Let’s look at a sign of academic “laziness” that I believe is anything but: procrastination. People love to blame procrastinators for their behavior. Putting off work sure looks lazy, to an untrained eye. Even the people who are actively doing the procrastinating can mistake their behavior for laziness. You’re supposed to be doing something, and you’re not doing it — that’s a moral failure right? That means you’re weak-willed, unmotivated,
June 8, 2025
The Myth of Self-Reliance
By Jenny Odell January 15, 2020 Arts & Culture An encounter with Emerson’s essays. Caspar David Friedrich, Woman before the Rising Sun, 1818 There’s a treacherously placed bookstore in my neighborhood. To go almost anywhere from my apartment, I have to pass Walden Pond Books, and it’s next door to my usual coffee shop, so even if I didn’t decide to go in on the first pass, I probably will
June 5, 2025
How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure
Executive Summary People are quick to blame themselves for failure. But not doing something because you’re afraid to get started isn’t going to help you grow. Here are four strategies to help you get over the hump. Start by redefining what failure means to you. If you define failure as the discrepancy between what you hope to achieve (such as getting a job offer) and what you might achieve (learning