Procrastination is not regarded as a virtue. Humans seldom declare it among their qualities. The opposite of it, promptness or alacrity, are more likely to be mentioned as one’s strength.
Procrastination is defined as an act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions. The word has originated from the Latin word procrastinatus, which itself evolved from the prefix pro-, meaning “forward,” and crastinus, meaning “of tomorrow”. Psychologists attribute this habit to a variety of factors, such as fear of failure, lack of motivation, or difficulty in prioritising tasks. It is one among the commonest of the wide range of human behaviour.
If putting things off is a normal definition of procrastination, and doing so inhere in human behaviour, why is procrastination considered something to ne looked down upon? Isn’t every human a born procrastinator?
Perhaps procrastination isn’t such a bad thing. That’s what Columbia Business School professor Eric Abrahamson will have us believe.“What is necessary today may not be necessary tomorrow,” he suggested. “If I delay, it just goes away.”
The pervasive sense that procrastination is bad, is what Abrahamson calls “a cultural value,” and an outgrowth of the worker efficiency movement spawned by Frederick Winslow Taylor, which is about smart managers able to keep the employees constantly engaged.
It is understood that the ancient Egyptian and Roman civilisations did not unduly discredit it. On the contrary, they placed a premium on procrastination and deemed it a virtue. And who can forget the Roman ruler Fabius Maximus, the 3rd Century BC Roman General and Statesman nicknamed ‘Cunctator’, meaning ‘procrastinator’, who by delaying engagement with the famous Carthaginian, Hannibal so harassed and frustrated the gifted general that he had to retreat, conceding defeat. ‘Cunctator’ thus became a honorific title and an acknowledgement of one’s superior capabilities.
Obviously history has not judged procrastinators harshly.
While unashamedly admitting to procrastinating, I strongly believe it is essential. We assume we procrastinate because we fear failure. That is true, but only up to a point. We also procrastinate because it is vital for creativity.
Just as we cannot force ourselves to be in love, we cannot simply will ourselves to create. As with love, sometimes we need to pause to see if it happens. This can be unquieting, both in love and in creating, because it leaves us, as Keats wrote, with “uncertainties.”. The great Romantic English poet who in a letter to his brothers, coined a term that does not per se so much justify procrastination but offers enough reason for procrastination to be appreciated. He called it Negative Capability.
“I had not a dispute but a disquisition, with Dilke on various subjects; several things dove-tailed in my mind, and at once it struck me what quality went to form a Man of Achievement, especially in Literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously — I mean Negative Capability, that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason…”
It is this state of uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, that illumination and inspiration occurs. Some of the greatest works of poets, writers, painters, sculptors materialised and their creative pursuit flowered only because of procrastination.
Who says it is not an asset?
Many of us perform better under pressure. One may enjoy the euphoria or excitement of performing a task in a short time at the last minute. Is entertaining an excitement a demerit?
Procrastination might be telling you that you haven’t discovered what matters most to you.Procrastination might be telling you that your to-do list doesn’t realistically reflect your priorities. Procrastination might be telling you that you can’t get started because you haven’t aligned what you are doing with what you are meant to do. Procrastination might be telling you not to make matters worse. As a wise practical man once said: “If you’re in a hole, stop digging.”
The bias against procrastination is reflected in a tendency to act where action is not needed. Professional like doctors, consultants, corporate managers, they all find it easier to sell action than inaction. No consultant ever asks you to wait, he is not paid to offer such advices. And doctors often get more for surgery rather than to wait for the body to heal itself. Corporate Managers act because they want to make profit rather than wait to prevent losses. Action is easier, inaction is not, action is emotion, inaction is wisdom.
Yoshida Kenko, a 13th Century Buddhist Monk and Japanese author wrote a remarkable book titled Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness, also known as The Harvest of Leisure). Hailed for the insight and wisdom that it contains, the book has this to say,’The key to success is to fight ambition with laziness.’ And while Benjamin Franklin may have extolled action without delay, ’Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today’, a wiser counsel ensues from the wit of Mark Twain,’Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.’ Saint Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of printers, brewers and theologians, in his memoir, ‘Confessions’ admits to his praying, ‘Lord, give me chastity and continence-but not yet’. This confession may have touched a deep chord in many hearts but it was seen by the church as impeding the journey on salvation and enlightenment and was surely and sternly denounced but also publicised in the process.
Surely, procrastination is not without endorsement from the wise, the erudite, the learned, the experienced and the masters.
Procrastinators are perfectionist. They delay because they want to do something in the best possible manner. So cast off your guilt about procrastinating and embrace its virtues and you will begin to discover a rare wisdom and an enlightened freedom.
Procrastination is indeed a virtue.
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