Many folks feel pressured to be more productive or believe they should always be doing more. After all, no one wants to be perceived as lazy. However, a decades-old quote that celebrates the value of being “lazy,” along with a recent scientific study, suggests that doing less might actually be the smarter move.
During 1947 testimony before the U.S. Senate, Clarence Bleicher, a Chrysler executive and president of the company’s DeSoto division, offered an unexpected perspective on “lazy” workers:
“I have taught my foremen this for some months now—if you get a tough job, one that is hard, and you haven’t got a way to make it easy, put a lazy man on it, and after ten days he will have an easy way to do it, and you perfect that way and you will have it in pretty good shape.”
Over time, the quote was shortened to: “I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult (or hard) job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” For decades, the saying was misattributed to several prominent figures, including billionaire Bill Gates.
Study supports Bleicher’s point
Regardless of the quote’s origin, its central idea received scientific support in a 2026 study. Led by psychologist Nathalie André at the University of Poitiers, the neuroscience researchers found that people and animals behave according to the “principle of least effort.” In other words, what we often call “laziness” may simply reflect a natural tendency to seek the easiest path to a reward while avoiding unnecessary effort or punishment.
While they may appear inactive, their brains are constantly weighing whether the effort is worth the reward. That cost isn’t limited to physical exertion. It can also include the time required, mental fatigue, frustration, or anxiety a task may bring.
The researchers found that “lazy” people aren’t opposed to challenges. Instead, they’re selective about how they invest their mental and physical energy. That may explain why a student is labeled a “slacker” by a math teacher but “studious” by an advanced English professor. The brain naturally gravitates toward tasks that feel the most rewarding while also trying to accomplish them with the least amount of effort needed to succeed.
Energy exerted differently
While being hardworking is admirable, a 2016 study by psychologist Todd McElroy supports the findings of the newer research. McElroy found that people with a greater need for cognition tended to devote more energy to mentally solving problems than to physical action. In other words, the people often labeled “lazy” weren’t avoiding effort—they were simply directing their energy differently.
He also found that both cognitive and physical problem solvers performed better when they got more sleep. The point is that if your body is telling you to take an afternoon nap, it may not be laziness motivating you. Instead, it could be your body’s way of restoring the mental and physical reserves needed to be more innovative and efficient afterward.
So if you’re focused on a problem or task yet aren’t physically doing anything, know that your “laziness” may simply be your brain searching for the most efficient use of your effort. Who knows? You may stumble upon a solution that’s more efficient than the one everyone else eventually adopts.
