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The 'Busy' Trap - The New York Times

archive.nytimes.com · 1,726 words · saved by 1 readers

The “crazy busy” existence so many of us complain about is almost entirely self-imposed.

Anxiety: We worry. A gallery of contributors count the ways. If you live in America in the 21st century you’ve probably had to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It’s become the default response when you ask anyone how they’re doing: “Busy!” “ So busy.” “ Crazy busy.” It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the stock response is a kind of congratulation: “That’s a good problem to have,” or “Better than the opposite.” It’s not as if any of us wants t

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