In Praise of Laziness

I just finished making a video entitled In Praise of Laziness. It is a glorious, uproarious five-minute animation starring humanity's greatest thinkers stingingly rebuking the concept of hard work and embracing the power of laziness.

In Praise of Laziness is quirky, funny, delightfully shocking, and playfully profound. I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

To view, please click here www.lazyway.net/movie.

For the maximum experience:

1. Watch until after the credits for a surprise ending.
2. Turn up the sound. The music specially composed for this video is superb.
3. If you have a fast computer, the icon in the lower right-hand corner (next to the speaker icon) expands the video to full screen.

Let me know how you like it.

Fred

Comments

[Seamus Anthony]

Hey Fred - great to have you back to the world of blogging. You are a personal hero of mine and I mean that :-)

Hey you might like this - 10 Reasons Why Being a Lazy Dude is Actually a Good Thing

http://snurl.com/lazydude

I am off to check out your video!

[Tish Berge]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you so much for this great piece!

[Alyssa]

I agree with Seamus... it's very good to have you back. :)

That was really enjoyable! Great quotes and I loved the playful animation. I'm just curious what kind of software was used to make it...

I especially enjoyed the surprise ending. :)

[Benjamin]

Entertaining video, and good to see you're still alive in the hammock.

[Rik]

Uncle Fred,

Been waiting to hear about your new golf book and this video was a beautifully charming surprise. If it's OK with you I will put a link to it on my new Fortune Flourishing Fun blog @ http://www.fortuneflourishingfun.com which has a lot of inspiration from the Lazy Way to Success.

[Jay]

I really enjoyed the video. Excellent job, Uncle Fred!

[Kandra]

Hey Fred, when are you coming out with a paperback version of your book? I can't afford the hardcover.

[Matt Long]

Fred,

Where do I begin. Now that you blogged again, I feel inspired to be Lazy!

Thank you!
Matt Long

[Torley]

I'm going to watch this soon, after blogging about being lazy. The Flash player already looks like it's one of the more beautiful I've come across.

[Raviram]

Guys,

Don't be just lazy. You will get bored. Do something to get inspired. I visited this blog and found it very interesting with real life stories of success.

Lazy friends, click here

http://changeminds.wordpress.com/

Raviram

[The Slacker]

Nice video!

Hey, I think I'm going to check out your book.
Check out my site when you get a chance:

http://www.theslackermethod.com

[Tony Camero]

Great job on this animation. So good, in fact, I borrowed it to drive home a point in my own blog post this morning, thanks!~

Tony Camero
http://steamywonder.com/blog/

[Jannie]

Sir, I am sorry. I did not like it.

I loved it! Feeling all warm and happy now for having the true me affirmed as o.k.

In fact, I think I'll go now and watch it again, and turn up that music just a tad more.

[Lazy2Work]

Very well designed video!

It's very inspiring to see the great people supporting the laziness. Is it OK to put a link to this movie on my site?

Please check out my site on fun ways to overcome laziness at http://www.Lazy2Work.com

[Ian Wilson]

What a brilliant video! I loved it and the music was perfect.
Im going to start now to live the lazy way- work smart not harder!

[mathan]

THE VIDEO WAS EXCELLENT AND THE MUSIC WAS AMAZING. I HAVE GIVEN AN EXAMPLE OF LAZINESS http://mathancts.blogspot.com/2009/01/example-of-laziness.html

[Gerardo]

Great post looking forward reading other post

[Jack Zufelt]

Great video. I guess "smart laziness" is the equivalent really of "work smart, not hard".

[André Loibl]

Hi Fred! ;-)
I love that video - especially all the cool "effects" that remind me of Monty Python... ;-)
Great lazy job done... ;-)

Many love and greetings from Germany! ;-)

André

[Ambitiously Lazy]

Great video! Too bad I didn't have this in high school, this may have got the teachers off my back. My favorite quote was from WC at the end, great line! Happy Blogging

[Sharon Wilson - Seeing You Soar & Shine in 2009]

People can spend most of the time at their work place and do absolutely nothing. But a clever and intelligent worker knows the tact to spend less time at work but at the same time do a great job. This is what is known as the lazy way to success.

[Shane McRae]

I'm your newest convert to laziness having just finished the Lazy Way to Success. Feeling euphoric with a silly grin on my face I wandered over here to see what else you have to say. I won't put too much work into telling you I loved the video, love the concept of laziness, and treasure the book.
Thank you,
Shane

[Diggy]

Heeey:)
Awesome video I really enjoyed it:)
I think the saying applies "Do what you love and you never have to work a day of your life"

I think that is the key to being happy and successful:)

[raivo pommer-eesti.]

Raivo Pommer
[email protected]

KfW Bank

Die staatliche KfW Bankengruppe hat 2008 einen Verlust von 2,66 Milliarden Euro verbucht. Ursachen waren unter anderem die Rettung der früheren Tochter IKB und die Pleite der amerikanischen Bank Lehman Brothers, sowie die Probleme in Island in Höhe von zusammen 0,7 Milliarden Euro, wie die KfW am Freitag in Frankfurt mitteilte.

1,2 Milliarden Euro verschlangen allein die Risikoabschirmung und der Verkauf der IKB. Insgesamt habe das Engagement bei dem Düsseldorfer Institut, das sich mit riskanten Wertpapieren verspekuliert hatte, damit 8,4 Milliarden Euro gekostet. Abschreibungen auf Wertpapiere belasteten die KfW 2008 mit 1,5 Milliarden Euro.

„Dieser Abschluss ist in Gänze überhaupt nicht befriedigend“

Bereits im Vorjahr war bei der Bank, die dem Bund und den Ländern gehört, ein Verlust von 6,2 Milliarden Euro entstanden. „Dieser Abschluss ist in Gänze überhaupt nicht befriedigend“, sagte KfW-Vorstandschef Ulrich Schröder.

Im operativen Geschäft sei die Ertragskraft aber hoch und das Geschäftsmodell müsse nicht angepasst werden. Das Betriebsergebnis vor Bewertung stieg auf den Rekordwert von 1,58 (1,36) Milliarden Euro. Von dem für 2009 geplanten Refinanzierungsbedarf von 75 Milliarden Euro habe die KfW bereits 37 Prozent gedeckt. Im laufenden Jahr wolle die Bank wieder „deutlich schwarze Zahlen“ schreiben.

Die KfW ging aus der Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau hervor und ist zu 80 Prozent im Besitz des Bundes. 20 Prozent halten die Bundesländer.

[raivo pommer-eesti-www.google.ee]

raivo pommer-eesti-www.google.ee
[email protected]

Schwedische Börse profitiert von kompetitiver Abwertung und billiger kroner

Kaum ist der „großartige“ G-20-Gipfel vorbei, so fallen an den internationalen Finanzmärkten die Tarnkappen. Nachdem die makroökonomischen Ungleichgewichte und Währungen offensichtlich bei den Diskussionen kaum eine Rollen spielten, kehren die Anleger im Rahmen des in den vergangenen Tagen aufgekommenen Wirtschaftsoptimismus zu altbewährten Strategien zurück.

Sie lassen am Devisenmarkt mit den Yen und dem Schweizer Franken die üblichen Verdächtigen abwerten. Denn erstens haben diese Staaten ihre Zinsen schon immer tief gehalten. Zudem machen sie inzwischen mit „unkonventionellen geldpolitischen Maßnahmen“ deutlich, dass sie unbedingt schwache Währungen haben wollen, um den kompetitiven Status ihrer Exportbereiche zu wahren oder gar im Vergleich mit konkurrierenden Staaten zu verbessern.

Schweden macht vor, wie das gehen kann. Der reale effektive Wechselkurs des Landes läuft schon seit Jahren im Trend nach unten. Und in den vergangenen Wochen haben sie auf die globale Wirtschaftsschwäche, die sich im kleinen, stark am Export orientierten Land deutlich bemerkbar macht, mit massiven Zinssenkungen reagiert. Die schwedische Zentralbank hat den Leitzins mit massiven Schritten von 4,75 Prozent noch im Oktober des vergangenen Jahres auf zuletzt ein Prozent gesenkt. Genau das ließ die schwedische Krone gegen den Dollar um 30 und gegen den Euro um bis zu 20 Prozent abwerten

[Spencer]

Absolute genius!

Many years back when I was a new to the work force, I thought working harder was best. Turns out that is a myth. From one of the laziest people I ever knew, this is his response to my question, "Hey man why don't you stop screwing off and get something done?"

This wise UAW worker responded, "I have a theory in life."

I thought to myself, "Oh this oughtta be rich." And he went on, "Why stand when you can sit and why sit when you can lay." Pure honest gold from a true lazy man.

[Mike]

Great work! Thank you for the much-needed compilation. My best ideas have come not between the hours of 9 and 6pm but when I've been lazing about, outside, on the weekend.

[Jeff Greenstein]

Fred,

I think your video is great! I personally bookmarked your blog and the video and I have been writing down quotes from that video because they are inspirational!

I like your take on laziness and wish I could get away with saying that. As a 21 year old striving to become a credible professional, being strategic is what I need to call it.

I will check back on your blog for motivation and further inspiration. I too have a blog and would appreciate you checking it out!

It is a Performance & Success Advice Blog and can be found at http://www.PerformanceSuccessAdvice.blogspot.com

Please check in and make comments and raise points that you think are important from your professional vantage point of experience!

Keep up the good work!

Jeff Greenstein

[Beth Banning]

What an awesome vid! Really looks you put a lot of effort into it. :) Love the music too!

[Jon- The Wandering Generalist]

To be honest, the title almost turned me away. But now I see you are more in favor of "working smart", basically the same thing. Productive efficiency might be an alternative.

[Paul Maurice Martin]

Imaginative concept -

[Mark Dobson]

Excellent, has ridden me from my feelings of guilt from doing nothing!

;)

[Beth Banning]

I absolutely love the video! Very creative and very inspiring for me to actually DO something productive. =)

I laughed out loud when I read Benjamin Franklin's quote. If I do have his brain, I'll join him as the laziest woman in the world.

[Jason Shick]

Thanks for the video, it was quite enjoyable. I am going to have to get a copy of your book. Good job on the video by the way.

[cristy]

That is a good news google

[Roberto]

Wonderfun video!!! I am too lazy to write longer.

[Lazy Creative]

Some thoughts similar to represented in this video I had already on my own.
Cheers all the lazy people!

[Lazy Creative]

All the lazy people would probably appreciate concept of this blog:
http://supportcreativelaziness.wordpress.com/

[Mtn Jim Fisher]

Magnifico! just wrote this post and put a link to your video in it Fred!
http://www.outsourcingcontrol.com/the-lazyway-mindset-outsourcing-by-necessity/

thanks for the inspiration!

Mtn Jim

[jobs for international students]

I loved it! Feeling all warm and happy now for having the true I affirmed as o.k. I really enjoyed the video. Excellent job, My favorite quote was from WC at the end, great line!

[Medhini]

The movie was Brilliant. You are truly Wise. By the way most "busy "people don´t know that the hardest thing to do in life is to do nothing and just be!
Medhini

[Jack's Muscle Building Diets]

i love the video! i enjoy every bits of it and the quotations too, i love how it says that there's a lot of ways to enjoy work.

- Jack Leak

[Dean Garrison]

Fred, stumbled upon a blog and had to watch that movie. Very well done. Got a few pleasant chuckles and at least one belly laugh. I needed that. Keep on blogging.

[Guide to success]

this one was cool...i liked the video...keep uploading this kind of stuff...superlike...

[YW Purnomosidhi]

I love it. It's inspiring.

[Funny Quotes]

Ohh it’s really cool to have such amazing post Thanks and regards...