Are Laziness and Invention Mutually Exclusive?

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The discussion revolves around the concepts of hard work and laziness, questioning the societal perception of these traits. It begins with the observation that hard work is often praised, yet many choose conveniences like elevators over physical effort, suggesting that reducing effort can lead to greater productivity in other areas. Participants argue that being "lazy" can drive innovation, as it encourages finding efficient solutions to tasks. Examples like washing machines illustrate how technology has reduced effort but also increased overall busyness. The conversation highlights that true laziness might mean not engaging in any effort at all, while some argue that being lazy can lead to creativity and invention. Ultimately, the dialogue reflects on the complex relationship between effort, efficiency, and societal expectations regarding work and productivity.
Evil
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i was sitting there in my chair one night admiring the stars when a question struck me. For years since i was born people told me that being hardworking is a virtue. but hey, if u r hardworking won't u walk up the stairs everyday and night? only lazy people would take the lift. but that is not the case .more people still take the lift.
to be lazy is to invent something that will take the load off u. but that is not being hardworking.
so r we supposed to be hardworking or lazy? really confused here .haha
 
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haha you think too much..

Taking a lift doesn't mean you're lazy, you are simply reducing the effort on 'pointless' acts, and concentrating on more 'important' acts. So you take a lift, you have more time to be 'hardworking' in other things.

If you truly want to be 'lazy', then just take the lift up, down, up, down and up again, so it would take the same as walking, except the only effort you exert is pressing buttons.
 
If I'm going up less than about 3 floors and the elevator isn't waiting for me, I always walk. Since it saves time to walk in that case, waiting for the elevator is laziness.
 
absolute proof

i have proven that this premise is totally wrong. i am one of the laziest people in the world and i ain't won squat!

oops, is it ultimately yet?

peace,
 
so u agree that u order for society to advance we nid to b lazy bcos being lazy means we find new ways to do work faster n more efficiently?
 
No.

A good example - in the last fifty years, washing machines have revolutionised the way cloths are cleaned, taking perhaps 99% of the effort away. The same for other products. Does this mean that people are now more lazy than before?

Hell no. What this has in fact led to is that we are doing more things than ever before, resulting in no real success at being lazy. We are busier than ever.
 
in my opinion, if one is lazy, he will not take elevator OR stairs.
 
thatz not lazy.
thatz crazy.
hey it rhymns...haha
seriously if u don't even go up then what is the purpose of buying a apartment in a high rise building?
 
What's the point of doing ANYTHING?!

zzzz
 
  • #10
Well, an old saying comes to mind, (Well, not sure how old it is) Work smart, not hard.

Taking an elevator in a situation where it is quicker to get to your desired location is reducing your load, allowing you to think about this or that.

Think about computers, automated machines, even heavy machinary. Imagine diggin a swimming pool 200 years ago. My friend can dig one with his back hoe in about 20 minutes, how long did it take back then, how many people?

Sure, If we warped on of the hole diggers into the future, he would probably criticize Jon for using that new fangled manchine, but it wouldn't take him long to realize he's doing the work of 20 people in a fraction of the time.

But I also agree with one of the latter posts, if your truly lazy, you wouldn't take the steps or the lift.
 
  • #11
Originally posted by Evil
to be lazy is to invent something that will take the load off u.
No, if you were truly lazy you would not bother to invent anything at all. If you were truly lazy you just wouldn't take the lift or stairs, and instead just stay where you are.
 
  • #12
Most good inventions have increased effeciency in common, then there's all the things that are advertised to supposedly make someone better off. I also have to admit that I'm very lazy but work very hard at it.
 
  • #13
I'm lazy so that I can think hard.
 
  • #14
Ok, here's my more 'formalized' definitions of each terms :wink: :

Lazy = not wanting to think or act

Not wanting to walk the stairs (X) = Lazy
Not wanting to invent (Y) = Lazy
X leds to Y, but if that person is really lazy, there won't be Y!
 
  • #15
Too many definitions of lazy. The only one that matters is the one that occurs in real life. "You are being lazy", "You're not trying hard enough", or "Stop being lazy". People who try to get the maximum amount done with the minimal amount of effort are sometimes called lazy. Why? People are told to do things they don't want to do. Someone who wants to die will put more effort into it than someone who doesn't, but to convince others to push others into doing this, he'll say "You're being lazy".
 
  • #16
To be an inventor you need to be ambitious, driven and lazy. Ambition to give you goals, drive to compel you to reach them, and laziness, to encourage you to find easier methods.

I am pretty lazy, but unfortunately I am not ambitious, so I don't invent things, just use other people's stuff really well...
 
  • #17
Many people consider ambitious and driven opposite of lazy. Weird. Then again, if laziness=inventions and inventions=people working at MacDonalds, I think lazy people should eat MacDonald hamburgers without the fat drained. The word lazy is so perverse now bleeahhfadhfdjf. You should all be lazy! Then when a bunch of you die because you're too lazy to find food, the lazy people who are able to pick up pigs and eat them can live as they should. Stop being lazy and lay down and do less grr.
 
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