5 ms·
The day I drove into Mexico it was a huge shock to see so many people around just enjoying their time - paying with their younger relatives on the beach, playin
by grecy 6y ago
The day I drove into Mexico it was a huge shock to see so many people around just enjoying their time - paying with their younger relatives on the beach, playing guitar, singing and dancing. My fascination and disbelief at the amount of leisure time everyone has continued for two years through all of Latin America, and then for another three years when I drove right around Africa.
Having come from years grinding at a desk job, it was startling to see that many millions (probably billions) of people live extremely happy and fulfilled lives without the need for menial jobs and "a career". Money is useful, but if you can shortcut straight to happiness why bother with the inefficient middleman.
We in the West tend to think our way of life is the "best" or the "only", but that is very far from the truth, and I urge anyone who is curious to spend time in parts of the world where work is not the meaning of life. Spend a summer in Spain and enjoy siesta.
- paulryanrogers 6y agoI found the Spanish lifestyle harrowing. Many work for hours in the morning, take an hours long break, then work into the late evening. Maybe the warmer climate or tourism economy agree factors. But it didn't strike me as appealing. They also have high unemployment along the youth.
- marc_abonce 6y agoWhere did you go? Because the average Mexican works more hours than every other OCDE country[1]. [1] https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm
- ido 6y agoYou probably don't see these workers as a tourist (aside from workers in the service industry I guess). You see the people that are out having a leasurely time.
- grecy 6y agoI spent roughly a month per country in 17 countries in Latin America over 2 years, and 35 countries around Africa in 3 years. theroadchoseme.com
- ozim 6y agoWest way of life is expensive that is why we have to grind at a desk job. What do we pay for with that grind: low violent crime rates, good roads so lower amount of traffic deaths, better health care. Being poor or sick in Latin America or Africa sucks.
- Infinitesimus 6y ago> Being poor or sick in Latin America or Africa sucks. Speaking of the US, being poor and sick here also sucks but differently. You won't die of malaria. Instead, you will spend the rest of your days scraping pennies to pay for an outrageous medical bill because you don't belong to the class of people with good employer-provided health insurance. Good roads and cars exist in Latin America and Africa as well of course.