Indolence ?

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Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 6:33:26 AM

Aneirin

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It might seem a strange question, but on the subject of Indolence, (laziness ), what causes it ? Does it have a biological cause, physical, psychological, genetic, just what is it ?

I read that it can be a symptom of depression, but it can also be a problem when there is no depression, but it can be a lifelong condition and there those that suffer this malaise do not reach their potential, they stop themselves from achieving when they are perfectly capable of doing so which leads to other problems to include depressive conditions.

Often one hears someone describing another as lazy and it is put in a way that the person who is, is doing it on purpose to get out of something, but is this completely true.

So, what is the reality of indolence, what is it and what causes it ?

Can it be cured ?

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 6:58:11 AM

Fitznicely

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I got incredibly lazy, felt tired all the time and pretty much atrophied away to nothing. Turned out I was diabetic. Took two years of *blah* before I was diagnosed. As soon as I began treating it...man, I've never felt better.

Laziness could be a symptom of many sicknesses, syndromes, illnesses, whatever. whether it can be cured would be up to a medical professional.

Thinking of my in-laws, however, there's no cure for being a feckless waste of oxygen.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 10:31:15 AM

DesFIP

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Depression, thyroid disease, chronic fatigue, chronic pain ie fibromyalgia, Eppstein Barr syndrome, toxoplasmosis, etc. This is a symptom, not a cause.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 10:39:08 AM

littlewonder

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When I get lazy it's because I'm depressed, ill or I'm putting things off that I just really don't wanna deal with because I know how much trouble it's going to be, what will be following next, how difficult I know the task will be.

Sometimes I'm simply not motivated. I just can't see any logical reason to do something.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 11:06:38 AM

juliaoceania

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My Great Grandmother told my mom that she had never met a "lazy" person.. she said in her experience there was either something wrong with them physically or emotionally... she was a very smart lady and new more than many doctors did for a very long time, considering she was born in 1899. She just thought this because of what she had experienced.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 11:21:12 AM

Dominasola

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I tend to get lazy when I'm not taking good care of myself - not exercising or eating healthily. I think that there is likely a strong correlation between laziness and nutrition specifically; I do know that there have been studies that show correlations between eating certain types of foods (foods high in anti-oxidants, specifically) and mental performance. I can only imagine that it would be similar with physical performance and also the simple desire to DO things.

I am in a rather odd situation when it comes to nutrition; I am allergic to raw fruits and vegetables. Because of this, I've been told that I lack many nutrients in my body that are required to perform various tasks (like digestive enzyme production, etc...). Since I don't produce the proper enzymes to break down food, my body has to expend that much more energy to do so, causing me to be extremely lethargic. I've even been told that I'm as "demineralized as a corpse" (go me?), and although I now take various supplements to try to compensate for this, I'm still of the belief that supplements can only go so far in replacing vitamins and minerals from REAL food.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 11:24:36 AM

Voodali

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If someone is stopping themselves from reaching their full potential even though they're capable, and I've been guilty of that in the past, it may be that there is an underlying fear of failiure or fear even of success.
Then again, they may be getting something they need from being lazy. Psychologists often ask "What is the payoff for this dysfunctional behavior ?". Is the negative attention they get for being lazy better than no attention ? Is it just far easier emotionally to sit at home on the couch rather than brave a social setting like the gym ?
I know in my case, I had to overcome depression and social anxiety before continuing my education. That and I couldn't envision a positive future resulting from any action I might take. I needed a vision to drive me. Why act if you have no motivation ? Similar reasons might apply to a lot of people. Finding the right vision might help some people.
It could be anything from depression to a genuine preference for sitting at home playing video games. I think in some cases it can be overcome, and in some cases not.
Provided the person isn't physically ill, its up to the individual whether they have enough drive to change or not. I feel that for a single individual who isn't supporting kids or pets, laziness is a perfectly valid life choice.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 3:15:56 PM

Blackburn

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I think th -aw, nm. American Idol is on..

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 9:28:01 PM

LadyEllen

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I would say its psychological but that it isnt possible to divide the psychological off so neatly from the holistic picture and nor from the environment, in order to state one cause or origin for indolence. At the same time given that, it isnt necessarily possible to identify any balance in those influences that might be applied universally to the human being; some cases will be more heavily influenced by biological functioning including diet and general lifestyle, some more by psychological issues and others still more by the environment - both natural and societal, economic and cultural. But where one factor is dominant, it will surely lead to symptoms in and of other factors.

However it is also important to recognise that indolence is quite an emotional term, implying deliberate inaction or apathy to action in a moralistic way, such that we will only ever use the term in a negative way to infer that someone is a less that worthwhile member of the group. This misses the point somewhat that a cousin of indolence is the wish to not work so hard and this in turn is the father and mother of the will towards efficiency that has driven our species to become dominant to the point that even the indolent get to eat and drink and we might here discuss the whole concept instead of being dead from exhaustion by age 25.

E

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/27/2010 10:47:03 PM

Termyn8or

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"Etymology
First attested 1603, from French indolence, insensitivity to pain, from Latin indolentia, insensibility, from in- not + dolere to grieve. Sense of laziness, first attested 1710, is related to taking pains."

Interesting. Looking for the reverse reality, that would indicate that persiverence, ambition and maybe even greed are the other side of the coin. Is striving just a way to avoid pain ?

T

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/28/2010 8:03:46 AM

Aneirin

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Of course I am in my original post of asking about indolence, there referring to myself, I am I have at last realised ; lazy, to the point of bone idle and knowing this now, I wish to get out of it, basically, I am fed up with the condition, but struggle to find a way out that works. Correct nutrition is a thought, but I also am intolerant to raw vegetables and fruit, mainly containers of citric and salicylic acid, something I believe that is a remnant of my past thirty tears of allergic to every pollen hay fever, ( interestingly, hay fever went, when I first started smoking ). Depression yep, I do suffer that, or is it the blues, I have no idea, but when it comes, Mr laziness is quick on it's heels and I have not the will to stop it. This search to get out of this cyclic condition is vexing and I am finding the medical profession pretty clueless beyond prescribing yet more medication.

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RE: Indolence ? - 2/28/2010 8:32:59 AM

Termyn8or

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Sorry, I thought this was posed in a hypothetical sense.

Truth be known I am lazier than anyone. I mean on a scale of one to ten I am about a twenty. The floor is dirty, but I don't eat off it. The windows need to be washed, as do my SUNglasses. Get it ? Just about all I do is work, I have people to take care of the house. System is working fine.

However it does not cure my laziness. I don't know if it can be cured. When I find out how I can get something done instead of doing it myself I usually jump on it. I haven't mowed the grass in about five years, I found that is was easier to get others to do it. The lawnmower broke down from lonliness so, so what ? I am very bad when it comes to this.

But what I have noticed is that when I can't get something done I will take to action and do it myself.

Fact of the matter is that I do what I have to do. I do not do what I do not have to do. If you find a cure for that please let me know. With ambition I'm told I would be dangerous, I kinda like that thought.

T

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