On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the computer science concept, see Lazy evaluation. Despite famed neurologist Sigmund Freud’s discussion of the “pleasure principle”, Leonard Carmichael noted in 1954 that “laziness is not a word that appears in the table of contents of most technical lazy pie on psychology”.

Laziness may reflect a lack of self-esteem, a lack of positive recognition by others, a lack of discipline stemming from low self-confidence, or a lack of interest in the activity or belief in its efficacy. Laziness may manifest as procrastination or vacillation. It has also been shown that laziness can render one apathetic to reactant mental health issues such as anger, anxiety, indifference, substance abuse, and depression. Avolition, decrease in the motivation to initiate and perform self-directed purposeful activities. Amotivational syndrome, normally in the context of heavy cannabis use. Procrastination, the delaying of fulfilling tasks. Senioritis, the decreased motivation to study which is said to affect those nearing the end of their studies.

Economists have differing views of laziness. Frédéric Bastiat argues that idleness is the result of people focusing on the pleasant immediate effects of their actions rather than potentially negative long-term consequences. Others note that humans seem to have a tendency to seek after leisure. Laziness in American literature is figured as a fundamental problem with social and spiritual consequences. In 1612 John Smith in his A Map of Virginia is seen using a jeremiad to address idleness. In the 1750s this sort of advocating reached its apex in literature.

The opposite of laziness is Jihad al-Nafs, i. In Buddhism, the term kausīdya is commonly translated as “laziness” or “spiritual sloth”. Kausīdya is defined as clinging to unwholesome activities such as lying down and stretching out, procrastinating, and not being enthusiastic about or engaging in virtuous activity. From 1909 to 1915, the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission for the Eradication of Hookworm Disease sought to eradicate hookworm infestation from 11 southern U. It was alleged that indolence was the reason for backward conditions in Indonesia, such as the failure to implement Green Revolution agricultural methods. They seek to “satisfice” their needs rather than obtaining an optimal diet or habitat.