I’ve begun questioning whether my choices are Stoic in nature or laziness in disguise.
The Stoic practice of voluntary discomfort aims to train the mind and body for hardship. It involves purposefully doing hard things in preparation for their possible occurrence in the future. Voluntary discomfort is taking cold showers a few times a month, stepping outside with no jacket, going a few hours without a phone, eating the same meal for a week straight, etc. These challenges are done to prove to yourself that you could handle a scenario when it happens for real.
I’ve reached a point where I say what I’m doing is voluntary discomfort when in reality, it may be laziness.
You’ll almost never see me where a winter jacket. Do I own one? Yes. So why don’t I wear it in the winter? I’m training myself to be impervious to the cold! That may make sense if I did it here and there, but it’s every day. I often wish I had worn a coat, but I think of excuses for why I didn’t – it’s hard for me to put on and take off, I don’t want to find a place for it, I’ll forget it, etc. These aren’t legitimate excuses I’m placing under the guise of Stoicism, they’re me being lazy.
It’s the same with my cooking. I eat practically the same three meals every day – oatmeal, tofu and chickpeas, tempeh and black beans. Nothing really changes and while I’m ok with that, it would be nice to have a delicious meal sometimes. I’ve proven I can eat cheaply and consistently, so why do I continue doing it if I don’t have to? It’s no longer voluntary discomfort, it’s laziness. I don’t want to find recipes, buy ingredients, prep vegetables, and cook for an hour.
If you can relate to this, it may be time to ask yourself, “Am I doing this for philosophy’s sake or am I just being lazy?”. You may not love the answer, but determining your laziness is the first step towards improving.
You don’t have to do a complete 180, especially with habits like cooking healthy meals. Changing routines too drastically can cause major slip-ups, so take it slow. Make an effort to try branching out. Wear a jacket sometimes, cook a fancy meal this week, just switch it up. You’ve proved you can do it, so enjoy life a little more.
May 12, 2023
