Entertainment Floor Plans

It’s always amazing when I see photos of old houses. In old houses all the future was turned in – toward the center of the room. Chairs faced each other or at least faced something simple like a fireplace or bookshelf.

Today there has been a fundamental shift in the floor plan of most residences. In houses today, all the furniture faces towards a television. Television replaced conversation as the centerpiece of the household. As a result, we spend way less time talking and visiting and way more time watching television and being entertained.

I don’t think television is inherently a bad thing, I love being able to relax and watch TV once in a while. The problem comes when we fill all of our free time with television (or entertainment in general). When we are being entertained, we are not adding value to our lives or to the lives of anyone else. Entertainment and apathy are nearly synonymous. Being apathetic is fine for short periods of time, but a lifestyle of apathy is a waste of a life.