Dangers of idleness
Idleness is a great vice and great danger. It is the father of all evils. Isaac watts once said, ``For Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do’’. There is also the proverb, ``an idle man’s brain is the devil’s workshop’’. This is very true. Having nothing t do, the idle man turns his attention to sin. A life of idleness is a life of sin. It brings with it misery and want. It is the root of all evil.
We sometimes think it would be very nice if we had no work to do. We envy the rich who do not have to work for a living, and have holidays from January to December. We wish to be idle like the rich. But idleness is not really happiness. No one who is idle all his days can enjoy real happiness. It is work that gives us real happiness. So we should not remain idle.
Again, an idle boy grows up to be an idle man. He makes no progress in life. He loses some of the best chances in his life simply because of his idleness. The story of the hare and the tortoise is to the point. The hare that was proud of his speed was beaten by the slow-moving tortoise, simply because the one idled away most of the race in sleeping while the other went on and on.
It is improper for a youth to be idle. Idleness eats away all his energies. He is a foolish person who says ``I have nothing to do’’. The world is full of suffering people. Try to remove their sufferings. What nobler work can there be?
The question now arises, `should the rich be idle?’’ the answer is, ``certainly not’’. If a rich man has not to work for his living, he can work by helping suffering humanity, besides, however rich a man may be, he cannot be idle without sacrificing happiness. The health of an idle person is bound to suffer, and without health there can be no happiness.
People who have not to work for their livelihood are less fortunate than those who have to earn their living. The former will soon become idle, unhealthy, discontented, and miserable, while the latter will always enjoy health, peace, and happiness.
So it follows that in order to be happy we must work. for idleness can never give us real happiness. An idle person is like a strong beggar, who does not earn his living by honest work. He cannot hold up his head high or command respect from others. Only an honest worker can enjoy respect and dignity.
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