Category: Productivity

What Does It Mean To Be Productive?

In our society, a lot of emphasis is placed on being productive.

For example, in the economy, there are metrics for how productive the average worker is. In our private lives as well, people who feel overwhelmed with all they have to do may wonder, “How can I get more done?”

There have been many technological efforts to solve this problem. Labor-saving devices, like the dishwasher or vacuum cleaner, have been introduced as a method of doing in minutes what previously had taken hours.

Perhaps more than any other invention, the computer increased productivity. As computers have gotten faster and smaller, we can do more with them than ever before.

There is a question of how much labor these devices are actually saving, though. Despite using dozens, or even hundreds, of these, we feel busier than ever. They haven’t saved labor, really, but allowed more labor, of various kinds, to get done. They have allowed us to be more efficient.

Is that productivity, then? Being more efficient with our time and other resources?

Being the most efficient, however, is not always the best way to get the most done. Some people, for example, meditate regularly. Benefits to meditation vary from person to person, but often it allows calm, ordered thoughts. Which in turn allows for greater concentration, which can lead to getting more done. Sitting and being completely unproductive can lead to greater productivity later on.

Creativity is similar — letting your mind wander can help you to see things in a new way. But “letting your mind wander” is not obviously productive.

So what, exactly, is productivity? And can we increase it without exhausting our nervous system?

Related questions: How can we be more productive? Are we too busy? What do you think about when your mind is not preoccupied?

What Have You Started That Didn’t Exist Before?

A plan, a business, a drawing, a person: what have you started that didn’t exist? When have you made something new?

Creation is a funny thing. Often, you start with nothing — a blank page, for example. And then an idea comes, you put that idea down on the page, and suddenly something exists that didn’t exist before. It’s like magic! You created something from nothing, conjured something from thin air.

Another example seems almost miraculous, but in fact is incredibly common: the act of giving birth. A man and a woman, together, create an entire human being who didn’t exist before. While the resulting baby can’t do much on their own at first, eventually they are a self-sufficient adult. It’s the way of the world, but it doesn’t make it any less remarkable.

Intellectual Roundtable is another example. Back in 2016 it started as a simple idea, and after some fine-tuning and some back and forth between Michael and me, in 2017 we debuted our first question, Why do we like what we like? Before we had the idea, registered the domain name, rented some server space, thought of some questions, and then published the first one, Intellectual Roundtable simply didn’t exist. Now, years later, not only does it exist, we’ve published more than 1300 distinct questions.

Indeed, the world is full of things — chairs, books, songs, spatulas, equations — that someone had to think up and turn into something to share with other humans. None of those things existed before, at least not in their current form.

So what about you? What is an example of something that you made, that you brought into being from nothingness? It might be something as simple as a doodle, or as complicated as a building. Because of you, what exists that didn’t exist before?

Related questions: Where do shared ideas exist? Create or consume? What art do you make?

 

How Do You Manage Your Email Inbox?

These days, anyone with an email address gets flooded with messages. How do you manage your inbox, to make sure you keep track of the mail you care about?

Share why if you wish.

Should The Rich Be Taxed At A Higher Rate Than Others?

The question of whether the rich should be taxed at a higher rate than others is often discussed when people debate fairness and the role of government. Taxes paid by individuals, households, and businesses help fund public services such as schools, roads, healthcare, public transportation, local police, and national defense. Because everyone benefits from these services, governments must decide how the tax burden should be distributed.

Supporters of higher taxes on the rich often point to history as an example. During and after World War II, the United States had very high tax rates for the wealthiest Americans. In the 1950s, the top federal income tax rate was about 90 percent for the highest earners. However, this rate only applied to income above a certain, high level, not to all of a person’s income.

Supporters argue that people with higher incomes benefit greatly from systems that help businesses and the economy grow, such as reliable roads, educated workers, and a stable government. Because of this, they believe wealthy individuals should contribute a larger share to support these systems. They also say that higher taxes on the rich can help reduce the gap between rich and poor. Tax revenue can be used to support programs such as quality public education, expanded healthcare, and assistance for people with lower incomes.

Since the 1960s, tax rates for the highest earners have been reduced several times, with major reductions taking place in and since the 1980s. Some people believe these changes helped encourage business growth and investment. Others argue that lower tax rates have reduced government funding for public services and contributed to rising income inequality.

Critics of higher taxes on the rich argue that extremely high tax rates could discourage people from starting businesses, investing money, or working harder. Some believe everyone should pay taxes at the same rate because it treats all citizens equally. Others worry that very high taxes might cause wealthy individuals or businesses to move their money or investments to countries with lower tax rates.

The debate continues today. Where do you side? Should the rich be taxed at a higher rate than others?

Related questions: How do you feel about paying taxes? What should taxes be used for? Should a healthy society have billionaires? How much is enough?