Sloth
Sloth is a habitual disinclination to exertion. This sin is unique in that it’s the only one characterized by a lack of something rather than an abundance of something.
For your slothful ways, your eternal home in hell will be a pit of snakes (a pit of sloths would be better).
Wisdom About Sloth
Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.
Niccolo Machiavelli
They whom necessity, or covetousness keepeth attent on their trades, and labour; and they, on the other side, whom superfluity, or sloth carrieth after their sensual pleasures; which two sorts of men take up the greatest part of mankind; being diverted from the deep meditation, which the learning of truth, not only in the matter of natural justice, but also of all other sciences necessarily requireth, receive the notions of their duty, chiefly from divines in the pulpit, and partly from such of their neighbours or familiar acquaintance, as having the faculty of discoursing readily, and plausibly, seem wiser and better learned in cases of law and conscience, than themselves.
Thomas Hobbes
Thou seest how sloth wastes the sluggish body, as water is corrupted unless it moves.
Ovid
You must avoid sloth, that wicked siren.
Horace
Headaches are for sloths as hangovers for drunks.
Ahmed Mostafa
Virtual Antidote: Diligence
The virtue of diligence speaks of similar virtues like tenacity, persistence, consistency, perseverance and dedication. Diligence may be described as an attitude exhibiting constant and earnest effort to accomplish what has been undertaken, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a person.
Ways to Practice Diligence
- Define your goals and write them down.
- Seek to take even the smallest step each day. The direction of movement is what's important, not the speed of progress.
- Create habits based on time of day and hold them sacred.
- Recognize that it's hard. Forgive yourself for failings and start again tomorrow.
- Never, never, never, never give up. - Winston Churchill