"The Busy Trap" Analysis: From Burnout to Balance
“The Busy Trap” essay written by Tim Kreider was published in the Times on June of 2012. Tim Kreider is an American Author or essayist who was born in Baltimore, who now lives in New York City. He has written numerous essays with his most recent being, “We Learn Nothing”. The thesis or main point of the essay “The ‘Busy Trap”’ is that Americans are becoming way too busy, however by a personal choice. This essay could be described as a persuasive essay depending on the lifestyle that you would want to live. The author is successful by providing evidence for the claims that he gave within the text. Kreider is unsuccessful since he does not give the reader the answer on how to manage their time, lessen their course load, and he contradicts himself through the essay.
The Busy Trap: summary and analysis
The author describes how a result of us being busy is that we often leave no room for the other people in our life. By putting others on the backburner, or making excuses to show up to planned events. In fact, Kreider effectively points out that we are afraid of not being busy, as well as enjoying ourselves on a daily basis. Since history has progressed, so has technology and the mean of providing for your family. Over time the American family’s traditions has changed drastically. The wife maintained the household, the husband provided for his family by working, and the children went to school. Now, things have changed and this is where the word “busy” comes in to play. In addition to traditions, school has become so competitive in the past years and students are working twice as hard just to get into their desired schools. An example of this is applying to nursing school, knowing there are only a few spots and hundreds of students applying for the same slot. As stated above the author states that we are busy by choice. Tim Kreider says, “They’re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they’re addicted to busyness and dread what they might have to face in absence”.
Another claim he states is, “Almost everyone I know is busy”. This might not be the case for everyone, and we do not know if this is a factual statement. So, we can conclude from this statement that it is a claim, until the author Tim Kreider is able to give substantiation. Although the author makes a few claims throughout his essay he does provide evidence for the claims that he states within the dissertation. The first example is when he says, “Even children are busy now, scheduled down to the half-hour with classes and extracurricular activities. They come home at the end of the day tired as grown-ups”. This statement is true, especially as school progresses and time goes on. Kreider is successful by supporting his claims stated in the earlier paragraph by giving the reader clear evidence and illustrating how he is able to back his assertions with a factual statement. An analogy that Kreider makes to show how we do not have time for our friends is when he says, “They schedule in time with friends the way students with 4. 0 grade point averages’ make sure to sign up for community service because it looks good on their college applications”.
As the years go on, we make time for who we want, but it isn’t our main priority. Lately it has been a pain to schedule in time for our friends, so we make that last on our agenda. As a recent high school graduate and now being a freshman in college, I can relate to everything Tim Kreider is saying. Furthermore, the author gives the reader an example of his claims by sharing information about his friend who moved to France because she was sick of being expanded by the tiring ways of the city life. In fact, he says, “She still gets her work done, but it doesn’t consume her entire day”. He is able to support his claim about Americans being busy, by giving an example of his friend whom had the same problem but moved away as a solution. The only problem with this is that it is not realistic for everyone, and most families cannot just pick up and move to another country for a less complexed life. Although the author has great points within the essay, as well supporting his claims; he does lack in some areas when making statements. The first example of the author showing weakness or being unsuccessful is when he says, “I am the laziest ambitious person I know. ’
The author states that he is the laziest person that he knows, but somehow, he is the most ambitious. This shows how he contradicts himself, since these are opposite characteristics. Another sign of weakness is when Tim Kreider says, “I’ve insidiously started, because of professional obligations, to become busy”. Then he goes on to contradict himself again on why he would become busy by stating, “I actually hate being busy”. He doesn’t like to be a busy person, however obligates himself to being busy. Kreider does not point out that it is a positive thing to be busy. Some people have to remain busy in order to stay out of trouble or to stay on the right path in life. Instead the author just points out the negative things of being busy, instead of illustrating both sides. Some people choose to be busy, based on the lifestyle that they would like to live by. If you want the finer things in life, then you have to work extra hard, resulting in a minimal amount of time to be with the ones that care about you. Our book Everyone’s an Author” defines Either or arguments but it is, “also called false dilemmas, argues that only two alternatives are possible in a situation what actually is more complex”. An example of an Either-or argument within Kreider’s essay by stating, “I did make a conscious decision, a long time ago, to choose time over money”. Some people have neither time left or money, so this wouldn’t be an option or something that they can relate to.
In conclusion the argument that I have possessed shows the strengths, weaknesses and what the author can do better. In an essay we should not try to avoid pushing our personal beliefs and opinions on the reader, without clear evidence on why we think the way we do. Furthermore, I have depicted on how the author should avoid his contradictions and stick to one firm path when writing. This argument should be important because it shows both sides, while respecting what the author has put in place. From this argument you can analyze your life to see if you fall into the same category as myself and the author.
