Price Devon: Kada lenjost nije lenjost

Devon Price: When laziness is not laziness

What is laziness and what is it not? Is work really a central part of our identity? Why is hard work rewarded, and the very need for rest is considered a shame? What is the lie about laziness, and why does it encourage us to strive for impossible levels of productivity and make us work until we're sick? Why is the word "laziness" almost always used with an undertone of moral condemnation and reproach, even though morally condemning the word "laziness" itself means ignoring the reasons and condemning any minor work performance or engagement, any need for rest, etc.  Is what we call "laziness" often a strong instinct for self-preservation?

The author, Devon Price, a social psychologist, in the book does not deal with unreasonable idleness and laziness as a way of life, but coined the term Laziness Lie, denoting the entrenched belief system that hard work is morally superior to rest, even though rest and relaxation are normal human needs and not evidence of laziness. When we label people as lazy, we lose sight of the obstacles and problems these people may be facing that we don't see or recognize. For example, people can be less productive if they are depressed or apathetic, i.e. sick, due to poor organization of work, if they are procrastinators, if they do multiple jobs, and we often dismiss them lightly as "lazy" when, in fact, they are exhausted to the limit.

Price claims that tired and exhausted people do not struggle with laziness but with survival in a demanding workaholic culture that equates human value with the number of hours worked and defends basic human needs such as the need for vacation. The author also deals with popular media that promote the view that our achievements and productivity determine our worth, deals with burnout at work, constant availability to employers that prevents us from free time, deals with the vicious circle of mixing private and business life and claims that our right to "laze" opens up space for us to play, creativity, relax and recover.

WHY YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND PRODUCTIVITY ARE NOT YOURS TOO VALUE?

• ● How do popular media, work from home, burnout at work and constant availability to employers really make it impossible for us to have free time?
• ● How do we fight the vicious circle of mixing private and business life?
• ● How does our right to be "lazy" open up space for us to play, be creative, relax and recover?
• ● Why don't we recognize that people we call lazy are actually lazy bravely face invisible obstacles and problems?