21 Jan 24
Il dolce far niente
For many Italians ‘Il dolce far niente’, the ‘sweetness of doing nothing’ is an essential part of a meaningful life. But for some people, the decadence of doing nothing might seem like an absolute indulgence and the very suggestion may stir up emotions such as guilt, judgement, and shame - particularly for those who believe real meaning comes from being productive. But I am in Rome, and trying to integrate, so I thought this Italian practice warranted further consideration.
Firstly, it's helpful to understand what is meant by ‘dolce’. When we come across this word on music sheets, it refers to a slow and gentle tempo. Secondly, ‘niente’ is not quite ‘nothing’ because in a sense one is not doing nothing with the time, but instead doing no-other-thing, and simply navigating the day slowly… gently.
For me, there’s something here about allowing your day to be determined by your instincts and not by your schedule.
I thought about this further as I watched an interview with the brilliant historian Yuval Noah Harari on Diary of a CEO hosted by Steven Bartlett. There were many takeaways (and I encourage you to watch it on YouTube, and subscribe to his channel) but what really stuck with me was how Yuval has constructed his personal practice. He actively consumes information, and likened this to consuming food. In which case, to maintain a ‘balanced diet’ he includes periods of fasting, or ‘nothing’. Every day he meditates for two hours and every year he takes a period of between thirty and sixty days where he completely disconnects from all external stimuli: no email, internet, or even books.
He described these periods of what might look like ‘doing nothing’ as an opportunity to digest all that he has been consuming. Anyone looking from the outside might interpret him as being unproductive, but the stillness allows him to use his time to look inward and to really observe himself: to get-to-know himself a little better. Steven asked him what he thought would happen if he didn’t take this conscious action of disconnecting. He responded that if he didn’t do this for himself he would be ‘overwhelmed, with no peace of mind, and no perspective’. This sounds familiar.
Yuval is considered to be a thought leader, he is a published author and winner of multiple awards. He is highly productive. So much of society seem to cling to the belief that busyness; equals productivity; equals success - and that this will give us the meaning we all seem to seek. What happens if we allow for some part of our day to be about doing what feels right, right now? What happens if we really do go with the flow?
Just like water, it is only when we have stillness that a reflection appears. From this calm place we can learn and step forward with peace of mind and a new perspective. From here we can be productive in a far more meaningful way.
Maybe less is more. Maybe nothing is something. And maybe, just maybe, it’s sweet.