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Why Am I So Lazy?

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Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#11

Post by saulrh »

Motivational essays are this are great for some people. Others, on the other hand, are persuaded to avoid seeking help for medical (mental health, hormonal, etc) problems that are wrecking their lives. Overmedication is a problem, yes, but this particular field is catastrophically underdiagnosed because its problems have come to be seen as moral failings and the fault of the sufferer. If you are so "lazy" that you have trouble with day-to-day life, you do not need to "man up" or "reject your self-image". You need to talk to a physician. Such problems are well within their purview. Modern psychiatry has infinitely better cognitive tricks than the moralizing platitudes in motivational essays. If you're really lucky, your physician will guess two-thirds of your symptoms before you describe them, diagnose you with a particular neurochemical deficiency, and prescribe you a medication that, in the space of a week, does more to help you with your problems than you'd managed in your entire life to date.

TL;DR: You aren't qualified to condemn every "lazy" person on the planet, so quit it with the victim-blaming. Some people need this kind of advice but you aren't the person that should be giving it. Let the professionals do it, because they can, first, do no harm.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#13

Post by jholman »

pravda wrote: post #3

I'm not sure how this got here, but wow, Heather Havrilesky is still around. She wrote for Suck in the early days of the web. http://www.suck.com/fish/contributors/havrilesky/

Oh, man, I didn't even read the byline, and didn't guess that the Polly in Dear Polly is Polly Esther. Damn I miss her Suck column.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#14

Post by gizmo686 »

Buldak wrote: post #2

When I was failing classes in college, I had a conversation with a dean who suggested that I subconsciously didn't want to be there, and that I was committing academic self-sabotage as a result. This struck me as an extravagant, bizarre theory. (Cynically, I also wonder if she was trying to convince me to voluntarily leave the college so that I wouldn't ding their graduation rate.) I tend to be suspicious of this kin…

What does it mean to be "lazy"? Why are some people lazy, and others not? Why are people lazy with regards to certain things and not others?

Ignoring all of these questions and simply considering laziness to be a fundamentally characteristic is highly unsatisfying and, dare I say, lazy.

Maybe the authors explanation is wrong, but she offers a potential explanation. Your proposal is simply that 'she is lazy because she is lazy' which offers no explanatory power.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#15

Post by ajkjk »

josephpmay wrote: post #7

From the little "Sloth" wrote, it sounds like it's possible she might have undiagnosed ADHD. As someone with ADHD myself, I instantly recognized the inability to get myself to start working on something until the last minute (even if I really, really want to do it) and the piles clothes (despite my propensity for cleanliness). Another hallmark of ADHD that many don't know about is bursts of almost manic productivity…

I think that's a little extreme and reminds me of the problematic trend of giving psychiatric medication to anyone who asks for it. I mean, yes, there's a chance they 'actually have ADHD', but there's also a much higher chance they are one of the tremendous number of people who have trouble getting themselves to do things that aren't urgent. I'm on that list too. So are lots of people. Sloth sounds so incredibly normal to me.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#16

Post by taneq »

Gatsky wrote: post #5
Buldak wrote: post #2

When I was failing classes in college, I had a conversation with a dean who suggested that I subconsciously didn't want to be there, and that I was committing academic self-sabotage as a result. This struck me as an extravagant, bizarre theory. (Cynically, I also wonder if she was trying to convince me to voluntarily leave the college so that I wouldn't ding their graduation rate.) I tend to be suspicious of this kin…

So why were you failing classes in college?

Didn't want it badly enough.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#17

Post by sudosteph »

josephpmay wrote: post #7

From the little "Sloth" wrote, it sounds like it's possible she might have undiagnosed ADHD. As someone with ADHD myself, I instantly recognized the inability to get myself to start working on something until the last minute (even if I really, really want to do it) and the piles clothes (despite my propensity for cleanliness). Another hallmark of ADHD that many don't know about is bursts of almost manic productivity…

I didn't see your comment when I posted mine, but that was my take as well (another ADHD person here). I hope she doesn't though, because if so she will be terribly disappointed in herself when she loses enthusiasm and is back to square one 2 weeks later. She's already beating herself over what she perceives as a flaw of laziness (despite being educated, employed and mostly functional).

At a point the bigger problem with adult ADHD is how much you end up beating yourself up. It's a good thing to try to keep yourself honest and accountable for your actions as an adult, but when your brain just doesn't cooperate you need to learn to forgive yourself and depend on external systems where possible. I dont think this advice will help much with that.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#18

Post by dweekly »

smallnamespace wrote: post #9

'I divide my officers into four groups. There are clever, diligent, stupid, and lazy officers. Usually two characteristics are combined. Some are clever and diligent -- their place is the General Staff. The next lot are stupid and lazy -- they make up 90 percent of every army and are suited to routine duties. Anyone who is both clever and lazy is qualified for the highest leadership duties, because he possesses the i…

"I drink wine...and know things."

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#19

Post by Someone1234 »

josephpmay wrote: post #7

From the little "Sloth" wrote, it sounds like it's possible she might have undiagnosed ADHD. As someone with ADHD myself, I instantly recognized the inability to get myself to start working on something until the last minute (even if I really, really want to do it) and the piles clothes (despite my propensity for cleanliness). Another hallmark of ADHD that many don't know about is bursts of almost manic productivity…

> I instantly recognized the inability to get myself to start working on something until the last minute (even if I really, really want to do it) and the piles clothes (despite my propensity for cleanliness). Another hallmark of ADHD that many don't know about is bursts of almost manic productivity for random tasks or when under extreme pressure.

This also describes a lot of people's normal behavior. I don't have ADHD and do everything you describe and my wife does too.

Re: Why Am I So Lazy?

#20

Post by [deleted] »

Buldak wrote: post #2

When I was failing classes in college, I had a conversation with a dean who suggested that I subconsciously didn't want to be there, and that I was committing academic self-sabotage as a result. This struck me as an extravagant, bizarre theory. (Cynically, I also wonder if she was trying to convince me to voluntarily leave the college so that I wouldn't ding their graduation rate.) I tend to be suspicious of this kin…

[deleted]
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