Short transcript excerpt from a YouTube video asserting that many people have comfortable, meaningful lives yet lack a sense of pursuit; the speaker argues that languishing comes from not working hard enough on genuinely meaningful pursuits and distinguishes between mere hours worked and pursuing something meaningful. Parenting is used as an example of fulfilling but not extraordinary engagement.
I know a lot of people have meaningful lives and they're bored stiff. I know a lot of people have every reason to be happy, fulfilling careers, maybe really serve people, help people. But so much of that is intellectual and the pursuit is gone. They are parents. They want to be good parents, but they don't want to be extraordinary parents. The decision that leads to the pursuit. Right. If you're feeling like you're languishing, I promise you're not working hard enough. And people hate when I say that. And it's like, well, the thing is, you're not working hard enough to meaningful pursuits. You're working hard, but there's a difference between putting in hours and meaningful pursuits.
