Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos wash the dishes at home -- and research suggests the benefits might stretch

[applegrove]

Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos wash the dishes at home — and research suggests the benefits might stretch beyond clean plates

Jessica Stillman, 

https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-jeff-bezos-benefit-washing-dishes-2018-12#chores-as-meditation-1

"SNIP.....

Are they crazy? Is this a plot for these titans of the universe to stay humble?

While neither billionaire revealed the thinking behind his dish scrubbing, science suggests there are good reasons even the busiest, and richest, among us might want to do mundane chores — and why those of us who can't get rid of them might want to rethink them.

Chores as meditation


Though it might be hard to believe at first, research shows that everyday tasks like loading the dishwasher and hanging out the laundry can be serious happiness boosters if done in the right way.

One study taught volunteers to view doing the dishes as a chance to practice mindfulness by focusing on the present and the sensation of the suds, the warm water, and so forth.

......SNIP"

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Makes sense...sometimes doing mundane things does allow the mind to wonder around, calm...

down, think about other things, or just plain chill out. I find this in not doing just the dishes but other mundane things too.

[KT2000]

2. there was a wonderful film

called "I always Do My Collars First." It featured 4 Southern women who talked about what ironing meant to them. One of the benefits was the fact that no one would bother them while they were ironing for fear the duty would be handed over to them. It appears to be unavailable now but it was truly a special film. It gave insight into the lives of women and what some consider they mundane lives. With ironing there was skill and pride involved - to say nothing of the fact that an unkempt family with wrinkled clothing reflected poorly on the wife/mother.

Every mundane job needs to be done well.

[csziggy]

9. That sounds very interesting!

While the DVD is not available, I found a video of an interview about the making of the film:

Apparently the film used to be available on YouTube but is no longer there.

[KT2000]

10. Thank you for this

I wish the DVD was still available.

[snort]

3. My plates and dishes would be used as skeet

off the deck of my yacht while i guzzle champagne and blast away with my mini-gun, and that's before I leave the dock.

[applegrove]

6. LOL!

[Tripper11]

4. I enjoy cleaning the house

Vacuuming, floors, windows, dishes etc. I do find it cathartic and always gives me a sense of self accomplishment.
Sometimes I put music I put music on when I know it's going to an hour or two.

[maxsolomon]

53. Whereas i love the roomba.

I start it, I leave. I come back and it's full of debris.

Of course, there's the hour spent cleaning hair out of the brushes...

[Neema]

5. I'd much rather hear about them paying their fair share of taxes.

But, yay, I guess. Billionaires are just like us!

[Blue_true]

14. Gates gives away more each year than he would pay in taxes. I

don't know about Bezos.

[lame54]

16. Who cares...

They get 100 percent control of where that money goes

Where we get almost no control of where are taxes are spent

Yeah - that's exactly the same thing

They should pay their fucking taxes

[Blue_true]

17. Ok, whatever.

I would rather direct money to feeding hungry people and providing medical care than fund Trump's coming war. But to each their own.

[lame54]

19. So would I - but I don't get too...

And I don't get the rich guy exemption

They can pay their share AND donate to whatever cause they want AND buy a small country

That is the ridiculous amount of money they have

Rich guy taxes would feed the poor and give everybody healthcare

[Blue_true]

20. Your last statement seems driven more by emotion that analysis.

We could confiscate every penny that Ametican billionaires and millionaires have and the total amount would fal well short of what you believe it would do. It MAY help for the first year, but after that we would need a different funding scheme.

I am not one for confiscating people's wealth. There are a lot of rich people that are bastards and I could care less what happens to them, but there are ones that made their money honestly and who treated employees fairly during the process. Your view seems to be they are insanely rich, so to hell with them, I resolutely do not share that view. Maybe my view is colored by being functionally bankrupt after a first business failure and literally having to look on discount sites for equipment to start my second business, and sleeping on one brother's couch while a second brother gave me cheap rental space in his business as I got the second business rolling. As a result I just can't view wealth with the cavalier attitude that you do, I prefer to examine what type of person a wealthy person is before passing judgement.

[lame54]

21. Character has nothing to do with it...

We all pay taxes

They should too

[Blue_true]

41. We don't agree on some fundamental principles. It is best that we leave things at that. nt

[appalachiablue]

42. Absolutely, no character means test. Everyone pays taxes.

[malaise]

7. I had an interesting family discussion on dish washing over the holidays

I actually like washing dishes and was pleasantly surprised to see my brother washing everything after I cooked.
We don't own a dishwasher by choice.

[applegrove]

8. I enjoy doing dishes too.

[Codeine]

22. I drive my friends nuts

because I wash utensils and pans and prep gear as I go when we’re putting together a meal. “Dude, that can all go in the dishwasher!” I’d rather wash it on the move and have nothing left. A clean counter and an empty sink makes things much more pleasant.

[malaise]

24. I also never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight

I love a clean counter

[MineralMan]

11. In my house, I prepare the meals and clean up after them.

I also do the laundry, since I work in my office in the basement where the washer and dryer are. I shovel the snow and run the snowblower and cut the lawn. I fix stuff that needs fixing. I handle the cat litter boxes, because they're in the basement, too. I do the grocery shopping.

Those are my jobs at home. My wife cleans things and decorates our home. She feeds and cares for our two cats and two dogs, because they're upstairs where she works. She does all other shopping. She works, too. We have a division of labor when it comes to necessary things that must be done. We both work at home. We both have things to do at home, as well. Somehow, we've come to that division of labor.

There's a certain sort of satisfaction in doing those mundane things. But, even so, they need to be done, and someone has to do them. So, we've divided up those chores. That's how we do it in our house.

[whistler162]

12. Ah... but do they do it in 5 minutes?

[Blue_true]

13. I do a lot of thinking about other important stuff while washing dishes.

For me, dish washing and taking a bath both serve as times for me to reflect on other life issues or pursuits which aren't so automatic.

[lame54]

15. How sweet - it helps Bezos...

Forget how badly he's treating his employees

[Dagstead Bumwood]

23. I've found no meditative properties in doing the dishes.

I hate it, as a matter of fact. But, I did achieve something similar back when I used to mow the lawn. It was isolating, so it was just me and my thoughts as I circled the yard. Did some of my best thinking while mowing, actually.

[Codeine]

25. I'll be fifty in a few months

and I’ve never once mowed a lawn. Hopefully I can take my unblemished track record to the grave.

I am, however, quite partial to vacuuming, which is basically indoor lawn care.

[Dagstead Bumwood]

26. I started mowing for money when I was a kid.

I also mowed our yard at home, my grandparents' yards, and then later, the yards I owned. I've probably mowed my way to the moon and back a couple of times. But, if you don't have to do it, then I whole-heartedly recommend avoiding it. Yeah, it gives you a sense of satisfaction when you can look at your freshly mown lawn, but, I reckon you can get that from vacuuming, too.

[spooky3]

28. I love lawn mowing. When we had a house with a much larger yard than currently, we had

a riding mower that was so much fun to use. But I hate edging along sidewalks, and trimming/pruning evergreens. Happy to pay someone to do the hard work.

[applegrove]

29. I mowed my parents lawn all the time. Once, i think it was related to a big event but am

not sure, the edger didn't work so i used scissors to go around the rock garden and pathways. LOL. Took quite a while.

[Ohiogal]

27. I wouldn't mind house cleaning so much

If it stayed that way longer than 24 hours. I hate having to do it over and over again so often.

[Bayard]

30. I love my dishwasher!

It is a recent acquisition after being without one for some 15 years. I just don't have time to wash dishes. And I never found it meditative. I clean horse stalls for that.

[Meowmee]

31. I do pretty much everything with little or often no help

I have way too much to do and I am overwhelmed. I don’t enjoy doing most of it, it is not cathartic and meditative it is at times painful, exhausting and mostly repetitive, boring and never ending. And very time consuming one of the worst parts. Anything I can do to make things easier, faster and healthier is done. Dishes get washed first by me and then washed sterilized etc. in the dishwasher for health reasons. It would be much easier living by myself. I also use paper plates as much as possible for health and other reasons.

I think there is a difference between a very wealthy person doing it by choice and just having to do it all the time for multiple family members etc.

[applegrove]

32. Absolutely there is a difference. They are keeping it a bit real insteaded

of going into useless delusions of grandeur. I'm glad they know the difference. I did not mean to belittle the real work most people have no choice to do in their lives. Clearly doing only dishes is a luxury.

[Meowmee]

33. Yes

I was not thinking you were, just pointing out the reality😹😊 I hate washing dishes 😹

[applegrove]

34. I hate cleaning. Fortunately i live alone and get away with the minimum.

[Meowmee]

43. That is the way to go😊

[marlakay]

38. I am sure those men

Have housekeepers, gardeners, drivers, cooks, assistants so that other than attending meetings that is all they do.

Dishes to them is pretty much the only chore they have given themselves and since they both have kids maybe they are trying to say something to their rich offspring.

[Meowmee]

44. Yes agree😹

[Afromania]

35. Yea, it's real nice when it's completely optional.

Not so much when it has to be done and you are the main one doing "mundane" work for 3,4,5 people every day and those dishes are piled up with all kinds of wonkadoo shit like pots, tupperware, Etc.


Oooooooooh, I do something most people have to do every day after they've cooked food for themselves, or for their family..... aren't I the most realest billionaire ever, lookit meeeeeeeeeee. I'm pretty sure neither of them are cleaning up any of the stuff that makes you hate dishes. "Oh, I wash 3 plates, 4 cups and a pair of wine glasses so I'm keeping it real".

[Meowmee]

45. 😹😹yup

[c-rational]

36. i agree that mundane tasks are a good way to learn to be mindful. Focus on the task at hand and

not the beliefs you bring to it, i.e. I am making the coffee, not why do I have to make the coffee..
Another way to view/perform any task is Work is Love Made Visible.

[applegrove]

37. That is sweet.

[Raine]

39. I love to iron

people think I’m crazy but I get satisfaction as the wrinkles disappear. Ironing gives me thinking time about all kinds of things since the ironing itself doesn't require concentration my mind is free to wander.

[Humanist_Activist]

40. What's with the wealth worshippers here? Jesus fucking Christ, we have two Union busters...

who wash dishes! How humble!

Also "titans of the universe" are you fucking kidding me?

[llmart]

49. Not only that...

but this is about two MEN who are doing the dishes and rhapsodizing about how meditative it is.

I have an idea. Let's make doing the dishes by hand an exclusively male chore for oh, let's say, a hundred years and see how meditative they think it is.

[NewJeffCT]

46. I'm kind of that way about laundry

though, my daughter is doing some because she'll be off in college in the fall.

My first home did not have a dishwasher, so I used to joke that my dishwasher model was the Jeff 32 or Jeff 33 (or however old I was a the time) because my ex-wife did 0 housework.

[NCProgressive]

47. Both started with humble roots

and I believe it is a part of their ingrained persona which they don't want to give up.

[SlogginThroughIt]

48. Absolutely unreal that we fall for this horse shit.

[pecosbob]

50. On the whole I'd rather watch a few of them beaten to death by angry mobs

That's the direction the one percent is headed.

[Siwsan]

51. Washing dishes, after I've hosted a dinner party, is my way of decompressing/unwinding

When everyone finally leaves, I pour a glass of wine, fill up the dish pan, and go into a bit of a dishwashing "zen" mode.

It can become difficult for me to keep my patience with people who repeatedly INSIST on helping, after I've told them not to bother. I once had someone, quite literally, push me away from the sink, and take over. I busied myself with other stuff, but that person will never be invited to my house, again.

[Shanti Mama]

52. For me, it's chopping veggies

I have long felt that repetitive tasks like this are meditative, and I meditate as a practice, also.