Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-10
LAZINESS AS A HABIT,
By H. Addington Bruce
YTERE are two brothers.
II Both go to bed about II o'cloc


TTERE are two brothers.
II Both go to bed about II o'clock at
night. Both are in good health
The workaday activities Of both are closely
similar. ~
But one brother rises at the stroke of six
every morning. He shaves and dresses
briskly He takes a short walk outdoor.
And he has ample time to look through the
morning paper before breakfast at 1880.
The other brother, likewise waking at six,
turns over in bed and falls asleep again. 1t
is after seven before he crawls grumblingly
out of bed, and usually it is nearly eight
when he puts in his appearance at the break
fast table.
a doting mother excuses him on the
ground that Games really needs more sleep
than John does" Perhaps she is right.
But the likelihood is that the difference
between the energy of John and the lazlness
Of James is chiefly matter of habit.
John rises at SIX not so much because
his constitution impels him to do so, as be-
cause he has consciously or unconsciously
trained himself to get out Of bed as soon as
he wakes.
Habit determines likewise the briskness
with which he shaves and dresses. Habit
sends him outdoors to benefit from the fresh
morning air.
If James could only be persuaded to fol-
low his example for while, if every morning
adopt Johns before-breakfast routine, it is
safe to predict that soon he would not have
to force himself to do SO.
Whereas, on the opposite, If John were to
resolve to stay abed until seven for few
mornings, he would presently find himself
developing habit of late rising singularly
akin to that now so deplorably evident in
James.
So with energy and laziness in other hui
man activities. Again and again habit is
the determining factor
Men may work eight, ten or twelve hours
a. day because they are SO interested in their
work that they want to work eight, ten or
twelve hours. But often it is habit rather
than desire that keeps them hard at work.
And, even if desire to work be present as
a result of intense interest in the work, it
is entirely possible to undermine this by
establishing habit of stopping work early.
1t needs only few days or shorter work
ing activity to make it more natural to
stop work at three or four than to continue
working until five or six as formerly.
Whereas, on the contrary, the man accus-
toned to stop work at three or four, may
find it just as natural to work longer, if
for period he force himself to work longer.
Little by little his voluntary increased
devotion to work will, through habit, become
persist in the longer working day. without
effort, without giving the matter second
thought
Just as the energetic John rises at six be-
cause it is his habit to rise at six, so will
the whilom work-dodger acquire work habit
that makes continuance at work easy for
him.
1 commend these facts to the considera-
ton of all who have to confesss themselves
lazy. They can unfailingly cure their lazi-
ness-unless, perchance, it is rooted in ill
health--if only they will for time force
themselves to the effort necessary to estab-
iish the salutary habit of greater activity.
Copyright, 1920, by the Associated News
papers.)