{"id":141886,"date":"2025-02-24T14:49:28","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T18:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=141886"},"modified":"2026-01-22T21:04:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:04:32","slug":"laziness-isnt-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Laziness Isn&#8217;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Have you ever wondered why you feel guilty for taking a break, even when you&#8217;re exhausted? Why do so many successful people secretly fear they&#8217;re not doing enough, despite their accomplishments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social psychologist Devon Price challenges our productivity-obsessed culture in his thought-provoking book, <em>Laziness Does Not Exist<\/em>. The concept that &#8220;laziness isn&#8217;t real&#8221; forms the foundation of Price&#8217;s argument that what we perceive as lack of motivation actually masks deeper barriers, systemic inequalities, or unmet human needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discover how centuries-old beliefs about productivity may be harming your well-being, relationships, and society as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-myth-of-laziness\"><strong>The Myth of Laziness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When Price argues that \u201claziness isn&#8217;t real,\u201d what he\u2019s saying is that <strong>we\u2019ve all bought into the myth that our value as individuals is directly tied to our productivity, <\/strong>and that people who don\u2019t appear to be highly driven must be morally bankrupt in some way. The consequence of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/cultural-mindset\/\">cultural mindset<\/a> is that many of us work ourselves to exhaustion, feel ashamed for all the things we haven\u2019t accomplished, and discount the hard work and struggles of people who haven\u2019t achieved as much as we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: For most business experts, \u201cproductivity\u201d isn\u2019t a dirty word, though some define it differently than Price does. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-productivity-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Productivity Project<\/em><\/a>, Chris Bailey says that productivity isn&#8217;t about doing a <em>lot<\/em>, but about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-productivity-project#what-is-productivity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doing what <em>matters<\/em><\/a>. He doesn&#8217;t promote productivity as an end in itself, but he argues that you can harness productivity to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/steps-to-achieve-your-goals\/\">reach your goals<\/a> and gain back time to pursue what&#8217;s most meaningful to you. In other words, he argues that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-productivity-project#get-clear-on-your-why\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">productivity is good if you pursue it for the right reasons<\/a>, such as wanting to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spending-time-with-your-loved-ones\/\">spend more time with your family<\/a> or pursuing a creative vision you find compelling. To be a positive force, your productivity must reflect your own values, not the toxic societal expectation that Price draws attention to.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price argues that <strong>contemporary beliefs about productivity and laziness are destructive to both the mind and the body.<\/strong> These beliefs can make you ignore your basic needs and work yourself beyond healthy limits while constantly shaming yourself for not doing enough, whether in your career or your personal life. Perhaps you regularly work overtime out of the fear that if you don\u2019t, you won\u2019t meet expectations and might even get fired. Perhaps you neglect your self-care to prioritize someone else\u2019s needs, feeling that if you set aside time for yourself, you\u2019ll let them down. Or, maybe you\u2019ve put off vacations for years because you\u2019re trapped in a cage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/societal-pressures\/\">societal expectations<\/a> and demands on how you should really spend your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/slow-productivity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Slow Productivity<\/em><\/a>, Cal Newport backs up Price\u2019s argument that our modern ideal of productivity is flawed. What Newport refers to as \u201cpseudo-productivity\u201d emphasizes constant activity at the expense of progress toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/meaningful-goals\/\">meaningful goals<\/a>. The more sustainable alternative is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/slow-productivity#an-alternative-slow-productivity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">do fewer things at a natural pace<\/a>, with a greater <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/obsess-over-quality\/\">focus on quality<\/a>. This requires streamlining your tasks, being selective about what you take on, and relaxing the pace at which you complete projects. Newport argues that slowing down pays off if you combine it with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/slow-productivity#principle-3-do-your-best-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a commitment to producing top-quality work<\/a> that makes your achievements more rewarding.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-anyone-really-lazy\"><strong>Is Anyone Really Lazy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So many of us have internalized the fear of being seen as lazy that no one\u2019s immune to this toxic way of thinking. Price points out that <strong>many highly accomplished individuals secretly think of themselves as lazy, <\/strong>from the movie star who\u2019s afraid that he\u2019s not doing enough films to the successful entrepreneur who never leaves the office because she fears she\u2019s not doing enough to keep her business afloat. Even though these people may have accomplished much that others only dream about, our society\u2019s beliefs about hard work and laziness dictate that, no matter what, you could always be doing something more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: The feelings of inadequacy Price describes are also common in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/how-to-be-yourself\/201708\/nine-ways-to-fight-impostor-syndrome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">imposter syndrome<\/a>, a psychological pattern where people (who often belong to marginalized populations) doubt their achievements and fear being exposed as frauds. For some, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/advice\/5-different-types-of-imposter-syndrome-and-5-ways-to-battle-each-one\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">imposter syndrome manifests as perfectionism<\/a>\u2014a feeling that nothing is ever good enough and can be better, if only you work harder and longer. To <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2021\/06\/cover-impostor-phenomenon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">counteract imposter syndrome<\/a>, experts recommend acknowledging and documenting your achievements, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/seek-feedback\/\">seeking feedback<\/a> from trusted peers or mentors, and challenging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/negative-thinking-patterns\/\">negative thought patterns<\/a> through <a href=\"https:\/\/bayareacbtcenter.com\/top-therapy-tips-to-overcome-imposter-syndrome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cognitive behavioral techniques<\/a>. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/science\/psychology\/overcoming-imposter-syndrome\/\">Get more advice on defeating imposter syndrome.<\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Price, the most pernicious aspect of our collective fixation on accomplishment is that <strong>we\u2019re taught to apply the \u201clazy\u201d label to people who haven\u2019t achieved traditional measures of success. <\/strong>This mindset is especially harmful and unfair to those of us facing complex personal circumstances and systemic barriers. Price says that too often, those who struggle with financial problems, suffer from mental illness, or have to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-overcome-bias\/\">overcome prejudice<\/a> daily are accused of being lazy when they don\u2019t\u2014or <em>can\u2019t<\/em>\u2014conform to society\u2019s stereotype of success. Price argues that not only is calling these people \u201clazy\u201d unhelpful, but it\u2019s also a destructive lie that contributes to the problems they have to live with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: While Price blames society as a whole for unfairly stigmatizing certain groups as \u201clazy,\u201d some may be more guilty than others. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/poverty-by-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Poverty, by America<\/em><\/a>, Matthew Desmond says that politicians are major culprits in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/poverty-by-america\/1-page-summary#false-explanation-3-lack-of-work-ethic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">associating poverty with a lack of work ethic<\/a>, which they use to justify not spending public funds on poverty-relief efforts. According to Desmond, this reflects an ideology that giving assistance to the poor will discourage them from working. However, he notes that based on employment data during the Covid-19 pandemic, government provisions that gave cash assistance to poor families did <em>not <\/em>discourage people from seeking employment\u2014 demonstrating that the \u201claziness\u201d assumption is false.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-origins-of-laziness\"><strong>The Origins of Laziness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If our ideas about hard work and laziness are so harmful, then how have they become so widespread? In essence, <strong>we all learn these beliefs from a combination of early life experiences and societal messaging.<\/strong> Price describes how deeply the roots of these ideas are embedded in Western culture, particularly in the United States, and how they\u2019re reinforced by pop culture, our teachers, our leaders, and even our parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price explains that <strong>the belief that your productivity equals your worth is inextricably linked with the rise of American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/capitalism-theory\/\">capitalism<\/a>.<\/strong> He traces it back to the Puritan settlers who brought with them the conviction that hard work in this life would be met with heavenly rewards. In the US, at least, it was the Puritans who first equated the quality and quantity of your work with character and moral fiber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this outlook on the moral value of work took a dark turn when it was used to rationalize slavery\u2014if so-called \u201clesser\u201d people were inherently lazy, as the cultural lie dictated, then forcing them to work became a twisted form of redemption. Price says that another (possibly intentional) effect of the hard work mentality is that it kept workers too exhausted and busy to organize, rise up, and rebel against their oppressors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever wondered why you feel guilty for taking a break, even when you&#8217;re exhausted? Why do so many successful people secretly fear they&#8217;re not doing enough, despite their accomplishments? Social psychologist Devon Price challenges our productivity-obsessed culture in his thought-provoking book, Laziness Does Not Exist. The concept that &#8220;laziness isn&#8217;t real&#8221; forms the foundation of Price&#8217;s argument that what we perceive as lack of motivation actually masks deeper barriers, systemic inequalities, or unmet human needs. Discover how centuries-old beliefs about productivity may be harming your well-being, relationships, and society as a whole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":142013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9],"tags":[1750],"class_list":["post-141886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-psychology","tag-laziness-does-not-exist","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Laziness Isn&#039;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You&#039;re not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn&#039;t determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Laziness Isn&#039;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You&#039;re not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn&#039;t determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"616\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\"},\"headline\":\"Laziness Isn&#8217;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\"},\"wordCount\":1217,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Laziness Does Not Exist\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"Psychology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\",\"name\":\"Laziness Isn't Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"You're not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn't determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp\",\"width\":1100,\"height\":616,\"caption\":\"A person laying in bed, wondering if laziness is real\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Laziness Isn&#8217;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\",\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Katie Doll\"},\"description\":\"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.\",\"knowsAbout\":[\"Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Laziness Isn't Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth - Shortform Books","description":"You're not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn't determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Laziness Isn't Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth","og_description":"You're not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn't determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1100,"height":616,"url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Katie Doll","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie Doll","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/"},"author":{"name":"Katie Doll","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937"},"headline":"Laziness Isn&#8217;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth","datePublished":"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/"},"wordCount":1217,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","keywords":["Laziness Does Not Exist"],"articleSection":["Lifestyle","Psychology"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/","name":"Laziness Isn't Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","datePublished":"2025-02-24T18:49:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T01:04:32+00:00","description":"You're not lazy\u2014your productivity doesn't determine your worth. Learn how to break free from the harmful myth that laziness is real.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","width":1100,"height":616,"caption":"A person laying in bed, wondering if laziness is real"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/laziness-isnt-real\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Laziness Isn&#8217;t Real: The Truth Behind the Toxic Cultural Myth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937","name":"Katie Doll","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Katie Doll"},"description":"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.","knowsAbout":["Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lazy-in-real.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141886"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147855,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141886\/revisions\/147855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}