Does everyone really have the same 24 hours?
I think most of us have heard or even used the phrase “We all have the same 24 hours.” If you, however, have not, I would define it as a phrase that is used to encourage or shame people for not doing things that are considered healthy for a person, like going to the gym, picking up a hobby, or eating at home-cooked meals. Under the assumption that the person is choosing not to do so or doesn't consider it a high-enough priority to spend time on, because they are lazy or don’t plan ahead.
Firstly, I think that the phrase and way of thinking come from an incredibly privileged point of view and don’t take into consideration the fact that the same choice can be much harder for other people since some people have more time-consuming responsibilities than others, which gives them less disposable time and energy. For example, a single parent with a full-time job doesn’t have as much time for themselves to do as they choose, as a child-free, 40-something-year-old who retired early. One of them can most likely go to the gym everyday guilt-free, while the other has the restrictions of a work schedule and a child's needs to consider.
One of the things that, in my opinion, most affects the amount of free time that someone has on their hands is, of course, money. One of the few popular sayings that are actually true happens to be “Time is money”. It also works in reverse, making it so that the more money someone has, the less of their own time they need to use for “inconveniences”, like washing the dishes, watching their small child, sweeping the floor, or cooking. All things that you can hire someone to do for you, if you can afford it, of course.
There are many other reasons why doing something that others do with ease can be hard for some people. Many people with disabilities struggle with exercise, because of whatever limitations they have. While you may buy all your food from the farmers market, it would be much harder to do for someone who lives in a place that doesn’t have one, so the area or country that someone lives in also has an impact on the choices people make.
Some people think that it’s still a matter of priority and that if a person wanted to do something enough, they would. Which is partially true. But staying in shape or eating organic food can come with huge sacrifices to a person and it’s not fair to imply that someone prioritizing sleeping or taking care of their child, means that they don’t have the right priorities. That only leads to these people wearing themselves out by trying to bite more than they can chew. And that wouldn’t just affect the person, but the people around them and the public, too. For example, if someone exercises, on top of their other responsibilities, leading to them not getting enough sleep, it could be considered an issue of public safety, if they were to drive their child to school, as driving while exhausted can be as dangerous as driving under influence of alcohol.
In conclusion, I consider using the phrase ignorant, as well as rude. Because it ignores the sometimes-unimaginable differences between people and people’s lives and reduces the unique circumstances of an individual's life, to that individual's own choices.
