On the surface, so many of us feel our lives are too busy. We’re stressed and overwhelmed and can’t find the time for all the things we want to do.
On the other hand, we’ve never had more automation, convenience, and collective wealth than we do now. And according to time use surveys published online at OurWorldInData.org, we’re working fewer hours and enjoying more leisure time than ever—a trend decades in the making.
What explains this divergence between our perception of increasing busyness and facts that suggest a gentler pace of life?
My Theory of Ease
My theory is this: for many people (not all), life has gotten objectively easier, but we don’t feel the benefits because, at the very same time, the smartphone revolution has connected us at nearly every hour of the day with a constant deluge of low-level demands….