This is a short transcript excerpt from a conversation led by Ramit Sethi exploring the value of time and how technology and chores affect leisure. The speakers discuss saving time from tasks like shopping or housework, but note that technology often raises expectations so time spent on chores remains similar, connecting this to designing a rich life.
Just to clarify, time is valuable to you. Why?
If I can save time going shopping, physically going out there to get it, when I don't need to even drive down that street or that area, I can use it more wisely as doing household chores or preparing a meal for my family or.
What about just enjoying?
That would be a fantastic way to do it. Yeah.
Okay. When was the last time you just enjoyed the time?
It's been a while.
In college, I majored in something called sts, Science, Technology and Society. And one of the things we studied was the emergence of technology in the home. Like like irons and dishwashers and vacuum cleaners. The promise was always that suddenly, magically, once you buy this technology, you will be free to enjoy your leisure time. In reality, expectations simply went up and now you spent approximately the same amount of time on housework. From the perspective of designing a rich life, if you let these things consume your time, they will. Just as if you let all your random expenses consume your money, they also will.
