Laziness Does Not Exist

In Laziness Does Not Exist, Price challenges conventional wisdom by highlighting the numerous benefits of what society often labels as “laziness.” He argues that periods of rest and idleness are natural and essential for well-being, creativity, and overall productivity.

One significant benefit of laziness that Price emphasizes is its role in increasing happiness. He introduces the concept of “savoring” that was developed by positive psychology researcher Dr. Fred Bryant. Savoring involves taking time to fully appreciate and enjoy positive experiences, which can lead to greater happiness and life satisfaction. Price writes: “Research by Fred and his colleagues has shown that savoring has many benefits. When a person engages in savoring, time seems to slow down; the details of the moment become lush and vivid” (115). On the other hand, “dampening” is a phenomenon that “occurs when we suck the life out of a positive experience by distracting ourselves from it, worrying about the future, or focusing on small imperfections that we ought to just ignore” (116). Price points out that the Laziness Lie leads to dampening, which in turn leads to unhappiness. He says: “Research has uncovered four mental habits that tend to dampen a person’s happiness and make them more miserable.