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…
is one of the greatest poets in this country; one of the keenest satirist; one of the most rectilinear thinkers.” His connection of the man’s reputation of being one of the greatest poets with the man’s laziness encourages the reader to adopt the trait. Next, Morley alludes to a biblical passage in Matthew 5:5, saying “We remember a saying about the meek inheriting the earth. The truly meek man is the lazy man.” By using the credibility of the Bible, Morley appeals to believers of the canonical text. He explains that the lazy man will stray from hubbub and ferment, suggesting that his definition of lazy is not the traditional, but rather a person who takes time off from noise and distractions to think. Finally, Morley alludes to a famous writer, Doctor Johnson, and his success with the publishing of the Dictionary. He states, “Doctor Johnson, who was one of the world’s great philosophers, was lazy”, then presents a secondary source of the events of Johnson’s procrastination. The first ethical appeal is found in Johnson’s title of “Doctor”; people are more inclined to follow in an expert of their respective field. The second ethical appeal is the presentation of the secondary source end follows with him saying “Thus we see that it was sheer laziness that led to the greatest triumph of Dr. Johnson’s life”. This promotes a message to the reader that procrastination and extending deadlines is not detrimental if the more careful consideration will lead to a better product. Through Morley’s appeal to Pathos, he urges the audience to view indolence as a positive attribute.
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
nothing. Morley’s sardonic essay presents the many benefits of his definition of laziness. That is, laziness is not a person who refuses to get tasks complete, but rather a person who is able to detach themselves from the responsibilities and stresses of everyday life to repose their mind. He claims those who practice slothfulness will become enlightened. This enlightenment will present itself in their everyday life; they will inherit happiness, respect, and relief from responsibility.
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.
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
Christopher Morley attempts to show his audience the benefits of laziness through appeals to pathos. With the energetic use of high level language, Morley transforms people’s view on laziness from having a negative connotation to being one of sophistication and wisdom.
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...
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.
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.
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 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”.
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
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.