The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth

 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 

Romans 7:15

I’m writting this article with no intent to preach about christianity. So whether you’re christian, muslim, atheist etc, you are welcome to read.

In previous article, I talked about lust and how it can affect one own’s life. Though lust is very easy to understand, the sin sloth is not very straigthfoward. Sloth is always associated with laziness, state of inaction and not doing something you are supposed to do. However inaction is only a manifestation of sloth. Sloth could be manifested in a form of action as well.

Sloth is not laziness or inaction. Those are only a form it manifest from oneself. In fact, I can still be busy while being slothful. Sloth is an attempt to escape from discomfort mindlessly. Slothful person approach discomfort without truly understanding themselves. As a result, they choose action that often perceived as irresponsible by people around them.

When you find yourself being slothful, it is really important to approach it with understanding and empathy. After all, you are in pain. you are continuously tested with discomfort.

You might find yourself feel discomfort at physical, mental and emotional level at the same time. in that condition, it is reasonable why one can fall into sloth. Hence, you have to learn to deal with discomfort

Be aware of yourself

One trait that is needed to deal with discomfort is the ability to be aware of yourself. To become sensetive with yourself. To notice the state of tiredness and emotional burden of yourself. And instead of giving up yourself to it, you begin to ask “why do I feel this way”. You don’t try to judge it. You just acknowledge it is there.

When you are not aware of your own state, it is really easy to take mindless action. For me, it is always doomscrolling tiktok or social media. This is where discomfort turn into sloth.

Decide it yourself

Another trait that I see I lack when im becoming slothful is the ability to refer to myself. To be sepcific, the ability to decide for myself. I think the majority of people lack the ability to decide for themselves. When they face problem or discomfort, they want other people to decide “what’s next” for them. If a person always depending on others to make decision, later, he will discover himself unable to hear his own voice

After you become aware of your own discomfort and the why behind it, ask yourself, what you should do next.

Never assume what sloth looks like

Last year, I started my first job. I would find myself feeling guilty if I take a rest during working hours. I feel like I’m slacking off. It takes me months to realize that it is normal to feel tired and take a rest during working hours.

Human body have limitation and working 8 hours straight with peak attention is just not possible. I am not being slothful for taking a rest. If you think about it, sleeping also is a form of escape from discomfort. However, isn’t it is our responsibility to take care of our own body? So can I say I am being slothful when I am just being responsible of my own health?

So just do what is right for you. If you are not lying to yourself, you are definitely not slacking off.

Anyone that hear about discipline will often think of order and obligation. If you break the rule, you should feel guilty. You should feel worhtless.This kind of disicpline is very authorarian.

Its very nature is based on external validation, pressure and fear. The discipline I talk about is the opposite of this. To quote the German-American social philosopher Erich Fromm in The Art of Loving:

It is essential, however, that discipline should not be practiced like a rule imposed on oneself from the outside, but that it becomes an expression of one’s own will; that it is felt as pleasant, and that one slowly accustoms oneself to a kind of behavior which one would eventually miss, if one stopped practicing it.

Discomfort will turn into sloth the moment you give up and lost sense of yourself. Be aware of your tiredness and emotional state and make your own decision on what you should do next. The task you are doing should not feel like obligation, but coming from your own will. It is a practice that one should continuously approach.

Thank you for reading!