The Tyranny of Utility: Why We Should Embrace the Useless

In a world obsessed with instant results and constant productivity, a recent opinion piece has sparked a conversation about the "tyranny of being useful." The author challenges the modern pressure to ensure that every activity, interaction, or book we read serves a practical purpose, arguing that the true essence of being human is often found in moments that have no specific goal.

The article points to a modern paradox: while we are constantly communicating, we are rarely saying anything of substance. By cataloging our daily habits—from the compulsive need to check our phones to the guilt we feel when simply observing the world—the author highlights how we have internalized the need to optimize every second. This pressure to make every moment "count" clashes with the reality that, according to the piece, roughly 83% of our daily interactions contain no meaningful information.

Sociologists often describe this as the "performance society," where even our leisure time feels like another item on a to-do list, and silence is treated as a void that must be filled. The irony, the author notes, is that by trying to eliminate everything "useless," we are stripping our lives of the very pauses that help define who we are.

Ultimately, the piece reframes reading as a shared experience between author and reader, rather than a task to be completed. It invites us to reconsider the value of the "useless," suggesting that an experience doesn't need to solve a problem or provide a benefit to be worthwhile. Sometimes, the simple act of sharing a moment is enough to turn a passing interval of time into a meaningful connection.