Essay Sample about Laziness: Villain or Hero?

If one types into their search engine the rather benign phrase “laziness quotes”, they will be beleaguered by words of wisdom from Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, and long-dead authors about the “evil of laziness.” Moreover, there are thousands of blogs and opinion pages with titles “How to Not Be Lazy”, “The Secret to Success,” and even the obligatory “Everyday Life Hacks” that declare the same idea. It’s this common belief that drives author Elliot Kukla up the metaphorical wall. In his essay, “The Most Valuable Thing I Can Teach My Kids Is How to Be Lazy,” he ascertains through his personal experience, historical examples, and current trends, that laziness is not only not evil, but a necessity for surviving the modern world. 

Kulka, a father who suffers from an illness that causes chronic fatigue, has realized that his willingness to rest when his body needs it is a value that he wants his child to have. He claims that in a world with so many hardships and a culture that promotes “the grind,” laziness is not the evil that so many claim it to be. He goes so far as to applaud the younger generations, who are finding their own worth and values in the midst of this Great Resignation and are no longer willing to put up with the unyielding work environments they have been pushed into. 

American culture, Kulka knows, will cry in outrage at this newfound readiness to be lazy. The “American Dream” relies fully on the belief in a monochronic lifestyle that accredits all success to constant productiveness. This ideology indirectly perpetuates social issues like racism, classism, and ableism by labeling those who are unable to work at the pace of the masses as indolent. Kulka supports this by pointing out his own fear of the high standards of productivity set for workers. Those that cannot keep up are labeled disposable, and those that can become exploited in a never-ending capitalist cycle.

Laziness, which finds its roots in words that mean “weak” or “evil,” is not the villain in humanity's story. Kulka gives light to what he believes laziness truly is when he states that "it’s also the enjoyment of lazing in the sun, or in another’s arms.” This, he declares, is what he wants his child to gain from laziness. Even when the pandemic is done and gone, the world will still be warming and injustice will persist. To survive these crises, laziness and self-care must be destigmatized. The opportunity to rest and laze should be neither a luxury nor a privilege, but a right. 

Kulka aptly describes both his hopes for the future and the reality of today when he quotes Tricia Hersey, an activist who says that “Rest is a radical vision for a liberated future.” He is honored to pass this ideology to the next generation. He sees the way that his own child has embraced laziness, finding joy in recuperation and experiencing the world, and believes that he has done the right thing. Where there seems only to be urgency, crisis, and exploitation, perhaps laziness is the key to the future.