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Need a reprieve? Just water a brick

A brick may not have much of a future, but at least it is not weighed down by the pressure to become a better version of itself

A brick may not have much of a future, but at least it is not weighed down by the pressure to become a better version of itself.

2 min read Oct 29, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Oct 29, 2026 at 06:15 AM IST

In 1930, in his essay, “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”, John Maynard Keynes predicted that, by the time his grandchildren came of age, they would be working a mere 15 hours a week. The rest would go in the contemplation of “how to live wisely and agreeably and well”. Keynes had not reckoned with performance targets, LinkedIn, or the need to turn every passing interest into a revenue stream. In China, where marriage rates are dwindling and birth rates have fallen to never-before lows, some young adults have found a rather more modest solution to the tyranny of ambition: A brick.…