The Subtle Art of Being Unhurried: A Leisurely Life Attitude Against Modern Anxiety

Ever since childhood, my temperament has always tilted naturally toward the unhurried and leisurely. If I had to pull examples from memory for an honest self-introduction, the list would be endless:

1. During my college years at Hsin-Pu Junior College of Technology (now St. John’s University), I walked to the bus stop outside campus one Friday afternoon to head home. Seeing a massive crowd clamoring to squeeze onto the buses, I didn’t hesitate for a second: I walked over to the bench beside the bus stop sign, leaned against the pillar, and instantly fell fast asleep. It wasn’t until a familiar professor arrived to catch a bus that he shook me awake.

2. I once planned a whole day of hiking along the historic trails of Mount Datun in Tamsui. Barely into the trek, I spotted a sun-warmed boulder resting along the mountain creek that looked irresistible. I curled up on it and slept soundly for several hours.

3. Camping at Wuling Farm, I sat watching butterflies flutter through the mountain forest and zoned out for an entire afternoon.

4. Sitting at my classroom desk, gazing into the intricate, meshing gears of a mechanical wristwatch, admiring their rotating pinions—and thirty minutes simply vanished into thin air.

5. Traveling through Japan on what was supposed to be a tight, fast-paced itinerary, I walked into the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo. Captivated by an extraordinary masterwork, I sat quietly on a gallery bench, and an entire hour evaporated without a trace.

…and countless moments just like those.