The Liveableness of Life.
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Previous posts on R.L. Stevenson’s work:
Continuing to explore some of the insights of Robert Louis Stevenson, I here turn to some of his thoughts on so-called idleness. His essay, An Apology for Idlers, first published in 1877,1 seeing the vigorous and persuasive treatment he gives to the subject, shows this is far from the usual modern meaning of the word apology, but, rather, a robust defence. And, although it may have been that in his day, "idlers" were more in danger of the harsh judgment of their more conventional fellow-citizens than nowadays, nevertheless, the subtle and harmful forms this judgment can take and the related fear of it still continues to be greatly prevalent. So what can we gain from Stevenson's, as always, entertaining but penetrating arguments?
He begins with something of an unusual definition of idleness, as he is going to use the word, and the phrase "ruling class" that he uses may as well be substituted by "ruling opinion":
Idleness so called, which does not consist in doing nothing, but in doing a great deal not recognised in the dogmatic formularies of the ruling class, has as good a right to state its position as industry itself.2
It’s good to take note of the characteristics that Stevenson gives to practitioners of such idleness. Namely:
they are content when they have enough.3
they "like to look on and enjoy."4
they "refuse to enter in the great handicap race for sixpenny pieces."5
they may often be "inglorious masters in the Science of the Aspects of Life."6
they often "take their ease,"7 for example, lying by water8 or "in the meadows by the wayside,"9 and so notice things, like a bird singing in the thicket,10 and:
…there he may fall into a vein of kindly thought, and see things in a new perspective.11
there may be learned "by root-of-heart a lesson which my master teaches me to call Peace, or Contentment."12
they take time to take care of their health and their spirits.13
they are "a great deal in the open air, which is the most salutary of all things for both body and mind…"14
"a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity."15
So, did Stevenson get it right? He did not dismiss diligence in his defence of the "idler,"16 but it seems helpful to heed his warnings about undue diligence, as it were, that focuses on one thing to the neglect of many others. His advocating the facing of "the bustle and glamour of reality"17 and renewing one's perspectives18 are reminders many of us need, it seems to me. The cultivation of such idleness seems especially important in times when there is opportunity for shorter or longer times off after periods of concentrated work, for a change of impressions. Thereby, we may be better able to discharge the duty of diligence to, and pleasure in, all aspects of life, including work, play and rest.
And, finishing with a sentence of Stevenson’s,
A happy man or woman is a better thing to find than a five-pound note. He or she is a radiating focus of goodwill; and their entrance into a room is as though another candle had been lighted… they practically demonstrate the great Theorem of the Liveableness of Life.19
Robert Louis Stevenson - An Apology for Idlers, The Cornhill Magazine, XXXVI (London), 1877. Published in book form as An Apology for Idlers and Other Essays, Thomas B. Mosher (Portland, Maine), 1905.
An Apology for Idlers and Other Essays, p.9.
Ibid., p.9.
Ibid., p.9.
Ibid., p.9.
Ibid., p.14.
Ibid., p.14.
Ibid., p.15.
Ibid., p.10.
Ibid., p.14.
Ibid., p.14.
Ibid., p.15-6.
Ibid., p.18.
Ibid., p.18.
Ibid., p.20.
Ibid., p.11.
Ibid., p.13.
Ibid., p.14.
Ibid., p.27.