The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: arebelspy on September 19, 2013, 03:49:32 PM
-
Curious if you would self identify as lazy, or not, and what generational demographic you consider yourself in.
Whatever those terms mean to you.
-
yes I am lazy, I want my money to work for me and not the other way around.
-
I would say I'm lazy, but paradoxically very motivated to do very un-lazy things in pursuit of the freedom to be as lazy as I want.
-
Unfortunately, I am not lazy to the degree that I have a difficult time relaxing and not "getting anything done." For me the challenge is to allow myself to not do anything and just be.
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
Yeah, I've always taken them to be one and the same. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
I'm not sure what you mean---you do know that "tech" has been around for a while, right?
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
Gen Y = Millennial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennial_Generation
-
They did not used to be the same, about 8 years ago or so there was a distinction between Gen Y and Millennial. Over the past few years they have come to be synonymous, and please consider them so for the purposes of this poll.
-
I guess I'd consider myself lazy, but I think if I needed to I could do more. My laziness really peaks when I become disinterested in something.
-
I suppose I consider myself lazy. I'm working a full-time corporate job right now so that I can afford to let my inner lazy person express itself more fully in the not-too-distant future.
-
I work 10 hours a day in the military, after my work day I go to school for 4 hours a night. In between, I accomplish little to nothing. I used to be able to sit down and just play video games all the time(I'm 28). At 27 it started to get harder and harder to just sit somewhere and play video games, now it's hard to sit somewhere and watch TV. I always feel like I should be doing something more or at the very least, something. Which is harder and harder to do if I try to save money.
I am lazy, but by U.S. standards, I don't think so.
-
I'm really not that la
-
This is interesting. I am lazy in that I do not work harder than I have to, but I do work hard. And definitely as hard as I need to in order to become successful.
But I do not go above and beyond. And when I do - well, then it's because I'm feeling passionate about it, and then it doesn't feel like work! ;)
-
Gen Y and lazy. My goal is to do the least amount of work possible to accumulate cash, retire young, and spend most of my life doing whatever I feel like. I used to be a lot harder working when I was first getting started in life(hand-weeding fields on an organic farm as a teen, etc), but as time passes I get less and less willing to bust my butt.
-
I was born in 1979 so could go either Gen X or Gen Y. I chose Gen X. I have older siblings who really influenced me during my younger years. But I really do feel that I am a part of both X/Y.
I don't normally consider myself lazy, but when I chat with my siblings I kind of do. My sister is a high school math teacher, has three kids in middle school and high school (all in afterschool sports and music programs), runs a goat farm, co-chairs a 4-H program, and also helps out with a lot of events at her church. (Just typing that out makes me dizzy.)
My brother lives a busy life, but urban style.
If they are happy, I'm happy for them. I really just can't be like that. I try to focus on a handful of things that matter to me...and that's it.
-
Gen Y (although identifying with a "generation" as if everyone born in the last 25 years is alike seems pointless) and the farthest thing from lazy. I work lots. Work is good.
-
I don't know.
I mean, I could be doing way more than I am, but I have less motivation to work hard these days. I have a lot of autonomy in the form of savings/income. It did take a lot of effort to get here.
I was thinking about this today because I find that I have lost a bit of motivation on the FI front. I've reached many of the goals I've set and I have no sense of urgency driving anything anymore. The motivation has to come from a different place now and I'm still sorting that out.
-
This all really raises (but does not beg) the question of what lazy really is. I'm sure there are a couple of different perspectives on what is lazy, what is merely rational avoidance of excessive effort, what is slowing down now that you don't need to prove yourself, etc.
-
I feel like I'm lazy because although I'm very smart & capable, I basically do the bare minimum to get by in most areas of my life. I don't think it's my generation causing it though, my mom is basically the same & I just learned it from her. It comes and goes. I also feel like I'm in a bit of rut lately so that's not helping.
-
I was born in 1980 and identify with Gen X- I think it has something to do with Reality Bites or Douglas Coupland being a part of my life. I voted non-lazy in the overall context of making my life what I want it to be. I work hard when I'm in the office and I'm ambitious. I am interested in improving my health and my home and I take steps to do that. But I LOVE being laaaazy. Like how I'm laying on the couch watching Project Runway right now and IT IS AWESOME.
-
This all really raises (but does not beg) the question of what lazy really is. I'm sure there are a couple of different perspectives on what is lazy, what is merely rational avoidance of excessive effort, what is slowing down now that you don't need to prove yourself, etc.
+1
I work my ass off for things that I value highly, but would be called lazy by the standard of how hard I work at what everybody else thinks I should value (schoolwork, when I had it, is the first thing that comes to mind).
Gen Y, whatever the hell that means, and not lazy was my vote FWIW.
-
I struggled with whether I'm lazy or not. I work very hard at things I think are important, but I put minimal effort into things I don't consider important.
That's not lazy; that's efficient.
I've always described myself as efficient, not lazy. I do as little work as possible to accomplish a necessary objective.
-
Gen X'er and I'm not lazy...
I try to be efficient and have perfected the art of procrastination.
-
This all really raises (but does not beg) the question of what lazy really is. I'm sure there are a couple of different perspectives on what is lazy, what is merely rational avoidance of excessive effort, what is slowing down now that you don't need to prove yourself, etc.
+1
I work my ass off for things that I value highly, but would be called lazy by the standard of how hard I work at what everybody else thinks I should value (schoolwork, when I had it, is the first thing that comes to mind).
Gen Y, whatever the hell that means, and not lazy was my vote FWIW.
Lazy can have a broad definition. I agree; the amount of effort I put in is based on the reward. In a highly unionized, completely seniority driven work environment I put in a moderate effort that assures I won't get in trouble. In my rental business where effort = profit, I bust my ass. Am I lazy? I don't think so. Would some people disagree? Probably.
-
Gen X'er here. Type A - way overachiever. I don't do things if I can't do them 110%. period. I love to study something until I know it well. Sometimes I do plunge in ahead of my knowledge intake however and that can get me into trouble. My DH is opposite, he is my balance. He's bright and thoughtful but doesn't like to work hard unless it is necessary.
-
I'm really not that la
this is very funny :)
-
I struggled with whether I'm lazy or not. I work very hard at things I think are important, but I put minimal effort into things I don't consider important.
That's not lazy; that's efficient.
I've always described myself as efficient, not lazy. I do as little work as possible to accomplish a necessary objective.
That's how I see it, sure, but then I wonder whether people who I think of as lazy just have a less expansive view of what constitutes a "necessary objective."
-
I'm really not that la
Thanks for the laugh :-)
-
All of mankind's greatest inventions has been with one underlying goal.
How can I be more lazy.
Ah, I don't want to chop firewood, lets burn oils and gas.
You know walking up steps is a bear. Lets have the steps move for us.
-
All of mankind's greatest inventions has been with one underlying goal.
How can I be more lazy.
Ah, I don't want to chop firewood, lets burn oils and gas.
You know walking up steps is a bear. Lets have the steps move for us.
Except that most of those are self-defeating, as you then have to work harder - either working out, or earning money to pay for the high-priced oil, not to mention the medical bills that result from all the diseases of inactivity.
Me, I spent half an hour this morning splitting wood, thus killing three birds with one axe: got exercise, avoided having to buy high-priced heating oil, and cleaned up the dead tree.
-
All of mankind's greatest inventions has been with one underlying goal.
How can I be more lazy.
Ah, I don't want to chop firewood, lets burn oils and gas.
You know walking up steps is a bear. Lets have the steps move for us.
I call that efficiency. :)
-
Gen Y and lazy! I am a great believer in the Pareto principle and constnatly trying to figure out loopholes and shortcuts. The whole point of mustachianism for me is to be able to sit on my bum for weeks at a time doing "niks f*kol" (effing nothing).
-
I prefer the term "efficient". I was born in 1977, so either the tail end of X or the beginning of Y - never sure which I fit into.
-
Gen X and lazy.
That said, I'm ambitious and I work smart to achieve what I want to achieve. I agree w/ previous posters, that I am always looking for ways to make my life more efficient ... so I can be lazy for an hour or two per day, reading / internet surfing / watching TV. If I don't have an hour to myself each day, I feel stretched too thin. When it's a choice between reading a good book or going to the gym, I will choose the book 9 times out of 10.
-
Non-lazy Gen X.
The question, what is lazy? It's sort of like calling someone attention deficit. I know some who say they're ADD. To me that's just an excuse for not wanting to talk about or do uninteresting things. The same with laziness! It's not being lazy, it's just that some people would rather not choose to work their life's in a cube or do a mundane job.
Lazy is not wanting to pick up after yourself, or take care of yourself. I don't consider people lazy who do not want to work for a living and just enjoy life. We weren't meant to work 40 hrs a week inside a box for someone else. Not wanting to do that isn't lazy, it's not wanted to be owned by a corporation or a slave to debt. We are pro-leisure, but will work our butts off to attain that. It's not lazy to strive for a life of leisure.
-
I'm really not that la
Ha! Nice.
-
I'm lazy in the sense that I'm not very good at forcing myself to do things that I'm not intrinsically motivated to do. I work pretty hard on the stuff that I'm motivated to do though, and it doesn't feel like effort. But... doesn't that describe everyone?
Lazy feels more like a judgement that anything else. You're lazy because you don't work hard at the things I think you should work hard at. Then people that self describe as lazy are just the folks that have been called lazy many times in their life and just take back the term for themselves.
-
I'm Gen Y and TBH find myself to be pretty lazy. I doubt those around me would characterize me as lazy (as I somehow get a lot done, am ontop of everything, am pretty successful). But, the reality is that I spend the majority of every day screwing off. Seriously, I work very hard for say 3 hours a day on average, and the rest of the time fritter the time away, but somehow I get all I need done plus some (and I don't exactly have a job that's considered easy, we do a lot of home projects, have a child, etc).
I have spent a great deal of time feeling guilty about this and trying to figure out if I'm just super efficient or everyone else lies about how much they actually work/get done. I'm still not sure, but suspect it's generally a combination.
-
Then people that self describe as lazy are just the folks that have been called lazy many times in their life and just take back the term for themselves.
I disagree. I cannot recall ever being called lazy by someone else in my life. I self-identify as lazy, b/c if I'm being honest, I meet the definition. I take the easiest path to getting things done, I try to avoid work, I like to lie around as much as possible. I don't work that hard and my life is pretty cushy.
-
"It is common for animals (even those like hummingbirds that have high energy needs) to forage for food until satiated, and then spend most of their time doing nothing, or at least nothing in particular.... Extremely efficient predators have more free time and thus often appear more lazy than relatively inept predators that have little free time."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laziness
I wonder whether increased productivity makes us happier than doing less once FI is reached. Then there is the whole guilt thing about being lazy. And, for what it is worth Emilyngh, I work hard less than three hours a day on average and I get a lot done.
-
Gen X, not lazy. I mean, there's plenty of stuff I could be doing right now, but I'm sitting here at the computer reading message boards.
But, I'm raising three kids, cooking dinner at home (really gourmet stuff, too), keeping the house livable, and the finances running smoothly, with a smattering of at-home contract work and time consuming hobbies thrown in to the mix. In my previous life as a type A career driven DINK, I probably would have considered my current self a little bit lazy. I've gotten better at figuring out what's really important in life. Being busy all the time is overrated and working for pennies to make someone else's bottom line bigger isn't the best use of my time.
-
I find this very interesting. I am Gen Y (1983) and I am absolutely not lazy. I want to be financially independent, not because I don't want to work, but because the work that I want to do doesn't pay very well. Or perhaps more accurately, I don't want to NEED to be paid for the work I want to do. I want to be free to pursue my interests as I choose and work on my own schedule. I actually feel much lazier on a day that I go to work and sit at a computer for 6 hours than I do when I'm on vacation. I love hiking, biking, canoeing, gardening, woodworking, carpentry, teaching, learning, reading, cooking. I want to spend my time on the things I care about, and much of what I care about are things that other people call "work".
-
This all really raises (but does not beg) the question of what lazy really is. I'm sure there are a couple of different perspectives on what is lazy, what is merely rational avoidance of excessive effort, what is slowing down now that you don't need to prove yourself, etc.
+1
I work my ass off for things that I value highly, but would be called lazy by the standard of how hard I work at what everybody else thinks I should value (schoolwork, when I had it, is the first thing that comes to mind).
Boomer here. But this. +1.
This reminded me of a Larry Wall quote:
"We will encourage you to develop the three great virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris." -- Larry Wall, ProgrammingPerl (1st edition).
-
Depends how one defines lazy... I'm not lazy at all at work (ca 50 h per week), but outside that I'm content at doing almost nothing for long stretches of time (sleep till 11, read books, browse internet etc).
-
gen y and lazy. websters should have a picture of my face. hell i can't even be bothered to use caps when i type most of the time lol.
i am all about the most amount of work with the least amount of effort, i avoid work if at all possible, if there is an elevator i'm taking it, i hate moving in general, i have no goals bc it would take work to meet them. lol. i just kind of exist, and i dig it man.
-
I put Gen Y and lazy.
Maybe once I forage/grow 51% or more of my own food I'll identify with the other side. :)
-
gen y and lazy. websters should have a picture of my face. hell i can't even be bothered to use caps when i type most of the time lol.
i am all about the most amount of work with the least amount of effort, i avoid work if at all possible, if there is an elevator i'm taking it, i hate moving in general, i have no goals bc it would take work to meet them. lol. i just kind of exist, and i dig it man.
Very zen, like lichens. Or moss on a shady tree.
-
I consider myself Gen Y and lazy.
My definition of laziness is choosing a lower-effort behaviour over a higher-effort behaviour because the short-term returns are better for choosing lower-effort. This is despite the fact that high effort in my experience correlates very well with higher rewards in the medium to long term.
A person who is lazy chooses the lower-effort approach more often than they perceive that they should. This is subjective for a reason. If a person honestly believes that the low-effort approach gives them the greatest return overall, they are not lazy, but efficient. Why would any person exert more effort than is necessary to achieve a given goal?
For analogy, consider taking out a pile of waste cardboard and putting it in a bin outside. It is not lazy to pile it up until it is about the load one could take in a single trip, and then to take it all at once - it is efficient batching. It is definitely silly to take a pile of cardboard to the bin one item at a time!
Lazy is choosing to let the pile grow until you trip over it, but still put it off because you allow the short-term reward (not having to do anything) to outweigh the more substantial long-term cost (worrying about the pile every time you see it / risk of tripping over it / a much bigger task to be done later).
Unfortunately, by that definition, I am lazy. I often choose behaviours that have a small short-term reward in exchange for a far more substantial long-term cost. Thankfully, and largely due to my involvement (lurking) in the personal finance scene this year, I can exclude finances from my list of 'stuff I am lazy about'. I no longer accrue fees for late returns of library books, or late payments of bills, for example.
I am making progress on choosing not to be lazy about my physical health and fitness. I am exercising regularly. I am making progress on eating healthily and well.
However, there are a lot of tasks I am lazy about. I am currently avoiding doing an assignment due later this week. I am also avoiding practicing the piano, doing writing exercises, and working on a website I own - all things that I know I should be doing, and which when engaged in, I enjoy greatly and experience 'flow'.
Yep. I'm incredibly lazy.
-
Tail end of baby boom. Not lazy, but procrastination can be a problem. I kind of have to achieve a certain level of anxiety before I start cranking up to peak potential. Maybe that's why I came to personal finance rather late, but have embraced mustachianism almost like a religion.
-
I often say that I am lazy, but my actions belie that statement, so I voted "Gen Y, not lazy." I am big into the Cult of Done, and when given an assignment or noticing that something needs doing, I just do it. It is the opposite of perfectionism and procrastination and an attitude has served me well for more than 10 years.
When I first started college, I told myself bullshit things like "I do my best work under pressure" but then discovered that I preferred the feeling of getting my work done before everyone else. It felt awesome to sit in a class of people who were all freaking out about the paper or project, while I sat there thinking "It's already done, I have a week to proofread and edit, but I could turn it in just as it is" so then I'd have time to do what I wanted to do. Getting things done and out of the way frees me up to do what I want and think about what I want (be "lazy" and relax by reading, watching movies, going on walks, going to the gym, etc.).
-
Agreed, rubybeth, there's nothing like the feeling that things are under control. I learned time management by having kids -- I'd better get my tasks done NOW, 'cause chances are good that something will come up to prevent their getting done later. However, now that the kids are way more independent, I find the old tendencies are not as thoroughly vanquished as I had thought ...
-
Don't worry fellow lazy people, we are in good company-
http://libcom.org/files/Bertrand%20Russell%20-%20In%20Praise%20of%20Idleness.pdf
Best,
Mr. PoP
-
Gen Y and I think I'm lazy.
I used to be very not lazy. I put 100% effort into whatever I was doing and was constantly going going going. I was always getting stuff done. I never sat down to relax. The.dishes.must.get.done.now.This.house.is.a.mess. I was stressed. My relationship suffered because I didn't spend time with my SO.
Now I think I'm lazy. Other people don't think so. I am not good at self-managing. I procrastinate too much. Now I try to spend time with loved ones and enjoy life more. I don't sweat the small stuff. I just want to spend my time doing what makes me happy or benefits me and my loved ones. I want to do things I believe in. I don't lke working. I sit at my desk 40hr/wk but I'm not motivated and my manager doesn't manage me so I just sit here. I feel like I'm wasting their money... :/ which makes me feel guilty and lazy. I am very good at researching, making lists, weighing pros & cons, making great goals and planning how to reach them. But my follow through is where I fail. If I do start a med-long term goal I lose momentum quickly. Usually when I look at my to-do list I just would rather crawl up in bed and read or sleep.
Sometimes I wonder if my laziness is due to 8 hours of blah to start my day.
Or maybe my diet.
Or maybe I actually suffer from depression?
Not really sure.
Maybe I'm not lazy (I don't sit and watch TV or do "nothing" often). Maybe I'm just uninterested / unproductive (in the eyes of society)
-
Given the number of scientists and engineers here, I'm pretty sure lost of us are lazy like this:
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/is_it_worth_the_time.png)
http://xkcd.com/1205/
-
Depends on your time frame. Over the last 20 years, no way would you call me lazy. Over the last 6 months? You might call me lazy. I've got short timer's disease and I am admittedly coasting to the finish line. Sue me. The amount of crazy hours and stress over the last 20 years more than makes up for a bit of coasting.
Gen X, for the record.
-
Depends on your time frame. Over the last 20 years, no way would you call me lazy. Over the last 6 months? You might call me lazy. I've got short timer's disease and I am admittedly coasting to the finish line. Sue me. The amount of crazy hours and stress over the last 20 years more than makes up for a bit of coasting.
Gen X, for the record.
Theres no shame in a little coasting. I say good for you; enjoy the ride to the finish line.
-
Now I think I'm lazy. Other people don't think so. I am not good at self-managing. I procrastinate too much. Now I try to spend time with loved ones and enjoy life more. I don't sweat the small stuff. I just want to spend my time doing what makes me happy or benefits me and my loved ones. I want to do things I believe in. I don't lke working. I sit at my desk 40hr/wk but I'm not motivated and my manager doesn't manage me so I just sit here. I feel like I'm wasting their money... :/ which makes me feel guilty and lazy. I am very good at researching, making lists, weighing pros & cons, making great goals and planning how to reach them. But my follow through is where I fail. If I do start a med-long term goal I lose momentum quickly. Usually when I look at my to-do list I just would rather crawl up in bed and read or sleep.
Sometimes I wonder if my laziness is due to 8 hours of blah to start my day.
Or maybe my diet.
Or maybe I actually suffer from depression?
Are you me?
I know everything I ought to do, have a billion lists, and panic every time I think about not having done the things yet. Dozens of half finished projects, interest lost somewhere along the way. But when I think about the effort required to finish them, I shrink back and do something easier.
The last job I had was an utter nightmare, and nearly convinced my hypochondriac self I was bipolar. I'd be energetic when I was stuck at work and couldn't do anything that interested me, despite having nothing to do, and too tired when I got home to do the things that excited me during the day. Made me feel lazy as hell, even though with the commute I was doing 11-12 hours a day. Now that I have a more interesting and rewarding job, I'm a lot more psychologically balanced - although I still feel lazy for not working all the hours available to me, despite desperately needing the money. I'm not sure what the end goal of that would be, though - Literally spending every waking moment on that project? And yet I think I'll feel lazy to some degree until I do that, just because the possibility is there. Even though to do so would likely decrease the quality of work and cost my client money.
I procrastinate too much even now. Once I get into a groove, I can work hard, but then I distract myself before I can even get started. And feeling lazy, and guilty for being lazy, just makes everything worse - makes you want to hide and hope it all goes away. The benefit of whatever you're doing gets separated from the action of doing it, and so you're just slogging through powered by guilt and despair. It kinda sucks.
On the other hand, biking everywhere in a car-centric city isn't lazy. constant striving for self-improvement isn't lazy. I feel like my perspective might be a little warped. It's a weird and touchy question for me.
Gen Y, for what it's worth.
-
I'm a millenial. I for sure would tell you I'm lazy. My husband and my boss would both disagree. I'm pretty sure if I could just focus and buckle down at work I would be an unstoppable powerhouse, but even in a job I like it's rare that the planets align so that I can really work *hard* for 8 hours. BUT, I usually work smart, and I'm clearly exceeding expectations, so make of that what you will.
-
I was gonna vote, but
-
I would say I'm lazy, but paradoxically very motivated to do very un-lazy things in pursuit of the freedom to be as lazy as I want.
Thanks for putting what I wanted into words, Eva. I put "gen Y and not lazy", but Eva's statement is more accurate. I will get up at 6AM and bike to work for a relatively few years in order to be able to sleep till 11AM for a larger portion of my life. Ditto bringing my lunch and the million other little labor-intensive trade-offs.
-
Gen Y. I can't sit still for very long without finding something to do. Likewise when I see someone do something lazy, cut a corner, etc. I sort of irrationally label them a dirt bag.
I blame more than a decade in the military.
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
It's funny, I'm 27 and I don't feel millennial at all. I feel like the last generation of kids raised in an era before the internet, terrorists and pedophiles existed in the public consciousness. For me, technology didn't really become a part of my life until I was well into highschool.
-
I would say I'm lazy, but paradoxically very motivated to do very un-lazy things in pursuit of the freedom to be as lazy as I want.
+1
I am so lazy I have been known to work straight through for 40 hours or more to build an automated process I can do at the push of a button rather than have to keep wasting time doing it manually. Somehow my bosses don't understand that laziness is my primary driver for this and get the idea that I'm a hard worker.
-
I am late Generation X and I am very much not lazy. In fact, I would say I work harder than probably about 95% of people because I have goals that I want to reach and I know that hard work is the only way I will get to them. Even when I eventually FIRE, it won't be so I can lay around watching YouTube videos. I want to do other things that are meaningful to me but not productive monetarily.
-
I was gonna vote, but
I was going to do this same bit.... but just didn't get around to it in time:)
Are 3 similar jokes too many? Maybe I'll start a poll to find out :)
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
Isn't Gen Y = Millenial?
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
Isn't Gen Y = Millenial?
Yes. There was a distinction around 12 years ago, but they have come to be synonymous within the last decade.
This was discussed a few years ago, on page one of this thread.
Then a spammer bumped this thread; post was deleted, but not before someone replied, and now this thread is apparently going again. :P
-
I have to say I feel much more like a millenial than a Gen Y even though I'm 26. Probably just the fact that I grew up immersed in tech.
Isn't Gen Y = Millenial?
Yes. There was a distinction around 12 years ago, but they have come to be synonymous within the last decade.
This was discussed a few years ago, on page one of this thread.
Then a spammer bumped this thread; post was deleted, but not before someone replied, and now this thread is apparently going again. :P
Oooooh that makes so much sense. I always wonder how posts get necro'd! When it's a specific question that I could see someone googling, that's one thing. But something like this, I was confused. I was wondering if Imma googled "Lazy Mustachians" or something =D
-
I am often physically lazy, but rarely mentally. I am the kind of person who would write their entire term paper in her mind over the course of a week, and then finally sit down and commit it all to paper te night before it is due. Why waste effort, paper and ink on rough drafts?
-
I identified as "lazy" out of habit, but I'm not surprised to see that the number of people who self-identify as "lazy" drops as time goes by.
I used to beat myself up about it a lot -- I was one of those kids who was routinely pulled aside by the school counselor and told I wasn't working up to my abilities -- but as time went on I realized that, well, of course society has a vested interest in me working hard on things that don't actually matter to me, but I don't have to internalize that. When I'm interested, when I care, I work really hard.
On the other hand, I used to procrastinate a lot more than I do now. Recognizing, as MMM says, that I'm doing my future self a kindness, seems to come more easily than it used to, and I think my "oomph" -- will power, self-regulation, whatever you like to call it -- is stronger than it was when I was younger. The "I don't want to bother with it right now!" voice is feebler and easier to override.
A lot of that -- most of it, maybe all of it -- is that I like my life now. I've lost that teenage petulance about having been landed in a life I didn't design. I did design this life, it's mine, I own it.
-
Terribly lazy...if you count doing things efficiently enough or purposely design your actions to reduce workload at a future date.
I never throw trash on the floor or set it on a table or anything else in the house...I take it directly to the trash can to avoid picking it up a second time. I've parked the recycle bin right outside the door so that I don't have to even take an inside recycle can outside to dump in the recycle bin.
I wash dishes immediately, before the food dries on them, so that I don't have to spend more time later scrubbing off dried food. I often leave common dishes in the drainer... and then use them for the next meal. If I can, I like to avoid moving dishes to a cabinet, then back out, then to a cabinet, then back out.
I avoid fights... that's a lot of work, when you can do nothing and decrease your risk of bodily injury. In fact, if we could promote enough laziness, we could achieve world peace!
I do laundry as soon as I have one washer load full, to avoid spending a large amount of a day doing multiple loads.
I don't make the bed... I leave it 'open', so when I get back in it at night I don't have to throw back the covers. Also, I like airing it out.
If I ever build a house, and it's a two-story house with upstairs bedrooms, I'll put the laundry room between two bedrooms. Both bedrooms will have closets that back up to the laundry room. There will be some type of doors on the back of the closets, so you can throw your dirty laundry directly into the laundry room, and also put clean clothes directly into the closet from the laundry room, then be able to grab those from the bedroom side easily. I am highly annoyed that most modern house designs have you lugging dirty clothes downstairs to clean then upstairs to put in bedroom closets.
Grass... I'm too lazy to enjoy cutting non-edible (to me) plant that just grows back. If left to my own devices I'll either let it die (I mean who really thinks it makes sense to plant grass under trees, then constantly fight the three's natural ability to kill grass?!) or let it grow long and wild.
-
Gen Y...I think I am very lazy. Some things are just not important to me, like keeping a spotless house, or working more than 40 hours a week just to "get ahead". I watch a lot of tv, browse the Internet, read, and play music all the time when instead I should be doing my dishes (no dishwasher in my house lol). I graduated from two top public universities and have a masters degree, and I never felt busy. I always had time to take a nap, or go to the gym, (while being a full time student and having 2 part time jobs).
Because of the things I have accomplished, I suspect that most people don't think I'm lazy. But I feel lazy! Especially since the idea of FIRE has taken over. My job schedule is quite flexible throughout the year, and I would be more than content to just have a part time job for the rest of my life, supplementing with contract work as needed. I am scheduled to interview in the next week for a part time job, where the schedule is two 10 hour days and there are full health insurance benefits and 401k. If I get it and I like my boss and coworkers, I could see myself staying for a long time.
My mom certainly thinks this is lazy!
-
Tail end Baby boomer certifiable lazy! I am like a manic depressant when it comes to getting things done. Even when I was a workaholic I was that way. I would go nuts for weeks than crash and burn. Now its day to day. But thats who I am and I accept it more as I get older. Every morning I start out with a list of all the stuff I am going to do and most days I don't even begin. But I do exercise everyday for at least two hours usually around 4am and get dinner done and a few other things but by noon , 1pm pretty much toast.
-
I voted boomer, not lazy.
I am never doing 'nothing.'
When I sit down and watch tv, rarely, every commercial I get up and do 'something.'
When I get up in the morning I don't think "What am I going to do today?" I think "which of these things am I NOT going to do today."
I think it's a metabolic thing, my hair grows 1 1/4 in a month. (my hairdresser said I have a lot of hair, but each individual strand is thin, I have an aunt who is the same way
After the birth of my third, it was finally figured out that I needed to take a 'serotonin re-uptake inhibitor.' Without it I can not sleep. My brain never turns off. I always wake up 7 1/2 hours after my pill. I always wake up fully, instantly. I'm ready to go, no grogginess here.
The things I do may not be considered by some as worthwhile, but things I do have purpose to me.
TheHusbandHalf comments at times that he's 'thinking nothing.' That is so foreign to me, my mind is always going. Sometimes I just follow it and see where it goes.
Maybe it's the 'farm girl' DNA I have.
-
I often think nothing, but I have no internal monologue (i.e. no voice inside my head). Your husband may be the same way.
I think most people are like you though, and have fairly continual thoughts.
-
As a nation we are more than likely 100% "lazier" than we were several generations ago simply due to the fact that productivity has increased and we're just a richer and have access to way more inventions that make our everyday life easier. Naturally, the percentages per generation of those that identified as "lazy" went up with each generation.
When you can have virtually anything from any store or restaurant delivered for little to no extra fee, a cheap personal chauffeur, and all the cumulative human knowledge at your fingertips without leaving your house, I guess you're bound to feel a little lazy. Clearly millennials are more likely to use these services on a daily basis. And of course there are plenty of other improvements/inventions that take a lot of the work out of everyday life away.
-
Well, it's been four years since I last posted, and I think I've gotten lazier. I was overjoyed two days ago when my last two accounts were finally able to link to Mint, so I no longer need to have them as a manual asset and update them by myself. I was updating the first one once a year (GIC ladder), and the second one twice a month when I did deposits, and a manual update would take less than a minute. But now I don't even have to do that, so yay!
-
I'm really not that la
<3
-
Irresponsible, yes. Lazy, No. We rode ten miles today. Cleaned house too.
-
I often think nothing, but I have no internal monologue (i.e. no voice inside my head).
How is that even possible? Man I'm jealous.
-
Millennial. I would consider myself lazy, but only in a time-capacity sense. I'm efficient when I do work, so my output is higher than average, but I prefer to have a lot of time to sleep/read/write/cook/play Pokemon.
TBH I think it's just a heightened sense of time-value exchange.
-
I'm probably not as lazy as the average person. I'm much lazier that I was in previous decades. If anything I worked too much and played too little in the past. Now my definition of lasy is probably a lot different than many. Taking a week long backpacking trip vs doing the needed sheetrock repairs and painting at home to me is being lazy. Running the heater instead of chopping fire wood is lazy. I'm not inactive, I'm just not as productive as I was in my youth.
-
I often think nothing, but I have no internal monologue (i.e. no voice inside my head).
How is that even possible? Man I'm jealous.
I think we discussed it in the aphantasia thread.
-
Gen X. Not lazy in that I’ve taken big chances in my life and made them successful.
I’m lazy in that I’d rather be efficient than work hard - and for many in this society working smart (ie I work 25 hours because that is what it takes for me to accomplish my goals) is viewed as worse than putting in “time.”
-
I often think nothing, but I have no internal monologue (i.e. no voice inside my head). Your husband may be the same way.
I think most people are like you though, and have fairly continual thoughts.
For years his doctor double checked his blood pressure reading because it's low. That's just the way he is. He works in a very fast moving, stressful at times, control room at an oil refinery and it doesn't seem to affect his health at all.
Our son joined the Navy and they did the same thing. In the beginning, before he went to boot camp, he had to get something from his family doctor saying there was no problem.
Things just don't bother them?
-
I voted lazy but I really like/need to be active in unproductive ways.
Like going for a walk, or making some art, or just doing activities that I enjoy regardless of the product/outcome of that task.
-
I feel lazy at my 40 hour per week job, sitting all day at a computer tapping on the keyboard.
When I was unemployed I went for 50 mile bike rides, all day epic hikes, backpack trips, etc.
Now that I have a job I guess I'm not considered lazy.
49ish.
-
Xennial here (33...old millennial). I have lazy moments but do not consider myself lazy. I work a lot and try to be as efficient as possible so that I can have more time to laze around. But I work a full time and part time job so maybe I'm just not lazy by default. Part of the reason I got a part time job, was I just found myself wandering around without direction or cause, on my down time.
When it's something I am into, I'll stay up for 2 days straight working on it, so it depends.
-
I am fortunately in a good "lazy zone." Not lazy enough to flake out at work but too lazy to have obscenely expensive hobbies like my partners (race cars, golf, horses, collecting vacation homes, etc.).
-
Unfortunately, I am not lazy to the degree that I have a difficult time relaxing and not "getting anything done." For me the challenge is to allow myself to not do anything and just be.
+1 this is how I feel
Fire for me is not about doing less, its about the freedom to do more things that I'm excited about doing.
-
Early GenX here, and I have always considered myself lazy -- compared to my mom, I am a total slacker. My psychiatrist is suggesting that perhaps I'm not actually lazy, and that the data point to whom I am comparing myself is not exactly representative of the average human. She's probably right. But that self-image is too ingrained by now.
I think what I really am is efficient and impatient with process. My SIL told me the story of the sergeant who would give the nastiest task to the laziest guy in the platoon, because he knew that guy would spend 5 hours figuring out how to turn a 3-hr job into a 2-hr one. That pretty much defines me. Unfortunately, I also work in a field that bills by the hour, so my innate desire to manage things quickly and efficiently is in fundamental conflict with what makes us money. Which, again, probably reaffirms the "lazy" self-image, because my whole career I have been surrounded by people who are chasing a lot more hours than I ever want to work.
The good news is that now that I've reached an age where I don't feel like I need to impress anyone anymore, I am totally comfortable telling people flat-out, nah, thanks, I'd rather be lazy and read my book. I feel like I pretty much own the lazy; it feels more like independence ("I'm going to do what I want to do, not what you want me to") than something to be ashamed of.
-
I think I am inherently lazy in some ways, especially when it comes to shit I don't like to do. But on the other hand, I am the kind of guy up and running miles at 5am, and putting in long hours of training and preparation for my next big outdoor adventure after work and on weekends. So I guess I'm only lazy when to comes to unpleasant (to me) tasks. Gen X, btw.
-
Early end of Gen Y as it's defined by Wikipedia. I'll do enough to get by and give everyone else (managers, coworkers, etc.) the impression that I'm doing good work and am valuable enough to keep around, but really don't find the need to apply myself and go above and beyond as a shining star of achievement.
Given that I know I am capable of doing "more"/"better", but am satisfied with doing "enough", I consider myself lazy.
-
This was a tough one for me. By most people’s definition, I’m not lazy. I run a company that is doing well and I’m always active at work, have never had a boring day, my days fly. I pray for down moments. I’m active before work and on the weekends. Yet, I don’t go out to eat with friends or visit them or host them like I feel I should. I have 3-5 side-hustle ideas that I haven’t started yet. I want to be fluent in a couple other languages and still, not. I also want to do acting on the side, maybe stand-up comedy, travel more and help with charities. I’m not doing any of the extra stuff. I’m so burned up by work each day that when I come home, I just want to veg in front of the tv and pass out after dinner. I know I’m not lazy, but I feel a bit lazy for not doing all the other things that I want, have time for but don’t prioritize. If anything, all those things are my FIRE plans, so I’m wanting to hit that goal as soon as possible so I can get to the fun stuff.
-
I work hard at my job, but when I get home I just want to do as little as possible. If something could get done, but could also sit for another day, it's going to have to wait. My garage is still a pile of totes and loose items left over from our move in July. It's all piled in a corner and none of those items are an immediate concern. I might get to it before New Years. Could my house be cleaner? I suppose. I'm not messy, but I also don't prepare for white-glove inspections every week. That pile of paperwork on top of the printer that should be filed? We haven't been using the printer so I'm not in a rush. It's the 1st and the 15th and YNAB needs to updated and Vanguard needs to be fed? Try to stop me.
-
I would say I'm lazy, but paradoxically very motivated to do very un-lazy things in pursuit of the freedom to be as lazy as I want.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts on it. I choose to be not lazy now so that I can aspire to maximum laziness in the future.
-
I put lazy boomer, but I'm only lazy for things I have no interest in doing.
There are projects I put plenty of work into, and then there is time on the internet that I enjoy.
Just a few days ago I spent about 25 hours tracking down and fixing a buzz I had in
my radio reception. Turned out to be two outdoor lights created the buzz.
That was a project I went head long into. Most would say, huh?
-
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ag7y8VAyyYg/hqdefault.jpg)
Gen X and very lazy. Being lazy has proven to be a great asset in life...at least most of the time so I do not mind that part of who I am at all.
FWIW - I don't know if that ^^ quote is accurately attributable to Bill Gates, but I like the sentiment. ;)
-
My mother said that if she wanted to know the most efficient way to do something, she'd ask my brother, because he was so (physically) lazy he'd always figure out how to get things done with the least work. He's a doctor still practicing at age 66, and he definitely knows how to work hard, but he still likes to be efficient. Me, too: I'll work my butt off when it's something I want or need, but I want every effort to count.
-
Revisiting this to see where the numbers stack up had me thinking. While I marked end late baby boomer very lazy the interesting part is others always say they cant believe how much I get done. But since there not around me 24/7 they dont see me being lazy. Not sure what my point is other than it be interesting to know the perception of others even though I could really care less. I agree with that photo with Bill Gates too , in that having always been lazy I would pick and chose when I wanted to pounce at work so I could be lazy for a few days.
-
Revisiting this to see where the numbers stack up had me thinking. While I marked end late baby boomer very lazy the interesting part is others always say they cant believe how much I get done. But since there not around me 24/7 they dont see me being lazy. Not sure what my point is other than it be interesting to know the perception of others even though I could really care less. I agree with that photo with Bill Gates too , in that having always been lazy I would pick and chose when I wanted to pounce at work so I could be lazy for a few days.
I'm the same way. People I work with think I am a hard worker because I get a lot done....or perhaps more accurately I work on what's important so I always have what they need done. They don't appreciate I did that work in about 50% of my available time and then goof'd off or did personal stuff the rest of the time.
I don't feel too bad. As a contractor for the past 20yrs+ I sign a new agreement every year and I can be terminated with zero notice....so if people didn't see value I wouldn't be around. The fact that I could have done more and asked for more compensation is neither here nor there.
-
Revisiting this to see where the numbers stack up had me thinking. While I marked end late baby boomer very lazy the interesting part is others always say they cant believe how much I get done. But since there not around me 24/7 they dont see me being lazy. Not sure what my point is other than it be interesting to know the perception of others even though I could really care less. I agree with that photo with Bill Gates too , in that having always been lazy I would pick and chose when I wanted to pounce at work so I could be lazy for a few days.
Yeah, I got the same thing the other day. One of my friends said I was really disciplined the other day, and I cracked up, because I have pretty much zero self control or willpower. I do well financially because I have strong, deep-seated beliefs about environmentalism, animal rights, anti-consumption, and minimalism, which prevent me from wanting to buy things in the first place. Then I automate the shit out of everything, come up with highly efficient systems for whatever work I need to do, and boom, a typical day involves zero effort outside of my job.
-
Revisiting this to see where the numbers stack up had me thinking. While I marked end late baby boomer very lazy the interesting part is others always say they cant believe how much I get done. But since there not around me 24/7 they dont see me being lazy. Not sure what my point is other than it be interesting to know the perception of others even though I could really care less. I agree with that photo with Bill Gates too , in that having always been lazy I would pick and chose when I wanted to pounce at work so I could be lazy for a few days.
Yeah, I got the same thing the other day. One of my friends said I was really disciplined the other day, and I cracked up, because I have pretty much zero self control or willpower. I do well financially because I have strong, deep-seated beliefs about environmentalism, animal rights, anti-consumption, and minimalism, which prevent me from wanting to buy things in the first place. Then I automate the shit out of everything, come up with highly efficient systems for whatever work I need to do, and boom, a typical day involves zero effort outside of my job.
Revisiting this to see where the numbers stack up had me thinking. While I marked end late baby boomer very lazy the interesting part is others always say they cant believe how much I get done. But since there not around me 24/7 they dont see me being lazy. Not sure what my point is other than it be interesting to know the perception of others even though I could really care less. I agree with that photo with Bill Gates too , in that having always been lazy I would pick and chose when I wanted to pounce at work so I could be lazy for a few days.
I'm the same way. People I work with think I am a hard worker because I get a lot done....or perhaps more accurately I work on what's important so I always have what they need done. They don't appreciate I did that work in about 50% of my available time and then goof'd off or did personal stuff the rest of the time.
I don't feel too bad. As a contractor for the past 20yrs+ I sign a new agreement every year and I can be terminated with zero notice....so if people didn't see value I wouldn't be around. The fact that I could have done more and asked for more compensation is neither here nor there.
There is probably more people like us than we think! So were just more efficient.
-
I would say I'm lazy, but paradoxically very motivated to do very un-lazy things in pursuit of the freedom to be as lazy as I want.
Yep. I describe myself to my friends as lazy, and then they respond with "But you taught yourself how to repair bikes and cars! You fix computers in your spare time! You learned how to repair your snowblower!"
And I'm like "I'm interested in those things, or they're important to me. So it doesn't feel like work.
That being said, there's a bike frame outside that needs a strip-down or a sell, and I need to move some stuff around my garage to get the snowblower out... (just hasn't been sufficient motivation. Like a big enough snowstorm.)
-
I voted lazy, and probably picked the wrong generation.
But I'm the hardest working lazy person I know.
-
Hard work is overrated. Smart work is where it’s at.
Would you rather be the most swole baddest ditch digger on the block, or the guy who found a way to not need a ditch?
-
Gen X, and have been called lazy all my life. However, I'm only lazy at things I don't want to do. I put massive time and energy into things I like.
-
I feel there's a difference between other people's perception and your own personal perception.
I marked lazy because I feel I spend a large amount of time slacking off when I feel I really should be doing something productive. However, I think I probably appear more productive/not lazy to people on the outside.
-
This topic, though old, reminds me of a quote from a Prussian general officer.
General Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord, the present chief of the German Army, has a method of selecting officers which strikes us as being highly original and peculiarly un-Prussian. According to Exchange, a Berlin newspaper has printed the following as his answer to a query as to how he judged his officers: “I divide my officers into four classes as follows: The clever, the industrious, the lazy, and the stupid. Each officer always possesses two of these qualities.
Those who are clever and industrious I appoint to the General Staff. Use can under certain circumstances be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy qualifies for the highest leadership posts. He has the requisite nerves and the mental clarity for difficult decisions. But whoever is stupid and industrious must be got rid of, for he is too dangerous.”
(https://quoteinvestigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Hammerstein03.jpg)
I voted lazy, but if action is absolutely necessary or I'm particularly keen about something I can make stuff happen. It's part of the reason I like gardening, mead-making, vermiculture, and index investing I guess.