Why do billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates patiently wash dishes every night?

“I do the dishes every night. It’s the sexiest thing I do,” Jeff Bezos once shared.

In the past, when Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates were still together in their first marriages with their wives, the fact that both of them washed the dishes for their wives every night made many people see them as models of successful men in society, but still living simply, willing to support their wives with housework.

‘I do the dishes every night. It’s the sexiest thing I do,’ the Amazon boss said in a 2014 interview. ‘I do the dishes every night,’ the Microsoft co-founder revealed in the same 2014 interview.

There are also people who don’t believe it much, thinking that it’s just a share to… create sympathy and build a public image.

“I wash dishes every night. It’s the sexiest thing I do,” Jeff Bezos once shared.

In 2021, billionaire Bill Gates separated from his wife after 27 years of marriage and 3 children together. Previously, in 2019, billionaire Jeff Bezos also divorced his wife after 26 years of marriage and 4 children together.

The fact that two of the world’s richest and most famous billionaires divorced after decades of marriage, especially the fact that they always focused on spending time helping their wives… wash the dishes every night, made the world public surprised and think a lot about… washing dishes.

Why do two talented, rich, famous men who are conscious of helping their wives with housework not avoid a broken marriage? In fact, only those involved can fully understand this.

In this article, we will only look at… washing dishes. What does washing dishes really mean that makes both Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates patiently do it every night?

Washing dishes increases happiness

Although neither Bill Gates nor Jeff Bezos, the world’s two richest billionaires, have revealed much about why they wash dishes, scientific research has shown that there are many benefits to doing housework.

According to CNBC, past studies have shown that washing dishes can… reduce stress and increase creativity.

A study from the University of California found that performing simple hand movements allows the brain to relax and focus more on creativity. Meanwhile, a study from Florida State University found that the feeling of warm water and the smell of soap stimulates the brain, helping to reduce stress.

Doing housework helps billionaires relax their minds and increase happiness.

Although it may seem unbelievable, Business Insider cites research showing that daily household chores like washing dishes or doing laundry can increase our happiness levels if done correctly.

Accordingly, washing dishes is a practice of mindfulness (focusing on the present) and meditation. In one study, after just a few minutes of washing dishes, volunteers felt 27% less stressed and 25% more inspired.

This may sound crazy to super busy people who often don’t want to do housework. But research has its own logic, saying that doing housework can also be meditative, calming the mind.

That’s not the only benefit of doing the dishes regularly. Creativity experts say that the mental break from housework can lead to a creative leap.

Think back to when you had your best ideas, was it when you were buried in your desk, or was it when you were taking a shower or cleaning the house?

Obviously, washing dishes every night is not the reason why Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos became billionaires, as people often say about Bill Gates dropping out of college. However, washing dishes in particular and housework in general has its own benefits if we do it properly.

So next time you see a pile of unwashed dishes, use them to help you feel calmer and more creative.