I put a lot of thought into what I want out of life, and "contemplation" is a big one. Hannah Arendt drew a distinction I love between "thought" and "contemplation," essentially saying that just because you are thinking doesn't mean you're really spending time coming to know something. Leisure time to think freely and uncoerced is essential to achieving that mode of thought. I find that I even like thinking about work when it's true contemplation; I use some of my own free time to dwell on why the people around me act and think the way they do, what drives my behavior at work, why we face certain problems. It provides real insight and anchoring into the activity that takes up a significant portion of my life and adds considerable value to my work contributions. I think one of the smartest things businesses could do would be to follow Basecamp's "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work" model, because calm, contemplative employees will come up with hugely profitable insights. As Kent Beck said, "Software is a leverage game." One insightful thought can save millions of dollars. I bet that's true of a lot of industries.

At a higher level, though, it's just an enjoyable mode of being. But you can't get into that state if you don't learn how to stop doing things and just lean back for a minute.