Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, made evaluations regarding “Time Management” in the program “Akla Kapı with Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan” broadcast on Dost TV and Dost FM. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that the term “free time” is used more often instead of “empty time,” spoke about the importance of filling free time meaningfully. Tarhan, emphasizing that a global laziness epidemic will emerge in the next 10 years, said; “We will see the price of pursuing pleasure as a global laziness, a global addiction, global suicides, and a global unhappiness epidemic in the next 10 years.”
“It is important to fill free time meaningfully”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that he prefers to use the term “free time” instead of “empty time”; “When you say empty time, it sounds like aimless time. One needs to step out of a certain time discipline and have a time that is completely their own. That is, this is something a person wants and expects. It is a natural situation. However, it is important to fill free time meaningfully, not as empty, aimless time. In fact, capitalist systems have now developed a theory called ‘Theory of Idle People’ to turn empty time into material for consumer culture. These people are very good consumers; they are the material of cultural imperialism. In human nature, everything is beautiful in its place and in moderation. For example, if you put a jewel in the trash, it doesn't look good, but when you put it in its place, it looks beautiful in the display case. Like this, everything is beautiful in its place and position,” he stated.
“To use everything in its place and efficiently requires mastery”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that managing a financial budget and managing time operate on the same logic; “To use everything in its place and efficiently requires mastery. This is related to a person's self-development. This is not genetic; it is something learned entirely through planning. This is called resource management. In resource management, it is essential to first grow your resource. Then you perform input control, output control of your resource, and you manage that resource. What is important is to make decisions at the right place and at the right time. The principles of resource management are also valid in a person's time management. That is, managing a financial budget and managing time operate on the same logic,” he explained.
“It is necessary to use limited time efficiently”
Tarhan reminded that life should be used efficiently, and also stated that one should not compare oneself with others. Tarhan; “There is a limited time given to a person. One needs to think about how to use that limited time most efficiently. Life should be used according to the principle of efficiency. Therefore, there is no such thing as empty time, in fact. There is free time, and during that free time, a person engages with another subject, music, art, or sports. That person brings themselves to a state that will lead to improvement. The most common mistake in comparison is for a person to compare themselves with others,” he said.
“Empty time is not idleness”
Tarhan stated that there would be no civilization without the frontal lobe of our brain; “What makes a human, human, is the frontal lobe of the brain. Humans are born prematurely, and that part of the brain develops after birth. Humans learn. Therefore, what we call empty time is actually a gift given to us. The past is capital, today is a gift, and the future is an investment. A smart person, a smart businessman, makes targeted investments when they have free time. They say, ‘There is death, I should invest for after death.’ Empty time is not idleness. Empty time is simply going another way towards a goal by changing categories, changing topics. That is, developing a more relaxing technique to proceed, but one must not forget the main objective,” he stated.
“Doing nothing leads to laziness”
Tarhan noted that lazy people are not beneficial to society; “Doing nothing leads to laziness. Laziness is followed by unhappiness. Dissatisfaction, a feeling of emptiness, follows. Idle people become isolated. Since these people are not useful to society, they are parasitic individuals. They always live off others. They retreat to their rooms, only having a phone or tablet in hand, and spend the whole day like that. If these individuals have a schizophrenia risk gene, schizophrenia can emerge after a while,” he said.
A global laziness awaits the world…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that a global laziness epidemic will emerge in the next 10 years; “The biggest reason for addiction is the change in people's philosophy of life. A person whose philosophy of life changes has seen pursuing pleasure and self-interest as the purpose of life. We will see the price of this as a global laziness, a global addiction, global suicides, and a global unhappiness epidemic in the next 10 years. They say, ‘This body is mine, I'll use my body as I wish.’ Many problems arise from this,” he stated.
“A person who can think will not be unhappy”
Tarhan stated that to use time efficiently, empty time should be turned into free time; “A power, a will that sends you to this world with such superior characteristics, would not leave you to live aimlessly. It has opened an exam for us, saying, ‘This is good, this is bad. If you do the good things, I will take you to a better place; if you don't do them, you will pay the price.’ This world is an arena of examination. When a person thinks this way, they add meaning to their life. When they add meaning, why would a person say no to unnecessary, tempting, misleading, lazy-making, time-wasting things? Therefore, we need to correct our philosophy of life. That is, to use our time efficiently, we need to be able to turn our empty time into free time. We need to have an ego ideal. When someone who only chases concrete pleasures reaches the end of their life, and when illness comes, old age comes, and they lose their power, they become miserable, saying, ‘Alas, youth is passing.’ Whereas a person who knows the meaning of life, who has succeeded in being happy by being beneficial to others, by producing knowledge and science, and by seeing the end of life, will have been a person who succeeded in leaving a mark. A person who can think will not be unhappy,” he stated.
“A person must be the subject of their own self”
Tarhan pointed out that a person who is the subject of their own self determines their own agenda; “We must determine our own agenda. Should the media determine our day, our 24 hours? Should politicians determine it? Should others determine it? You say, ‘I will determine my own agenda.’ A person must be the subject of their own self. A person who is the subject of their own self determines their own agenda, manages their own 24 hours. Events should not manage us; we will manage events. If we can do this, we will achieve our goals, use our time well, and long-term happiness will be like this. The biggest thing that makes people make mistakes is chasing short-term happiness,” he explained.