Traits of People Sometimes Confused for Laziness

We all dislike lazy people. Not that we hate the person per se, it is the act of being slothful itself that makes us cringe with contempt. Sloth or laziness is an attribute that makes people who are afflicted by it appear as uncaring and apathetic. They may deny it, but their action (or non-action rather) allows those who see them as practically selfish. The thing is, laziness is not an inherent trait – most of the time, it is a by-product of some negative emotion or even illness.

The worse probable cause of laziness is despair – the ominous feeling of losing hope. If you are stricken by it, then you may just find yourself in danger of losing sanity as well. Get help as soon as possible. Whatever the cause, whether it is depression or fear of failure, you need to face it and beat it. If professional help is needed, get it. There is no time to procrastinate over it.

Learn about the causes of laziness and the reasons why it is seemingly pleasurable.

man-resting-after-long-journey
A Man Savors his Rest after a Long Journey
c/o Stanisław Nowak, Poznań, Poland (Ja, roweromaniak) [CC BY-SA 2.5] via Wikimedia Commons

We all love people who are passionate about life, men and women who practice zeal in their calling, and folks who show dedication at work. Here is the thing, there are those who have passion, zeal and dedication for life, vocation, and work, but some envious people apparently judge them as lazy fellows. Puzzled? That is OK. Either you belong to those who are being judged or to those who judge. My hope is that you belong to the former instead of the latter.

1. Those who are awesomely efficient (and effective)


There are 2 connotations for efficient people: one is that efficient folks finish their work easily and quickly; the other is that efficient people are those who work all day all the time. Albeit both descriptions are not synonyms for being lazy, the first one fits well as a target for being judged as harbingers of sloth.

It is unfortunate that some people praise those who do lots of work over those who get the job done. Probably, this is the reason why there is a demarcation between efficiency and effectiveness. The latter means getting the job done with the desired results, while the former is perceived as the state of being industrious at work. Yet, doing plenty of tasks does not necessarily mean getting the desired outcome for the job. Real efficiency means getting the job on time, as easily as necessary, and achieving the right output.

I find it sad that, when work is done without strain and stress even if the expected result has been reached, some people may still judge those who did it as lazy.

2. Those who are happily contented


The bottom line for any endeavor is that you are happy with it and with the effect it brings you. When you do come to this point in your life’s journey, some of your friends may still urge you to go on further. If you retort to them, “This is good for me, I’m happy with it,” they would find it unsatisfactory and judge you as lazy.

An important thing to note is that going beyond what makes you happy does not necessarily mean it is going to make you happier – it does not add up. Happiness to some may not be the same for you and vice-versa.

Say you want to buy a badly needed car (and yes, you are going to do so because of a need and not because of a material desire). However, your colleagues see you as a boffo of some sort, so they persuade you to opt for an expensive sports car (and yet they do not even know what your necessities are). What you really need is a just a vehicle for family-use and you have no intention of being a showoff whatsoever. If you mention this to your persuaders and add that you only have enough money to buy an ordinary car, they would respond by saying, “Why not work for it so you can afford it?” I hope that they don’t though, but if they do, going against their suggestion might earn this retort, “Hey, don’t be lazy. Go for the best!”

In such a case, which will you follow: your conscience or your colleagues?

3. Those who do “the easy” instead of “the difficult”


Most of us (if not all of us) tend to choose the easy way of doing stuff. We want to make things easy or easier than they already are. This tendency can be attributed to our human nature. Hey, com’ on! Who wants to play something difficult when there is an easy alternative to it? However, since time immemorial, the word “easy” has been unfairly demoted to being bad.

You may have heard of the saying...

easy-vs-right

Even if it is not verbatim, I bet you have come across this inspirational message more or less. It is a wise quote indeed, and such advice has guided many men and women in their journey towards success. However, there exists a dangerous misinterpretation when you juxtapose righteousness as against easiness.

Sometimes, (and I say “sometimes” not all the time) difficult is not always right and easy is not always wrong. Who says that the life of a robber is easy? Do you think there is no difficulty in doing all those bad stuff? Does not stealing involve hard work and careful planning? I bet a competent thief cannot be described as lazy, as he/she needs to plan and carry out lots of (unethical) tasks. So you see, not all the hard work being done in this world can be construed as righteous.

There are instances when the best way to accomplish a goal is also the easiest method. The thing is, most people will take a frown whenever the word “easy” is mentioned at work. Utmost prudence is needed when determining which is right and which is wrong. Easy is not always bad – sometimes it is the only workable option you have.

4. Those who choose to live a simple life


Living simply is an ideal most of us aspire to achieve. However, the simple life is not for everyone. Besides, if you want a simple life, you should live it now and not dream about it. Yet, not all people can enjoy a life of simplicity. If you think and feel that you cannot be content until you have surpassed the possessions and achievements of the most successful people in the world, and not doing so is mediocre, then the happiness of a simple life is not for you – more so, if you judge those who choose to live simply as just plain lazy.

Read all about why simplicity is not making you happy.

Lastly...


There is a time to stop, savor the moment, and just be happy and content with what you have already achieved. If fact, such times are few compared to the times when we are encouraged to push ourselves and go further. When such moment arrives and you are prompted to say that enough is indeed enough, and getting more is not anymore proper, then it is wise to rest and relish this moment of achievement, until another challenge comes to engage your prowess.

If you are not on such level of life yet, my wish is for you to (at least) not judge those who savor their elation as a bunch of lazy and mediocre partisans. Let them be, you too will have your day.

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