opinion pieces injected with memoir alongside personal critiques of artworks and their creators. As a whole it lacks coherence.
The book opens with a lengthy introduction. The author then tries to shoehorn his views into four sections: Burnout, Slob, Daydreamer, and Slacker. Each of these sections includes a study of an artist the author associates with the anti-work type he is writing about. All those included have created acclaimed output so I struggled with the connections being attempted. They each worked at their craft.
Many examples from the author’s life are included. Patient cases – merged for confidentiality – are also cited but added little to the main argument.
The author posits that modern man regards work as something to be avoided if possible. There is little discussion about: the pride that may be taken in a job well done, the self-respect gained from contributing to a project, the camaraderie amongst colleagues. There is acknowledgement of the potential downsides of not working including: depressive exhaustion, listless entitlement, loneliness, and marginalisation.
I disagreed that ‘serious’ art – however that may be defined – offers more pleasurable satisfaction than science.
Personally I cannot appreciate Tracy Emin’s bed ‘masterpiece’ but understand that the value of artistic works is whatever someone is willing to pay for, or pay attention to. The majority of artists may struggle financially but this is not a modern phenomena. The author does not discuss the quality of outputs beyond his famous examples. Perhaps it is the act of creation rather than the finished product that he finds worthwhile – although most creatives, at whatever level, do seek some form of affirmation.
“Not working has almost always been valued only to the extent that it serves the cause of work. It is time we spoke up for not working, in all its creative possibilities, as its own value.”
The author’s opinions are stated as facts. Assumptions are made – such as that a rabbit being looked after temporarily enjoys a ‘serene emptiness’. Cohen cannot know this as he has never been a rabbit and cites no scientific study of the creature. In many of his stated opinions he comes across as arrogant.
The problem of choice is discussed from several angles in what is described as our overworked and accelerated culture. Parents are blamed for both distancing themselves and being too involved in their offspring’s choices – supportive parenting leading to a fear of disappointing.
“there could be nothing worse than to choose one thing and so lose the possibility of others”
“I barely know how to do anything without wondering if I’m doing it well enough.”
I found no mention of the gig economy or part time working. The pressure to work seemed geared towards the professions who could, perhaps, afford a psychoanalyst such as Cohen. I pondered the author’s privilege and outlook.
When discussing Emily Dickinson he mentions her unwillingness to marry, declaring reasons for her behaviour without explaining how he reached his conclusions. Given the time during which Dickinson lived and the autonomy she would lose to a husband – more than just her own, lockable room – I saw strength of purpose and innate knowledge that her work mattered more than social acquiescence.
Towards the end of the book the author explores how minimal activity can lead to finding a perfect inner state – nirvanic bliss – albeit transient. It can also lead to an inertial void. Few of the arguments made or opinions stated refuted the problems inherent in doing nothing – or that freeing up time only rarely leads to creativity in the arts.
Overall the writing lacked direction and was too wound around the author personally rather than the subject he purported to be exploring. I found this book hard work to read, and regularly during its perusal considered stopping.
July 11, 2022
I bought this after I ghosted Bubbleology because I thought it would make me feel more validated about not accepting a shite work environment. Sadly this book did not do that.
What I liked:
-It was short enough for me to feel I could persevere
-There were a small handful of insights or turns of phrases that were genuinely novel or offered an enlightened perspective on our relationship to labour
-The small segments recalling Cohen’s most affected patients were interesting and humanising
-Regardless of how it was executed, I do think it’s an important effort to get the ball rolling with conversations around labour & capitalism in a relatively apolitical way
What I didn’t like:
-Right I held a grudge against this after its 33 page introduction that said fuck all; a clear omen of the drivel to follow
-This was obviously a passion project for Cohen with very little consideration of marketability or appeal to a general (or any kind of) audience. It’s written like a persuasive essay you’d write in school: a blast to write but excruciating to read
-I don’t find his typology particularly astute, and I’m not sure if he does either. Each of the 4 sections is 25 pages of circular, masturbatory, prosaic hypothesis followed by a bad-faith pseudoanalysis of a random historical figure of Cohen’s choosing. It’s honestly bizarre.
-It would be laughable if it weren’t so boring. The language is so needlessly lofty for the subject matter that I often didn’t bother to digest any of it and read simply to make progress
-Its existence is so pointless. What exactly is the aim here? It shies away from any substantial discussion of policy, only mentioning briefly the concept of a UBI in the conclusion, and is more a literary analysis than any kind of cultural exploration; and even that description is generous tbh
-The feeble point he gestures weakly at throughout is obscured even further by his meandering, pretentious, and arrogant ‘observations’ that only the smugness of a therapist could conjure.
-The title is: ‘Not Working: Why We Have To Stop’, yet he doesn’t even answer this question. Why do we have to stop Josh? Is it because you’ve shat out an undeveloped typology of different coping mechanisms harnessed only by social outcasts and the dead celebrities you’ve inflicted it upon? Inspired!
What I liked:
-It was short enough for me to feel I could persevere
-There were a small handful of insights or turns of phrases that were genuinely novel or offered an enlightened perspective on our relationship to labour
-The small segments recalling Cohen’s most affected patients were interesting and humanising
-Regardless of how it was executed, I do think it’s an important effort to get the ball rolling with conversations around labour & capitalism in a relatively apolitical way
What I didn’t like:
-Right I held a grudge against this after its 33 page introduction that said fuck all; a clear omen of the drivel to follow
-This was obviously a passion project for Cohen with very little consideration of marketability or appeal to a general (or any kind of) audience. It’s written like a persuasive essay you’d write in school: a blast to write but excruciating to read
-I don’t find his typology particularly astute, and I’m not sure if he does either. Each of the 4 sections is 25 pages of circular, masturbatory, prosaic hypothesis followed by a bad-faith pseudoanalysis of a random historical figure of Cohen’s choosing. It’s honestly bizarre.
-It would be laughable if it weren’t so boring. The language is so needlessly lofty for the subject matter that I often didn’t bother to digest any of it and read simply to make progress
-Its existence is so pointless. What exactly is the aim here? It shies away from any substantial discussion of policy, only mentioning briefly the concept of a UBI in the conclusion, and is more a literary analysis than any kind of cultural exploration; and even that description is generous tbh
-The feeble point he gestures weakly at throughout is obscured even further by his meandering, pretentious, and arrogant ‘observations’ that only the smugness of a therapist could conjure.
-The title is: ‘Not Working: Why We Have To Stop’, yet he doesn’t even answer this question. Why do we have to stop Josh? Is it because you’ve shat out an undeveloped typology of different coping mechanisms harnessed only by social outcasts and the dead celebrities you’ve inflicted it upon? Inspired!
August 23, 2019
The only thing stopping me giving this book five stars is that I found that the artist biographies were too long. They interrupted the flow of the book and did not do much to enhance the author's point. The psychology and theorising about work culture was excellent though and they take up the majority of the book. I identify strongly with aspects of more than one of the archetypes in the book. I feel instinctively that slowing down and switching off are natural and healthy parts of the human condition.
Ultimately, I would urge you to read this book and, if you get bored with the biography sections, simply skip them.
Ultimately, I would urge you to read this book and, if you get bored with the biography sections, simply skip them.
February 14, 2019
Disappointing. Rambling.
October 4, 2022
It's an interesting concept but I just couldn't get into it for some reason. DNF'd at 25%
May 4, 2021
This book was not what I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it for what it ended up being, anyway. To me it was a meandering journey touching on psychology, philosophy, literature, and art in relation to not working. All of the figures Cohen covers are basically tragic figures (to be clear, that’s the way Cohen portrays them) so the book doesn’t necessarily show us that “stopping” will equal happiness and fulfillment. And it doesn’t exactly tell us “why we have to stop” except mostly to repeat again and again that the way we are living is insupportable. But again, even though I thought I was going to get something different, I liked what I got a lot. Also I really wanted to quit my job before reading this book and now... send help.
September 10, 2021
The title of the book and the content of the book (apart from chapter 1) seem to be completely different! The author is obviously a tremendously intelligent man and psychoanalyst, but from the premise of the title, he jumps into his own Andy Warhol’s biography which has nothing to do with work or idleness (the idea that we should stop working). I abandoned the book after 100 pages as I could not get the purpose of what I was reading- a blurb of philosophy and art, or the relation to the title of the book. It’s like the author started writing this book and then realised he didn’t know what else to say so he started discussing art instead. Very disappointing read. I had high expectations for this book. A complete nonsense of a book all in all. Don’t waste your time.
April 4, 2020
A great psychoanalytical review of our current capitalistic obsession with being productive, constantly being ‘on it’, constantly being on. The author explores why we became so repulsed with the idea of a ‘slacker’ and how non-doing can become art. We are human beings, not human doings. The book does not tell you what is the right way to live and how many hours you should spend at work daily but questions with curiosity the current state of things.
August 3, 2019
I found this book had nothing to do with the title. Overall a very disappointing book. Pretentious and contrived.
December 4, 2019
More pretentious than practical. I did get some interesting biographies of Andy Warhol, Orsen Welles, Emily Dickinson and David Foster Wallace. The rest is just mainly pretentious.
September 21, 2021
‘To stop doing anything is an act of autonomy, an invisible act of resistance against the tyranny of action.’
I read this having just retired, and broken my right wrist, so could barely do anything. I listened to it on audio as I can’t turn pages. It’s a cogent and fascinating argument about frenetic life and its hold on us, that uses the lives and narratives of authors artists and psychoanalysis patients as case studies. But I wonder if there is an expiry date to frenetic working. Cohen mentions teens are allowed to be slackers and daydreamers, but I reckon the retired and elderly are also allowed post work. I stopped work to play more violin, which is more interesting than my work now, but obv that plan has stopped with a broken wrist. So the broken are also released. And it’s also cultural; not all cultures or nations value frenetic achieving highly. I wanted to be persuaded by Not Working, but its literary readings were so depressing and devoid of hope; I wish there were was a broader range of litcrit examples of more contemporary times. In the meantime, I’m not doing much yet except managing pain.
I read this having just retired, and broken my right wrist, so could barely do anything. I listened to it on audio as I can’t turn pages. It’s a cogent and fascinating argument about frenetic life and its hold on us, that uses the lives and narratives of authors artists and psychoanalysis patients as case studies. But I wonder if there is an expiry date to frenetic working. Cohen mentions teens are allowed to be slackers and daydreamers, but I reckon the retired and elderly are also allowed post work. I stopped work to play more violin, which is more interesting than my work now, but obv that plan has stopped with a broken wrist. So the broken are also released. And it’s also cultural; not all cultures or nations value frenetic achieving highly. I wanted to be persuaded by Not Working, but its literary readings were so depressing and devoid of hope; I wish there were was a broader range of litcrit examples of more contemporary times. In the meantime, I’m not doing much yet except managing pain.
January 15, 2021
I don't usually read non-fiction, but I am interested in work and how it affects us, so this book, written by a psychoanalyst, was perfect for that.
This book is split into 2 parts, and both parts have a person explanation and a real life example for Josh Cohen himself, then he goes into detail about a famous figure who fits that bill. So Part One, is about 'The Burnout' and example, Andy Warhol. Then 'The Slob', and Orson Welles. Part 2 consists of, 'The Daydreamer', and Emily Dickinson. And lastly, 'The Slacker' with David Foster Wallace.
I loved that he used different types of artists as his examples, because for someone like me who doesn't read much non-fiction, but is very artsy, it was enticing to read about people like Andy Warhol and the elationship he had with work.
I recommend this book highly if you want to learn more about how work affects our mental health, and it may be a sign for you if you need to 'stop'.
This book is split into 2 parts, and both parts have a person explanation and a real life example for Josh Cohen himself, then he goes into detail about a famous figure who fits that bill. So Part One, is about 'The Burnout' and example, Andy Warhol. Then 'The Slob', and Orson Welles. Part 2 consists of, 'The Daydreamer', and Emily Dickinson. And lastly, 'The Slacker' with David Foster Wallace.
I loved that he used different types of artists as his examples, because for someone like me who doesn't read much non-fiction, but is very artsy, it was enticing to read about people like Andy Warhol and the elationship he had with work.
I recommend this book highly if you want to learn more about how work affects our mental health, and it may be a sign for you if you need to 'stop'.
December 18, 2023
Having obsessed over the topic of work and the culture which pushes us to prioritise activity over idleness, achievement over detachment, and competition over leisure, this book seemed like a great piece of literature. It started strongly, pulling me in with its strong assertions and statements, and the analogies. The rhetoric built a strong foundation for a deeper philosophical inquiry. However, the introduction was followed by a series of chapters that felt dragged and disconnected. I found it difficult to sustain my interest for more than ten minutes and eventually started skipping some paragraphs initially and entire chapters eventually. It's ironic that a book about 'Not Working' felt like 'a lot of work'. Anyway, I'll take away some good points from the introduction and leave the rest.
Read
September 26, 2021I started reading this book because it was mentioned in Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation which I quite enjoyed listening to. I though it had something to do with the topic of "burnout", but only a fraction of the book was dedicated to it. The introduction was kind of incomprehensible and the first chapter which was about the aforementioned topic was alright, but the remainder of the book, nope, I couldn't even remotely connect to, listened to it again and again, nothing. Had to drop it.
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February 19, 2023
Josh Cohen, "Çalış(ma)mak" adlı bu kitapta çarpıcı düzeyde ilginç bir argümana odaklanıyor: Hegemonik bir dayatmayla "iş ve çalışma" güzellemesinin hüküm sürdüğü ve pek çok açıdan tam bir fiyaskoya dönüşen modern hayatlarımızda "etkin bir dinginlik" kavramını enikonu dikkate almanın zamanıdır.
Etkin olmanın ölümüne tüketici olmayan yolları yok mudur?
Cohen bu soruya aranacak yanıtları "daha ciddi bir mesai" alt başlığı altında topluyor.
Tarih, edebiyat, psikanaliz ve felsefeyle iç içe örülmüş "incelikli" bir düzyazı metni çıkıyor ortaya. "Yavaşlamak" ve "durmak" kavramlarını yeniden devrimci bir gündelik yaşam fikrinin merkezine taşıma çabası... Burcu Halaç'ın tertemiz çevirisiyle... ağır ağır okunası bir kitap.
Etkin olmanın ölümüne tüketici olmayan yolları yok mudur?
Cohen bu soruya aranacak yanıtları "daha ciddi bir mesai" alt başlığı altında topluyor.
Tarih, edebiyat, psikanaliz ve felsefeyle iç içe örülmüş "incelikli" bir düzyazı metni çıkıyor ortaya. "Yavaşlamak" ve "durmak" kavramlarını yeniden devrimci bir gündelik yaşam fikrinin merkezine taşıma çabası... Burcu Halaç'ın tertemiz çevirisiyle... ağır ağır okunası bir kitap.
February 11, 2024
The book has its moments but is mostly unfocused. Four types of people are discussed, and for each type, Cohen includes a portion of auto-theory/memoir/essay followed by discussion of a patient, closing with an essay on a cultural figure. I found the discussions of the patients surprisingly short and the memoir excruciatingly lengthy. There are parts where he writes more of an essay and leaves out his own attachment or experiences, and I thought those sections tended to be better. But I find that there’s something about writing about work that encourages people to write about themselves. The essays on the cultural figures also didn’t really seem to serve much purpose to me. They were occasionally interesting but weren’t always well-related to the topic.
May 1, 2019
Offers an interesting perspective on the positives of "inactivity". Id agree with a review left on amazon where it was said Josh has potentially missed the point & that firefighters, nurses etc are persuing potentially rewarding & challenging work, not to mention it pays bills. Work for me isn't hugely dissatisfying as a bakery assistant either. Everyone is friendly & we are effectively a tribe. Being a psychoanalyst on the other hand is possibly more psychologically intense. Corporate work is perhaps an area the author is himself inexperienced in. Its easy to overanalyse everything & work has its place providing it's relaxing & friendly.
December 5, 2019
' Untying the bonds of necessity, stopping becomes a step towards freedom .' Not Working, Conclusion'
Untying those bonds made possible by a Universal Basic income ? Captivating.
I read this late at night, after all too typical December days of near-obsessive work. How to stop ? Would stopping be safe ? In a recent column, one journalist equates their work ethic with self medication.
Not Working: Why We Have to Stop
Untying those bonds made possible by a Universal Basic income ? Captivating.
I read this late at night, after all too typical December days of near-obsessive work. How to stop ? Would stopping be safe ? In a recent column, one journalist equates their work ethic with self medication.
Not Working: Why We Have to Stop
September 13, 2023
這本書探討了一個看似反直覺的觀點：停下來不工作，反而對我們的生活和創造力有益。作者是一位精神分析師兼文學大師，他在書中引用了眾多文學作家、哲學家、藝術家和神話故事，這些引用讓閱讀變得有點複雜，尤其是對於那些不熟悉這些文化背景的讀者而言。此外，書中的一些段落使用了文言文或新詩的寫法，這也增添了閱讀的難度，或許也有翻譯的因素在內。
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停手，不再受任務與生產力驅動。
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為了生產力或平衡生活而生的「偽慢活」，也要停。
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停下才可以感受自己、感受自己究竟想要做什麼。
或許就只是停下來就已足夠。
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方丈記提到，想要放下執著，卻發現自己執著於「放下」。
所以應該順勢，才是真正的放下。
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懶惰的人、遊手好���的人，表面上是我們厭惡的對象，但心中深處其實羨慕又嫉妒，我們想放下卻放不下。
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創意和健全的自我意識之間並不容易找到平衡。有時候，負面情緒能夠激發創意。
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行動也是一種逃避的方式，忙碌做事，不去正面心中的恐懼。
我們需要問自己，我們忙碌地做這一切究竟是為了什麼？
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精神分析不導向任何地方，是一種純粹的聆聽，讓人自己探索自己的內心。
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隱居並不一定對創作有害，它取決於個人。有些人在隱居中找到靈感，而有些人需要社交來啟發創意。
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在上班時，我們渴望自由，但當我們擁有自由時，又渴望有明確的方向和目標。這顯示了一種對於生活的複雜渴望。
總結而言，這本書提供了一個新的視角，呼籲我們在忙碌的生活中停下來。儘管書中引用了豐富的文學和哲學內容，但核心觀點是如何在現代生活中找到內在的寧靜。
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停手，不再受任務與生產力驅動。
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為了生產力或平衡生活而生的「偽慢活」，也要停。
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停下才可以感受自己、感受自己究竟想要做什麼。
或許就只是停下來就已足夠。
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方丈記提到，想要放下執著，卻發現自己執著於「放下」。
所以應該順勢，才是真正的放下。
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懶惰的人、遊手好���的人，表面上是我們厭惡的對象，但心中深處其實羨慕又嫉妒，我們想放下卻放不下。
+
創意和健全的自我意識之間並不容易找到平衡。有時候，負面情緒能夠激發創意。
+
行動也是一種逃避的方式，忙碌做事，不去正面心中的恐懼。
我們需要問自己，我們忙碌地做這一切究竟是為了什麼？
+
精神分析不導向任何地方，是一種純粹的聆聽，讓人自己探索自己的內心。
+
隱居並不一定對創作有害，它取決於個人。有些人在隱居中找到靈感，而有些人需要社交來啟發創意。
+
在上班時，我們渴望自由，但當我們擁有自由時，又渴望有明確的方向和目標。這顯示了一種對於生活的複雜渴望。
總結而言，這本書提供了一個新的視角，呼籲我們在忙碌的生活中停下來。儘管書中引用了豐富的文學和哲學內容，但核心觀點是如何在現代生活中找到內在的寧靜。
September 1, 2021
Had no idea what to expect when I picked this up, but far from disappointed. The author, a professional psychoanalyst, sheds light on work-related disorders discussed by his patients. Cohen argues that having your self worth tied solely to your job can be quite harmful, especially for over-achievers who tend burn out and 'overwork' themselves. Acknowledging toxic work culture and the need to have a sense of self separate from your professional career are two key takeaways from this gem of a book.
December 9, 2023
What a book! It seems at first that he is lost in some sections, drifting away from the main issue. However, you realize as you read that he gives very interesting contexts in which distinctive figures feature to show beautifully alternative human conditions. Notwithstanding being a self help book at all, it can change your life. A revolutionary move may come from rejecting the action to open up a space for possibilities. I particularly enjoyed the discussions involving Emily Dickinson. Give yourself a chance to indulge in a serious, fun, and deep conversation.
January 30, 2024
A series of observations, personal experiences and biographical ramblings, ‘Not Working’ has an interesting narrative behind it - the mainstream condemnation of perceived idleness. I would have liked to have seen more primary data discussed, namely Cohen’s particularly interesting psychoanalytic practice case studies. Feel the book & overall proposition was lacking practical grounding. I found these insights the most interesting elements of the book. A slow-burner, but worth it in the end. Perhaps that’s the point…
January 9, 2021
Not what I expected. Chapters on the 4 types: Burnout, Slob, Daydreamer and Slacker go into detail about specific people the author would categorise in this way (none of whom did I relate to). Only the Intro and Conclusion talk about today's culture of needing to be seen to be busy and the need to get away from that. I hoped the book would have more insights into how to do that. Missed the mark for me.
June 5, 2021
Mirroring quite a few reviews in saying I found the 4 characters slob, daydreamer etc felt like fillers and contributed little to what the book says it set out to achieve. I ended up skipping the biographies and read the intro and conclusions, which made it a short book - it had little to say on the subject. Disappointing.
December 21, 2023
I didn’t expect to be surprised as i’ve been reading and thinking loads about the condition of humans in productivity-obsessed culture. But this one was really original and left me with a few new ideas to explore on my own. It’s not focused as much on criticism of work, as on deep analysis of what rest and idleness means and how it is essential to being human.
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