Here comes another rambling thought, inspired by what I read on social media a few days ago. There was a discussion, or maybe a complaint, about how some people simply don’t understand the idea of work-life balance. They said that when they finally work in a place that gives them the time and space to enjoy life outside the office, they end up feeling burned out instead. It’s as if they only feel comfortable, or even worthy, when their lives revolve around work.

When I read that, I couldn’t help but think, damn, we humans are so broken that we can’t even handle having time for ourselves anymore.

I keep wondering, why is it so difficult to find something to do in our free time, something that doesn’t involve productivity or external validation? Why can’t we just start by enjoying our own company and spending time with our own minds? Forget the extra hours your employer gives you; many of us can’t even stand being away from our gadgets long enough to listen to the noise inside our own heads.

When I think about my life in Helsinki and compare it to the city where I come from, one of the simplest pleasures I’ve discovered is just sitting quietly: chilling, relaxing, and letting my thoughts wander. Of course, the public spaces in Helsinki make this easier; there’s room to breathe here. But back home, even the sight of someone sitting alone and doing nothing is often seen as lazy, strange, or even a little sad.

Sometimes, I wonder if all the chaos in the world stems from our inability to sit with our own minds. There’s a line from Fahrenheit 451 that lingers in my thoughts:

“My uncle says the architects got rid of the front porches because they didn’t look well. But my uncle says that was merely rationalizing it; the real reason hidden underneath might be they didn’t want people sitting like that, doing nothing, rocking, talking; that was the wrong kind of social life. People talk too much. And they had time to think.”

We no longer take time to think or reflect. Conversations that once happened face-to-face now happen on social media where limited characters strip away nuance, and misunderstandings turn into insults. We’re not used to genuine conversations anymore, or to the act of reflection, of truly seeing our own minds and trying to understand others.

Modern life, with its relentless hustle, has conditioned us to resist stillness. Capitalism thrives on our restlessness. The more we avoid silence, the more it owns us. And so, the cycle continues.

I’m reminded of an interview with Fred Rogers, when he was asked who made a difference in his life. His answer resonates with me:

“A lot of people. But a lot of people who have allowed me to have some silence. And I don’t think we give that gift very much anymore. I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder. In noise rather than silence. How do we do that? I mean, in our business, yours and mine, how do we encourage reflection? (…) Oh my, this is a noisy world.”

Maybe that’s the gift we’ve forgotten to give each other: the gift of silence.