You’d never think that Sloth could be a virtue. Indeed, most people think it’s about as far from a virtue as you can get. Many people consider Industriousness to be a virtue, and thus since sloth is much the opposite, how could sloth be a virtue?

Simple, Sloth is what makes us take a break, stop and smell the roses, sit on the side of a hill and watch the clouds. Sloth, if used properly, can remind us why we live, rather than why we constantly work for a living. It’s what let’s us sleep in late, lay back and read a book, watch tv, and, believe it or not, heal.

Most people, too look at me, would think I’m incredibly lazy. I don’t move fast. I don’t do a lot. I sit around most of the time, and don’t appear to do much beyond read, listen, and watch stuff I find online or on one of the few tv channels I have.

Fact is though, that’s not entirely true. Generally my brain is working a mile a minute. Sometimes a lot faster than that. All the distracting stuff I go through online is stuff that both distracts me, and actually helps me work through all the problems that fill my brain. The fact that this rarely leaves me with much in the way of physical energy is a side effect. Thus to I seem to become Slothful.

Personally, in America where people rarely use all their vacation days, tend to work long hours week after week, and rarely spend time with their families, I think we could do with a bit more sloth. Admittedly, things are more expensive, taxes are higher, and with Employees holding all the negotiating power in this time of great unemployment, this might be harder to do. But if we work ourselves to death, we’ve missed out on living.

Be mindful of the need for sloth.