This Italian life motto about 'slowing down' changed how a Texas entrepreneur lives

Brian Luebben (@brianluebben), an entrepreneur from Texas, went to Italy and learned a particular reason that makes Europeans happier than Americans. The self-made millionaire who worked around the clock to build his business realized that true happiness lies far away from success; in fact, Luebben experienced it firsthand when he saw Italians living by a simple life motto: La dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing). He spoke about it in an Instagram reel, revealing the dramatic change it brought about in his life.

Luebben confessed that he loves making money, investing it, and building wealth, but that doesn't make him happier. He said Italians, or Europeans at large, live by the motto "La dolce far niente" and simply enjoy life to the fullest. Unlike Americans, they would religiously steal some time away from work to spend time with family and themselves. "They will literally just go disappear for hours at a time every single day, and they're going to just be with family, they're going to be sleeping, screwing, or just doing absolutely zero," he explained. At first, Luebben was confused because he grew up believing that living life is being productive all the time. "Productivity is like a swear word in Italy," he added. Moving on, the entrepreneur said that while he strongly believes that America will definitely secure a position as the top economic provider of the world, he isn't quite sure about life satisfaction there. "Italians, sure do live longer, and they sure do live happier," Luebben exclaimed.

Luebben left his high-paying corporate job at 27 to travel the world, but for the longest time, he couldn't find fulfilment in his life. In an interview with Ryan Pineda, he said that he was so used to working hard that when he suddenly took a pause and slowed down in life, he developed severe self-doubt. That's exactly what happens with most of us, and we start associating a slower life with wasting time and resources. A Rutgers-led study found that people who think that time spent on leisure activities is a waste are more likely to miss out on the genuine pleasures of life. As part of an experiment, 302 people answered what they did for Halloween, how much they enjoyed it, and their thoughts about leisure in general. The researchers found that those who believe leisure is wasteful enjoyed their Halloween less, especially because they didn't engage in fun activities that felt unproductive to them. "While work can impart meaning and a sense of purpose in life, leisure, such as time with family and friends, hobbies, and exercise, is what makes our lives happy and healthy," said lead author Gabriela Tonietto.

Meanwhile, reacting to Luebben's perspective, @britt commented, "La dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing; just simply existing is enough. I have lived in Italy for 2 years, and I just got back from another trip this year, and I’m still riding that wave of la dolce." Similarly, @mcklane.bobbitt wrote, "This is such an important reminder. Wealth means nothing if you forget to live along the way."

You can follow Brian Luebben (@brianluebben) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.

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