Sunday, September 13, 2015

Lessons from the Dude

Epistemic closure, in a modern sense, describes the act of stubbornly clinging to a belief system despite evidence to the contrary. In a political example, it's the refusal of educated men and women to acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence that suggests that humankind is contributing to the warming of the planet.

That closure is made more durable by the natural human instinct to seek information that buttresses our beliefs, confirms our biases. 

With that as preface, none of it is relevant to this discussion of an important new article about procrastination. As someone who struggles daily with that particular personal failing, my interest in Jonathan Malesic's hypothesis that procrastination in and of itself is a net positive is purely academic, I assure you. By no means did I read Malesic's piece and immediately file it away as justification for spending most of today lounging around the house and watching sports. 

I would've done that anyway.

Malesic, a professor of theology at King's College, had me at "The challenge is not to stop procrastinating; it is to procrastinate well and without guilt." The New Republic editors didn't hurt their cause by featuring a photo of the Dude abiding above the headline. Jeffrey Lebowski may, in fact, be the poster boy for procrastinating well and without guilt.

Couching his argument in the context of an increasingly knowledge-based and always-on work environment, Malesic proposes that procrastination is healthy, even necessary. "Procrastination, then, is not a failure of will; it is instead a rational way to safeguard self and sanity against work’s expansion."

I've always considered myself a rational person. Now I've got confirmation. Which in no way implies that I'm reading into Malesic's work a meaning that justifies my instinct. No way at all.

Here I am (and Monday I'll be) safeguarding self and sanity. May you feel good about putting off today what could be done tomorrow.

30 comments:

Danimal said...

Great day yesterday Mark. Would have gone 0-2 if not for the Sooners comeback.

Heading to Jags game today with entire family. I'm sure this will turn out to be a great idea.

Dave said...

new shit has come to light . . . "inherent vice" is a rambling mess, and seems like it wants to be the big lebowski, but it doesn't quite have the humor-- i'm going on three days of watching and i still haven't finished it, nor do i know what's going on. did anyone watch this thing?

Clarence said...

This post is Clarence approved.

zman said...

Thank god for alka seltzer.

T.J. said...

Nihilists, dude

TR said...

I tried the book, Dave, but couldn't get through 40 pages. I'm a PTA fanboy, but haven't watched it yet. But the collective silence of the typically adoring critics speaks volumes.

zman said...

Nice marmot.

TR said...

RIP, Moses.

Dave said...

i love pynchon but skipped the book, didn't hear much, and i love paul thomas anderson and the critics are kind of favorable on the movie and i don't understand why. i just watched twenty more minutes, i am determined to make it through but it's two and a half hours . ..

zman said...

Looks like Stevie Wonder designed these new Browns uniforms.

Mark said...

Just finished a mini summit brunch with Marls, Mrs. Marls and Cousin Marls. Good times. Will probably meet up for a little beer and football later as well.

Mark said...

Somebody commented that the Browns jerseys look like the old Fubu jerseys. I agree.

Clarence said...

Skins. Killing me. Again.

zman said...

zson refuses to believe that the word "cucumber" doesn't start with the letter q.

mr kq said...

Wheels up Dooblin for some golf and rugby. Cheers lads.

Danimal said...

Jags and Bucs game could be competitive Mark....we got that goin for us.

Mark said...

The Bucs are a fucking embarrassment. Luckily I had my back turned to the screen as I enjoyed some beers with Marls and Co.

TR said...

"Marls & Co." sounds like a corporation. But what would its business be?

rob said...

latex, drinking, and motivational speaking

rob said...

some big boy tennising happening in new york

zman said...

Marl & Co. is all about lambskins, not latex. They import diapers and export potato chips.

I've never seen Federer look as nervous as he did in the first set.

TR said...

Would be Novak's 10th major if he won, leaving him seven behind Roger at the age of 28.

zman said...

Seven is kind of a lot. McEnroe won seven. Edberg and Becker have six each.

rob said...

federer blew it in the third set. he had chances. it's over now.

zman said...

I blame it on his outfit.

rob said...

z, what do you think of this sabr kerfuffle? i think it's complete and utter nonsense. players have been sneaking in on second serves since the game was invented. boris becker is acting like it's akin to wearing white after labor day, an affront to societal norms.

zman said...

I think it's fine. No one has come to net in like 15 years so seeing roger come in close on a second serve seems abnormal. But it used to happen more.

zman said...

Wow.

zman said...

Wow.

Shlara said...

Djoker
Onions

And Becker still looks awful