I wrote this article for the December 2006 issue of Nexus Technologies’ Fun Times magazine. Enjoy.

There is something about laziness that makes me think of it as one of the most profitable ventures of human behavior, right at the top along with food and sex.

Take today, for example, where on my way to work I passed by this blind panhandler along Quezon Avenue playing to the tune of the hit novelty single “Boom tarat tarat”. I was entertained by his song choice that I felt compelled to give him something for his efforts. I would have, except I was just too lazy to do it. It would have taken me less than 5 seconds to reach into my pocket for a coin and drop it into his tin can as I passed him by. Except I could have used that measly 5 seconds to pick my nose, spit on the ground, or ponder upon the meaning of life, existence, and the profitability of laziness. Or maybe I simply delighted in doing nothing.

Just think about it: how many everday products we could live without, but cannot simply because we are too lazy to do things the hard way? How many times have you received an SMS message from someone (and replied to it) when you could have talked over the phone (assuming both of you had access to a landline)? Why is it that you’d rather spend a minute (or les dan 5 secs 4 sum ppl) pouding on your cell phones keypad than make a call and have a decent conversation? Why do people prefer spending thousands of pesos for a copy of Microsoft Wnidows Vista when you could get Linux, a decent and powerful operating system, for free? Maybe because you live in the Philippines and your copy came from your neighbor’s 6 year-old son who know how to get “originally pirated” software from “w4r3z” and “bittorrent” sites. Or maybe you are just too lazy to spend time learning a new OS. How many of you are willing to shell out 30-50 bucks on cab fare just to get to that Starbucks two and a half buildings away? How many of you are willing to pay a leg and a half for that hot cup of Starbucks expresso when you could have made one yourself back in the office? Is it easier to pay other people to do the things you could have done yourself?

I think that the most profitable products are those that let us enjoy idleness. Who can live without at least a television, a radio, an iPod, a DVD player, a PlayStation, night-outs, or dine-outs? The list goes on and on. Who can live without a good couch? Some genius actually got it when he called his couch the “Lazy Boy”. Remind me to get myself one when I get rich.

So the next time that big multinational company comes up to you asking for a quote on a project, take a moment to appreciate the fact that they’d rather pay you to do the dirty job. I am sure there are a number of products yet to be discovered that would translate to huge amounts of cash for anyone who can leverage on our innate laziness. Something I leave to you to think about because I’m feeling kind of lazy right now.

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