Where Does Laziness Come From?

[Axiom_Blade]

Are human beings naturally lazy? If so, why?
Is there some kind of evolutionary advantage to being lazy? Are the lazy ones more likely to survive and spread their genes?

I would think the answer is NO. If anything, laziness would be an evolutionary disadvantage. Why, then, is laziness so common?

 

[bjornart]

Have you seen how a pride of lions spend most of their time? What's the advantage of that?

 

[dogjones]

I use the word 'sloth' instead. Easier to type.

 

[wackyvorlon]

Personally, I think laziness is far less common than people believe. There are many things that can lead to an appearance of being lazy, without the person actually being lazy.

 

[lomiller]

Evolution favors positive energy return (Energy returned - Energy inverted) with the excess being used for reproduction. All evolutionary strategies will involve some combination of maximizing energy returns and minimizing energy investment (laziness)

 

[dogjones]

It strikes me that laziness is too nebulous a concept to pin down to natural selection. All depends on perception. "Efficiency" for some may be "laziness" for others. I am reminded of the following quote from Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance. Cugel has got a job on a ship as a worminger, tending the giant worms which propel the ship along. His supervisor, Drofo, is insanely into the job, kind of like an ambitious supermarket employee:

…said the captain. “How do you fancy your wormingers?”
"At this time neither enjoys a rating of 'excellent'," said Drofo. "Lankwiler is obtuse and somewhat sluggish. Cugel lacks experience and wastes energy preening in front of the girls. He works to an absolute minimum, and detests water with the fervor of a hydrophobic cat."
“His worms appear sound.”
Drofo gave his head a disparaging shake. "Cugel does the right things for the wrong reasons. Through sloth he neither overfeeds nor overbaits; his worms suffer little bloat. He despises the work of dealing with timp and gangue so fiercely that he obliterates its first appearance."
“In that case, his work would seem satisfactory.”
"Only to a layman! For a worminger, style and harmony of purpose are everything!"

 

[patchbunny]

I may look like I'm not doing anything, but on the cellular level I'm really quite busy.

 

[Ziggurat]

Where does laziness come from? That's like asking where darkness comes from. No, the correct question is where does effort come from.

 

[mazyloron]

Meh...I could explain exactly where it comes from, but I really just don't feel like it. That's, like, hard and stuff.

 

[I Ratant]

Don't know, and it's too hard to finger out.

 

[D'rok]

Don't know, and it's too hard to finger out.

Finger in gets better results.

 

[Piscivore]

Finger in gets better results.

No, both. In slow, steady repetition.

 

[The Man]

Well not finding the drive within myself to write something myself, I’ll just post some quotes.

Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

We seldom call anybody lazy, but such as we reckon inferior to us, and of whom we expect some service.

Bernard de Mandeville

Working hard is great, being lazy sometimes is great, but failed potential is the worst.

Campbell Scott

You can’t teach people to be lazy-either they have it, or they don’t

Dagwood Bumstead

Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things

Robert A. Heinlein

Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it.

Walter Chrysler

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

Charlie McCarthy

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired

Mortimer Caplan

 

[Axiom_Blade]

Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things

Robert A. Heinlein

I really like this one. Here's another:

I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!

 

[The Man]

Nice one

 

[Roma]

I'm not lazy, I'm just thinking.

I solve more problems by thinking and admittedly procrastinating.

Sometimes the problems just go away by themselves so by doing something I would have wasted much time and energy, maybe even creating worse problems and more work.

 

[arthwollipot]

I'm only not lazy when I'm doing something that I actually want to do.

 

[makaya325]

Carlos Lee.. who i actually have met..(He has a strong bearhug!!lol)

 

[Dancing David]

Um, the defintion of lazy is not an easy one to use.

Rhythms exist in the natural world. Day/night, seasons, rainfall. Bodies need rest and brains need whatever it is that sleep does. So why there would be variation in enebergy levels, there are many reasons.

I would say the problem is a cultural definition.

 

[zooterkin]

I'm not lazy, I'm a cunctator.