The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang

This book is a refreshing reminder for any modern reader to slow down and enjoy the simple moments in life. I keep this work close to my desk and refer to it often. — MJD

Summary:

The Importance of Living, by Lin Yutang (1937), is a classic work that contrasts modern Western life with traditional Chinese philosophy, advocating for a balanced, leisurely, and joyful existence by embracing simple pleasures, humor, and "revering inaction" as much as action. It serves as an antidote to the frantic pace of modern life, championing the "amiable loafer" and finding wisdom in everyday moments like good food, nature, and rest, rather than abstract ideals or constant work.

Excerpt:

No, the enjoyment of an idle life doesn’t cost any money. The capacity for true enjoyment of idleness is lost in the moneyed class and can be found only among people who have a supreme contempt for wealth. It must come from the inner richness of the soul in a man who loves the simple ways of life and who is somewhat impatient with the business of making money. There is always plenty of life to enjoy for a man who is determined to enjoy it. If men fail to enjoy this earthly existence we have, it is because they do not love life sufficiently and allow it to be turned into a humdrum routine experience. — p. 154

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