Spending Free Time

It is possible for people to spend their free time (use their leisure) doing things which are good, or involving themselves in things which are bad. Jay B. Nash took this idea a step further. He thought that some good activities are better than others, and that some bad activities are worse than others. According to Nash, here is how people use their leisure.

1. In creative participation (maker of the model, the inventor, the painter, the composer, etc.)
2. In active participation (copying the model, playing the part, following someone else's lead)
3. In emotional participation (appreciation for music, the arts, nature, etc.)
4. As an antidote to boredom (entertainment, amusement, escape from monotony)
5. Engaging in excesses (activities which bring injury or detriment to self)
6. Performing acts against society (engaging in delinquency, crime, or criminal type activities)

Nash believed that the highest or best use of leisure was in creative participation, and that the lowest and most destructive use of leisure was performing acts against society. Whether you totally agree with Nash's philosophy or not, most individuals can understand that it is possible to use unobligated hours (free time) in a manner which is good, or in a manner which is bad.

Leisure is pregnant with potential. As individuals, and as a society, let us hope that all of us will learn to spend our free time in wholesome and constructive ways.