I was watching some seagulls on a pier, it seemed like they were just chillin', but after paying close attention it came to me that they were waiting for something, either food or some signal to do something or go somewhere. I also saw some dolphins cruising by the shoreline riding waves which amused me showing how playfulness is a natural part of living beings, yet it's probably only after they get their needs met that it becomes a possible option. Taking a look at the non-human animal kingdom you'll notice a constant grubbing for continual survival; rodents cleverly scavenging, lions on the prowl, termites swiftly invading a house, and beavers building a dam as a classic example. Homo sapiens seem to follow this same pattern and the question remains what make them human compared to the rest of animals.
The vast populations of civilization impacted by industrialization and the subsequent digital era has led to more production and consumption which instead of freeing up a great numbers of peoples lives, has created an environment where the wheel keeps spinning even faster. The limit of what is seen as necessary for a joyful existence has been pushed further to the point of no end. Duty and the sense of guiltiness for not getting in line with everyone else makes individuals conform, giving up their autonomy for a illusionary sense of security in the mass.
It's quite common to equate the pursuit of excellence as the pursuit of luxury or insatiable materialism, though this can be true, it's important to keep in mind that one man's view of luxury is another's impediment. Often times seeking leisure will come with a sacrifice with how you deal with the everyday world of consumerism. To be at leisure and have tons of possessions like the ancient Pharaohs, it requires persistence, ambition, and above all total responsibility for lots of things sometimes outside your control; on the other hand, if you want leisure yet prefer to live like the Romans and go through the journey with light baggage you'll find it easier to be "wealthy in proportion to the number of things you can afford to let alone" as Thoreau advised.
A sovereign lifestyle in which you control your time doing what you want to do without any obligations is what people think of as "retirement". On the contrary, retirement has no age as vast majority of those dependent on social security or pensions have come to believe. Many of these systems set up through imposition have the primary function of getting us ready or even embrace what Hobbes sees as the "nasty, brutish and short" realities of living. To me this is what actually living under the Leviathan comes to as opposed to how it is under any sort of independent social vernacular.
Being a non-utilitarian person, unconcerned too much about the daily and trivial practicalities of life that the animal kingdom is consumed by, and instead seeking the excellence and enjoyment outside the inhumanity of the world around us is sure way to become a superfluous man. If this is the cost then I will take it gratefully.
