Get Radical. Get Some Rest.

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Perhaps the most prevalent form of tiredness in our society is satiation, tiredness of consumption. Our society has an obesity problem that extends far beyond the body mass index. Shopping is a chief “leisure activity.” We continue to consume rapaciously because we are wedded to ownership, but the real effects of satiation are unwelcome. They first show up in the environment, where the raw materials for all this consumption must be found. Then they appear in unequal societies and unjust legislation that favors the obscenely wealthy.

The answer is sacrifice. Every year Muslims fast during daylight hours for the month of Ramadan. This is a striking example of the use of sacrifice for the benefit of an entire community. Christians and Jews tithe. Sikhs practice hospitality and share food; monks take vows of poverty; vegetarians and vegans refrain from eating meat; ethical consumers refuse to buy the shiny trinkets that are constantly advertised.

We are increasingly aware that capitalism is failing to make sense for our lives; money is not making us happy. But many of us who are ready to change are not aware of any alternative. So we carry on rushing around, making money, buying temporary happiness.

In a culture so dependent on activity—on consuming, producing, and achieving—rest becomes a radical form of protest and a catalyst for change.

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