Sly Double Standards

We're good at noticing when other people have double standards. It annoys us, even, when they're imposed on other people. Double standards for ourselves? Well, that's our own issue, and they're especially hard to notice, without other people calling us out on them.

I recently had the thought that I should consume more longform media, or I'd say wholesome content, if you will. Books, movies, single player story games, things that would enrich my life, as opposed to the endless barrage of stimulation that social media provides. 

And there was that automatic thought, almost as if there was an 'if then' code written into my mind: "Not yet, I haven't finished my day's work yet." 

Not yet. Not yet. Every time, but I'd never paid attention to that voice until now.

If I could simply finish my work in a few hours and then do those things? Sure, that would be no problem. But more often than not, I would end up never getting to experiencing the kind of 'spiritually healthy' content that I'd want to consume. 

And the funny part is? That voice is almost muted whenever I pull out my phone to check social media, or watch another short Youtube video. There, but almost muffled, and quickly ignored. Of course doing things that would enrich my life would be a 'waste of time'. It's not going to make me any money, and it's not moving the needle forward in my studies or personal projects. But it's totally fine to spend 3 hours on the same video game. Double standards.

Work hard, play hard. I feel as if I've gotten too used to wasting my time on my phone, instead of mindfully choosing how to enjoy myself. Curating our pleasure time needs to be something we apply conscious effort to.