The Domino Effect of Laziness

Photo by hainguyen on Pixabay

We have all been there - just one more video, just one more… It seems like a harmless forgivable bit of ‘extra’ time. What if it is not?

A Sanskrit Subhashita (a well-known saying) mentions this:

अलसस्य कुतो विद्या अविद्यस्य कुतो धनम् । 

अधनस्य कुतो मित्रम् अमित्रस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥ 

Alasasya kuto vidyā avidyasya kuto dhanam | 

Adhanasya kuto mitram amitrasya kutaḥ sukham || 

This means that "How can a lazy person expect to acquire knowledge? One bereft of knowledge cannot amass wealth; one without assets is friendless, and a friendless person cannot expect to be happy" 

At first glance, it seems harsh and transactional. 

Does wealth dictate friendship?

Does it automatically follow that we cannot be happy without material wealth?

Let’s look at the Subhashita a little deeper.

This Subhashita does not start with money or luck. It starts with action.

In Sanskrit, Vidya is not just learning from books, it includes skills as well. For learning anything, we first need to start working - action.

Without Vidya, we cannot generate value. And money is a reflection of the value that we provide to the world. So if we do not have Vidya, we cannot add value and that means we do not get wealth.

If we do not have wealth, it is natural that we overly depend on others and that way we create a social imbalance and cannot make friends. Because true deep friendship thrives on mutual support, not by strain.

Finally, as humans, we are social creatures who are wired for connection.

What starts with laziness, will lead to financial insecurity, and to social isolation. At that stage, happiness is not possible because at that stage we would be trapped in a loop of anxiety, self-doubt and loneliness.

In the end, what does this Subhashita tell us? 

Go in the reverse. For happiness, we need good relationships. For building good relationships, we need wealth. For wealth we need knowledge and skill - Vidya. For Vidya, we need to conquer our laziness.

So, the only question you have every morning is - Will you choose comfort or will you take action?