How Many Holes in a Chair? Rethinking How We Use Our Time and Tools

A question that got a million views

Dr. Shafeeq Ahmed

On 25 October 2026, a post on X challenged an AI assistant: "If you're really the best AI, count exactly how many holes are there in this chair." It came with a photo of a perforated metal seat in a waiting area. Within hours it had more than a million views.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of fun. Curiosity is human, and play has its place. But the same day, the world was dealing with wars, displacement, economic hardship and climate disasters. Millions of people needed information, help and attention. The contrast leaves an uncomfortable question: what are we doing with the remarkable tools, time and attention we have been given?

The hidden cost of "harmless" scrolling

Every query to an AI system uses electricity, water to cool data centers, and computing power. One silly question costs very little. A million people watching, replying and copying it adds up to a real environmental and economic cost.

Machines are not the biggest cost, though. People are. A million views means a million moments of human attention that could have gone to learning, reflecting, connecting, helping or simply resting properly. Attention is one of the most valuable resources we have, and it is also the one we give away most easily.

Abundance creates responsibility

Never before have so many people had so much power at their fingertips. A smartphone today can translate languages, teach skills, find medical guidance, connect donors with people in need, and expose injustice. With this much ability, wasting it is less excusable.

Nearly every ethical tradition agrees that a gift comes with an obligation. Philosophers call it stewardship, economists call it opportunity cost, and many faiths call it trust.

Accountability in Islamic teaching

Islam frames this idea through Amanah, meaning trust, and Hisab, meaning accountability. In this view, life, time, health, wealth and knowledge are not truly owned. They are entrusted to us, and we will be asked how we used them.

A well-known saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) puts it plainly. On the Day of Judgement, no one will move until they are asked about:

• their life, and how they spent it;

• their youth, and how they used it;

• their wealth, how they earned it and how they spent it;

• their knowledge, and what they did with it.

(Reported by al-Tirmidhi)

Another saying warns: "There are two blessings that many people are cheated out of: good health and free time" (Sahih al-Bukhari). Both are taken for granted until they are gone.

The Qur'an adds, "Then on that Day you will surely be asked about the pleasures you enjoyed" (102:8). This does not forbid enjoyment. It is a reminder that even enjoyment is part of the account.

A short chapter, Surah al-Asr, sums it up: by time, humanity is in loss, except those who believe, do good, and encourage one another to truth and patience. Time is the currency, and wasting it is the loss.

Islam also condemns Israf, meaning extravagance and waste, even in permitted things. The Qur'an says: "Eat and drink, but do not waste; indeed, He does not love the wasteful" (7:31). The principle applies to water, food, money, energy and, today, digital resources too.

The principle is universal

You don't need to be religious to see the point. Stoic thinkers warned that we guard our money closely but give away our time freely. Environmental ethics teaches that resources are borrowed from future generations. Any good manager knows that what you pay attention to is what grows. Different traditions say the same thing: use what you have been given wisely, because someone, whether God, history, your children or your own conscience, will ask.

Optimum use in practice

• Ask better questions. Use AI and search to learn a skill, understand an issue, check a claim or solve a real problem.

• Spend attention on purpose. Before opening an app, ask what you are there for. Close it when you have done it.

• Amplify what matters. Share verified information, credible relief efforts and voices that need to be heard, not content made only for engagement.

• Respect hidden costs. Digital activity uses real energy and water. Moderation is an environmental virtue.

• Make room for real rest. Rest that restores you is not waste. Endless scrolling that drains you is.

• Review your day. Each evening, ask: where did my time go, and would I be comfortable explaining it?

Final reflection

Nobody will remember how many holes were in that chair. But the hours, attention and energy spent on it are gone for good.

The question is not whether we are allowed to have fun. It is whether we are spending our lives in a way we will be glad to answer for. A blessing used well grows, and a blessing wasted is a loss.

Use time wisely. It is the one resource you can never get back.