Americans Who Call Europeans Lazy
Like a drunk who calls an occasional drinker a lightweight
At least where I come from, Americans often call Europeans lazy.
Probably where you come from, too.
Yet, we flock to the continent in droves to experience their wonderful, pedestrian-centered cities and towns where life happens outside in vibrant parks and plazas.
Do we not recognize the connection between this so-called laziness and a better quality of life?
I write a lot about my “struggle” — (the undoubtedly privileged struggle is real, baby!) — with shedding outdated, unhealthy and, ultimately, pointless notions of work ethic.
Work ethic. The thing that countless numbers of Americans (and others) latch onto with a sense of pride.
A work ethic that used to dominate my life. An all-consuming idea that I could always work more and, therefore, earn more (not true), so my time wasn’t well spent slacking (as in, doing something else, like taking a walk, instead of working).
When I used to have thoughts about working less — about my inclination to really only want to work a few hours a day, a few days a week — I experienced guilt.
