Laziness
Created | Updated Sep 15, 2003
Laziness
Laziness is a state of being. It can be a phase, but it can last a
lifetime.
Laziness is universal. It can be something that lasts only a short time
before inspiration and motivation take you along your way, or it could
become a way of life.
What Are The Manifestations Of Laziness?
There are two main manifestations of laziness, Apathy and Procrastination,
though they are often closely related.
Apathy
Apathy is not wanting to do anything. It's having no motivation, it's not
being bothered. Apathy is not wanting to get out of bed, or to get off of
the computer and do something different. It's not wanting to go anywhere,
it's wanting to let the world revolve around you without it bothering you
overmuch.
Procrastination
Procrastination is very closely related to Apathy. They may in fact
look almost identical in manifestations to a casual observer, but there
will be a difference. He who procrastinates usually looks (or at least
feels) more tense. There is a cloud hanging over him of a Job That Must Be
Done. Using Apathy is a way of putting off the inevitable. However, this
can often take non lazy forms of procrastination, such as excercise, odd
jobs, housework or a sudden urge to rediscover one's skills at the piano.
Forms Of Laziness
There are many types of people who practice laziness, and some that used
laziness. The major ways that they did this are listed here.
Doing Nothing
This person lets nothing interfere with his ability to do nothing. Getting
out of bed is hard work; to make it as far as the computer is doubtful. As
for getting up to make a cup of tea, pah! They can consume nothing but
online tea and be satisfied. This person will quite willingly ignore
the urge to urinate as long as it means they don't have to move. They who
have rigged up their room so that they can log on from bed have mastered
the basics, they have only the bed sores to contend with.
There are few who can afford to do absolutely nothing. Some have it thrust
upon them by circumstance, but these are not necessarily lazy people.
Laziness is a matter or choice. You have to choose to do very
little. Most people find that they cannot keep this state for a sustained
period of time.
Doing Just Enough To Get By
There are those that do do some work. Not a lot, granted, but enough to
keep food on plates and rent paid. Not a lot more mind you. These are also
the people who did the smallest amount of work at school, but managed to
get onto A-levels without breaking a sweat.
Working Hard To Ensure You Have To Do Very Little
Occasionally it becomes necessary to cover up the small amount of work you
are doing. For example, if you are paid by the hour and expected to work,
say twenty hours, make it last that long! Even if you can do it in ten,
make sure you pad out the work to as long as possible. Sometimes it is
just easier to make your current project last longer than finish it and
start a new one. Especially on a Friday afternoon.
Spending Time To Make Tasks Quicker
These people are those who want time consuming tasks to get done more
quickly. Those great inventions; toasters, microwaves, dishwashers- yes,
even computers- somewhere down the line a lazy person must have thought
'This switching on the grill is way too complicated. There must be an
easier way', or
'I can't be bothered to use a pen and paper to multiply these numbers
together, can't there be something to do it for me?'
Of course, it may have not been lazy people who actually became inspired,
made it out of their dressing gowns and went on to discover a way of
making a person balance on two wheels and triple the speed of walking. But
they would have spawned an idea that was to cut down toast making times
for millions. This person is to be thanked.
In this spot, there must be a dedication to computers. From the basic
number crunching to the Internet and the blessed h2g2, the computer has
wasted time for us in a way was never thought possible. Of course, it
makes tasks quicker and makes lives more organised. But somehow Solitaire
can always get in the way...
Those People Who In Fact Aren't Lazy, But Still Deserve A
Mention
There are people who never say they work, or appear to do any. They manage
to achieve the marks they need, but they claim never to revise and be
perfectly lazy. They are, in fact, lying. When out of the prying eyes of
their peers they work their sock off to achieve the grades they want, and,
generally, deserve.
There are some who seem to do nothing. Take Music students, for example.
While in comparison to many science based subjects they have very few
lectures, they do tend to spend inordinate amounts of time in a tiny
practive room playing a scale over and over again. They will then proceed
to a bigger room and play notes with lots of other people for even more
lengths of time. My case here; Music students may only have twelve hours
of lectures in a week, but they spend a hell of a lot more under cover,
secretly aiming to eventually get paid for their efforts
1.
Is Laziness Easy?
It may seem like laziness is an easy state of being, but in fact there are
many decisions that have to be made. It is not easy to keep apathtic at
all times, and sometimes it is simply not possible.
Boredom
This can be a problem with laziness. There is only so long you can sit and
do nothing. Thankfully there are many remidies for this. However, to be
truly lazy they must not involve excess expulsion of energy. h2g2 is, of
course, a preferred option, where you can expel virtually no energy, yet
feel that you are doing something. Some people might disagree however, as
on h2g2 you can actually achieve something. This may depend on your own
definition of laziness.
Decisions
There are many decisions that need to be taken when being lazy. However,
these may not be clear cut and and cause confusion.
For example, you are hungry. Obviously you never made it as far as getting
dressed this morning, and the only food you have takes a while and some
energy to cook. What do you do? Do you:
a) Stumble to the kitchen in your present attire, do what it takes to cook
a presentable meal, and leave the washing up for another time, or
b) Make yourself presentable enough to walk to the nearest shop and
purchase an easy cook meal of some description.
This is a tough decision to make, with arguments on both sides. It is
important that you make the decision that best suits you.
1Not all music students do this. Some are in fact just plain
lazy, never practice and get out of as many rehearsals as possible.
lazy, never practice and get out of as many rehearsals as possible.
