Diligence vs. Laziness Many Human Beings Today

Diligence vs. Laziness

Many human beings today tends, at least a little, towards some laziness. For most, however, such laziness is not affordable as a result of the more pressing need to generate income for bills and for basic survival. Indeed, most workers today are more than a little aware of the many pitfalls related to debt, the economic situation of the country, and the drive to care for a family with increasing demands and needs. One might say, then, as a result, that laziness is no longer a luxury we as carers for the family unit can afford. Indeed, most families are arranged around the working lives of both spouses, even in those families where one of the spouses would prefer to remain home and exercise his or her diligence as caring for the home, the children, and financial management. For many, today's economic situation simply makes such a luxury impossible, and many parents are forced to manage both the household and income generation together, where duties are divided according to survival need rather than role division. In today's world, then, it is unlikely that any single person can be accused of "laziness." While this might be applied to the adult world, one might look towards the young, and especially the teenager, as symbolic of today's tendency towards the lazy. The faithful, in turn, would look towards the Bible to obtain wisdom regarding diligence and the like. Proverbs contains several passages relating to the Jewish ideal of diligence and how this connects with Wisdom. According to King Solomon, author of Proverbs, wisdom is equal to diligence; the two cannot be separated. Jewish philosophy separates diligence and laziness as corresponding to the choices involved in wisdom and foolishness.

In the Book of Proverbs, the first reference to diligence is symbolized by the ant in Proverbs 6:6-11. The King uses the ant as a symbol of diligence. The ant "stores its provisions" while there is plenty during the summer. Later, when provisions become scarce, this diligence is its own reward when the ant has plenty to eat and sustain itself while waiting for the season of plenty to come around again. In this chapter of Proverbs, the ant is juxtaposed with the symbol of laziness, which is the "sluggard." The sluggard's tendency to sleep and rest creates a situation in which no provision is made for times that may be difficult. Hence, poverty is forever close on the horizon for those who would rather rest than diligently prepare for the future. As such, the chapter suggests that laziness inevitably brings with it poverty, while diligence is connected with prosperity. In other words, prosperity is available to all who are willing to work for it and for those who are willing to cultivate their wisdom.

In Proverbs 10, the idea of diligence is brought more prominently into the human sphere. In verses 4-5, specifically, this chapter focuses on the wisdom of gathering the harvest during the summer and how this relates not only to wisdom, but also to wealth. Solomon here solidifies the link between wisdom and wealth as well as between foolishness and poverty. For the author of his book, wisdom inevitably brings with it wealth while foolishness brings poverty just as certainly as work brings income and doing nothing does not.

In Proverbs 12, further direct connections are made between diligence and abundance. In verse 11, for example, the author indicates that those who "work their lands" will have food, while those who do not will not have the luxury of eating.

In verse 24 of this chapter, one could arguably find the climax of the Book of Proverbs, where the author indicates that the diligent will not only have enough to eat, but will rule over others, while those who have been less than diligent can expect little more than "forced labor" as an ultimate result.

Interestingly, subsequent verses revert to the more practical, or indeed the more direct connection between the diligence of gathering harvests, caring for lands and in fact being able to eat on a regular basis.

In Chapter 13:4, for example, the most direct connection is once again made between appetite and the ability or willingness to work. For a sluggard, according to the verse, there is never any satisfaction, while the "desires of the diligent" are fully satisfied. One might take this to mean either a basic desire such as the ability to satisfy one's hunger or indeed the desires for better things in life, such as decorations for one's house, good clothing, and the like. The verse appears to indicate that the "sluggard" can never expect any fulfilment for these desires, while the wisdom of diligence will create satisfaction from the basest to the loftiest desire.

In Proverbs 24: 30, the ideas of laziness and poverty are once again linked, where the vineyard of the lazy man brings nothing but poverty. Sleeping and slumbering are here once again linked with the idea of laziness, whereas diligence is rewarded with wealth and he fulfilment of needs.