#73 Procrastinating

Things are better off left undone – at least that’s the motto for those without a job. When unemployed people are given the option of being super productive given their ample time to get stuff done, they’re likely to squander their potential and leave everything until the bitter end. Procrastinating, often times, is the best defense mechanism the unemployed have to protect themselves against appearing fit enough to re-join the working world.

The thing is, if the unemployed give off the appearance that they can’t even handle doing things like paying bills on time, how are they going to be expected to hold down a decent job so they can finally stop leeching off the government? Granted, part of the reasoning behind their procratination has to do with playing the part society has given them – being irresponsible and useless. But the main reason behind procrastinating is because they’re lazy and don’t want to make any effort to do something unpleasant when there are better things to do – like eating, sleeping, drinking, etc. Sure, things get left behind but eventually they’ll get to the task on hand, even if it’s too late.

Like the chart mentions, when things get hard, procrastination rises because working hard equals pain – and that sort of pain is reserved for having a job. When collecting unemployment benefits, however, and having plenty of time to do things at a leisurely pace, some hard things just fall by the wayside. For example, being expected to research something for a working significant other is likely not going to happen unless it’s about an upcoming vacation. If it’s something like figuring out how to avoid foreclosure, chances are the facts won’t be known until after the sheriff has already posted a notice on the door. When asked what they’ve learned through the research, the unemployed will lie and say they didn’t get to it because they “got caught up in a job search” – quickly kicking their still-warm XBOX 360 controller under the couch.

Only on occassion will the unemployed take it upon themselves to finally take control of the situation and stop putting off their responsibilities, like cleaning and maintaining a healthy habitat. Sure, it might take neighbors reporting a bad smell eminating from the unemployed’s homes – something that is likely to happen when showers get put off, and throwing away week-old takeout containers seems like a waste of time. The sheer embarrassment of having cops show up with a coroner, or the chance a potential love interest will drop by, is enough to get anyone out of their wallowing state of procrastination. But until that happens, chances are if something needs to be done on a deadline, someone who’s unemployed is the last person to count on getting it done.

Tags: not applying for a job, not taking showers, procrastinating, staying shut in