Laziness Does Not Exist

by Devon Price

Visualize what the text is describing. After reading a paragraph, sit back and try to create a mental picture of what you’ve just read. For complex or scientific topics, consider looking up videos or charts to help you visualize the phenomenon being described—or try drawing a chart yourself.

Clarify confusing passages and unfamiliar terms. Slow down to reread something if it’s unclear. Write down words or terms that you don’t know, and then take a moment at the end of each page to look up their definitions.

Question the author’s assumptions and point of view. Consider why the writer chose to use the examples they’re using. Look at the writer’s sources and see if they seem trustworthy. Ponder ...

Predict what will come next. At the end of each section, jot down a few thoughts about what you hope the piece will touch on next. What lingering questions do you have? See ...

Connect the writing to things you already know. Does this piece of writing line up with what you already believed, or does it not? What are some other subjects or topics that it seems releva...

Evaluate the qualities of the writing. Was the writing persuasive? Did you find it easy to follow? Did it seem to represent the facts fairly? Even if you disagree with the author’s conclus...

Questions to Ask before Trying to “Save” Someone:

The Laziness Lie teaches us that people who do more are worth more. When we buy into that method of assigning value to people, we doom ourselves to a life of insecurity and judgment.

“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”4

I’ve sometimes counteracted the (fake) Burke quote by telling people that all that’s needed for harm to persist in the world is for evil people to think they’re doing good.