s being lazy a sin? According to Christopher Morley, it is quite the opposite. He argues that being lazy is a virtue. In his essay, “On Laziness”, Morley gives an explanation of the true essence of being lazy. Written in the Roaring Twenties, a period of parties and restlessness, Morley’s essay was meant to address those who neglected self-reposal. Morley’s allusive use of the rhetorical appeals of Ethos and Pathos compels the audience to recognize slothfulness as a favorable trait. Morley’s use of Ethos encourages the audience to view indolence as a beneficial characteristic. He highlights the success of lazy people, inferring that their indolence lead to that success. First, he mentions an unknown man, saying “The laziest man we know [...] …show more content…
First, he mentions the Germans and the events of WWI, saying “If the Germans had been as lazy. The world may have been spared a great deal.” Alluding to a tragic event and implying that it could have been prevented by adopting laziness instills a sense of guilt and uncertainty on the audience. It makes the reader question themselves; they begin to think “what if?” in other aspects of their life and wonder if any conflicts they had could’ve also been avoided if they had been indolent. Secondly, he appeals to the reader’s emotions by presenting benefits that entice the readers; he suggests a relief of responsibility when he alludes to a man that “[...]stopped answering letters, buying lunches for casual friends and visitors from out of town, he stopped lending money to old college pals and frittering his time away on all the useless minor matters that pester the good-natured” and he claims “People respect laziness”. Additionally, he claims “the man who is really, thoroughly, and philosophically slothful is the only thoroughly happy man.” He elicits an interested, hopeful, response from the audience; he promises happiness, respect, and relief of responsibility for nothing, or rather from doing
McCandless’ had a noble goal – to find his true self outside of the constraints of an organized society and return to “nature”. A philosophy espoused by Tolstoy, Muir, Rousseau, Kerouac and Thoreau and others, McCandless believed that person was essentially free only in state of nature, in connection with himself, the earth and exempt from the material needs and wants of modern civilization. McCandless’ cynicism and rejection of material goods, (symbolized in the novel by the burning of his paper money and identification cards) are something that many disillusioned with the ceaseless toil and routines of modern society can certainly relate to.
His exclamations against those who don't change their live to find all the “marrow,” hidden in society, shows his passion for “sucking,” the positive features which enable him to ensure he has spent his time effectively. Lastly, this related to “living deliberately(…),” expressed by Thoreau. This philosophical idea distinguished the difference between simply who simply are alive in comparison to one who lives a life that they know that they “truly live(…),” instead of later realising they haven’t done what they as individuals wanted to do. This contrast is symbolised by the comparison of McCandless and the social norm. The fact that McCandless felt implied to not take short cuts through modern day advancements suggested by the “plane,” and instead wanted to complete his trip in the way he desired leads to him exemplifying the meaning of living deliberately by Thoreau. Nonetheless whilst they are both different individuals, McCandless lifestyle and actions portray the life based on the philosophical ideas of
In order to make these appeals to pathos, he presents laziness as a solution to some of man’s greatest desires. As a society, one of our major problems is happiness. Many people live their lives as sad drones stumbling through whatever life throws at them. Morley promises happiness to the “thoroughly and philosophically slothful.” He also assures the reader that the lazy man does not have the responsibilities of “the bustling man.” In more recent times stress has become a major problem for America; people adopt pills, books, candles, and even whole lifestyle changes trying to find a solution to the stress. Morley presents a resolution. One of man’s greatest desires is to be liked and respected. Morley comes out and says it very bluntly, “People respect laziness” (Morley 65). He later states that if one stays lazy through and through, that people will let you be. Too many times people have the tendency to get involved in others. When one presents themselves as a lazy man, the intruders will pass by and allow one to continue
Through the essay, "Dumpster Diving," Eighner impresses his superiority by illustrating disinterested people and their lack to complete certain tasks the author is skillful at.
The “On Laziness” essay, written by Christopher Morley argues that philosophical laziness is a beneficial trait to possess. He illustrates this by using techniques such as humor, formal diction, and irony to convince his audience that is made up of lazy and industrious people.
The thrill he feels for merely surviving portrays his fascination with living life deliberately, shedding the unnecessary things that prohibit one from really living. Although his parents and the people he met along the way empathized with McCandless’ struggles, the undeniable truth is that he reveled in being nomadic, as evidenced by the notes he had written and the quotes he had underlined in his books. Furthermore, McCandless constantly craved for adventure and uncertainty. With the immensity of his country accompanied by strong desires, he found that his purpose in life was to have “an endlessly changing horizon” (Krakauer 57). McCandless strongly believes that the joys in life radiate from one’s confrontation with new experiences.
The passage stresses the futility of man's desires and his efforts to achieve them. This is one of Hurston's main themes in the novel and quite possibly the most important theme to Hurston...
I think that what the author was trying to imply in this passage was that in his personal experience, he has noticed that many people take many things for granted and that they don’t live their lives according to what they want and need to do. So much is wasted during one’s lifetime, and people just allow their lives to pass them by.
He explains how our minds are conditioned from as early as little kids by books, teachers, parents and the society around us. Our minds, attitudes and prejudices are established since early childhood and going beyond our own borders frightens us. We are frightened of what our parents would say, what the society will. This way of thinking put barriers which prevent you from going beyond and become truly free. He explains that while one is young, he or she is easily conditioned, shaped and forced into a pattern and unconsciously one gets caught in imitation.
Like an experienced politician, Christopher Morley composes his essay and weaves his words in such a way that causes his readers to believe and support his claim that laziness is not the weakness that we currently recognize it to be, but rather it is an important asset to have. In “On Laziness”, Morley utilizes a casual tone, combines complex diction with simple syntax, and uses examples that allow for a sense of logic, leaving the reader no choice but to consider his claims, and maybe even believe them.
Therefore, I am not going to take the time necessary to grow in his ways” in the same way that it is easier for a student to admit that they are busy with their friends on social media than that they don’t feel like writing a paper. In her speech Dorthey L. Sayers communicates just this idea, “We think that if we are busily rushing about and doing things, we cannot be suffering from Sloth. And besides, violent activity seems to offer an escape from the horrors of Sloth” (Guinness, pg. 3-11). Sayers continues her speech by saying that our attempt to cover slothfulness leads to each of the other seven deadly sins which in turn serve to further strain our relationship with the
He thinks that a man should learn to express himself. Being yourself will help you solve the problems of your life. We need to trust ourselves in order to improve our lives, like all great men have done. Self-reliance stems from deep within our soul, which is the pillar of our personal power and self-respect. This source of all greatness, sets us free from the ego and helps us to transcend through the ideals of love, truth and justice; some people call this “the moral sense”.
With the statement, “Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them,” Thoreau is saying that many people in the world, including the United States, are not able to enjoy life because they are too preoccupied with working and earning wealth to buy unnecessary goods. Thoreau believes that men only need four things to survive: fuel, food, shelter, and clothing. However, according to Thoreau, people still strive to obtain more and more unnecessary material goods. To obtain these goods, Thoreau writes, “He has no time to be any thing but a machine,” meaning that men are so busy working to make excessive money that work consumes their entire lives. Thoreau, on the other hand, ignores “factitious cares” such as excessive wealth, furniture, and a large home, in order to enjoy his life and not be forced to live his life as a machine.
Could one argue that laziness is a favorable quality in humans? At first glance, Christopher Morley seems to do just that. Yet, upon further inspection, his argument is a satirical one whose purpose is to show the negative qualities of the very thing that he appears to be defending.
By not partaking in social customs or following cultural norms, he expresses revolt.... ... middle of paper ... ... And if we could exemplify the absurd characteristics: revolt, freedom, and pleasure in our lives, we could live life more fully: By revolting against tomorrow, we can come to terms with the present moment.