Meaningful rest

Abstract

Ours is an age of incessant hustle, where resting increasingly seems like a privilege out of reach for many or else a liability to be undertaken sparingly and with discretion. In this context, we might wonder whether we have lost sight of the importance of taking a break. What place might rest have in leading a meaningful life? Unfortunately, recent philosophical theories of meaning in life have not only neglected the importance of rest but also reinforced our cultural obsession with the value of activity and the pursuit of achievements. In contrast to this prevailing tendency, this article will begin by offering an analysis of rest as the temporary suspension of active involvement in projects for the sake of rejuvenation. I then argue that rest can genuinely imbue our lives with meaning, yet not all conceptions of meaningful rest are equally existentially significant.