Innately Lazy

The argument of whether humans are innately good or innately evil may never be settled. However, I think it is well agreed that humans are innately lazy. We are always looking for the easy way out. Sometimes this is a good thing because a more efficient method is produced. Most of the time, and unfortunately so, the easier way just yields a sloppy mess which actually makes it harder on us in the long run. Petrarch found this to be true in his The Ascent of Mount Ventoux. In this story, he details his climb to the top of Mount Ventoux, one of the highest mountains in his region of France.

Petrarch first describes his search for a companion to hike with him in a Goldilocks fashion because they were all on one extreme or another. He finally chooses his brother as a fit companion to make the trek with him. At the foot of the mount, they are meet by an old shepherd, who strongly encourages the pair to turn around and not make the ascent. The shepherd says that he too made the hike about 50 years ago, but it was not worth it. He said that the only reward he got at the top was a sore and worn body. Still yet, the brother choose to travel onward, giving all unnecessary belongs to the shepherd so they wouldn't be slowed down by them.

During the first leg of the journey, Petrarch's brother, “chose a direct path straight up the ridge, I [Petrarch] weakly took an easier one which really descended” (68). When Petrarch finds himself lost and lower down than his brother, he calls out to him. Turning towards the direction of his brother, Petrarch still seeks the easier path; he even admits that he does not mind taking a longer way if it proved to be less steep. Petrarch finally realizes that his efforts to make the hike easier are in vain, “This was just an excuse for my laziness; and when the others had already reached a considerable height I was still wandering in the valleys. I had failed to find a easier path, and had only increased the distance and difficulty of the ascent” (68). He finally decides to take the direct, more challenging route and eventually reaches his brother, who is taking a rest.

They finally reach the summit of the mount and a beautiful view is revealed. Petrarch describes what he sees, claiming to be able to see all the way to Italy, where he studied in his youth. He allows himself time to take in the view and think about different topics. He thinks about the past and his future before he realizes that they must go soon. As a last minute effort to absorb the moment, Petrarch pulls out a small copy of St. Augustine's Confessions conveniently located in his back pocket. He lets the book fall open and reads: “And men go about to wonder at the heights of the mountains, and the mighty waves of the sea, and the wide sweep of rivers, and the circuit of the ocean, and the revolution of the stars, but themselves they consider not.” Petrarch is moved and at the same time disgusted with himself because of the truth that the selection holds.

So much verity can be found in Petrarch's story and we should all take a lesson from it. Probably about 90% of the time, the easier way is not the best way. However, we still chose to try it, hoping that it may be. We just end up where we were or sometimes even further behind and we finally surrender to doing it the right, but harder, way. I don't think that the great leaders of the Renaissance tried to take the easier way out when they created art or wrote various works. Sometimes they had no option but to do it right the first time. For example, when Michelangelo was standing in front of a massive slab of marble, about to create The David, I don't think he thought, “What is the easiest and fastest way that I can get this finished?”

This applies to our spiritual life also. We are always trying to find the easiest way to get to God and we often ask him to just come to us instead of trying to reach Him. The Bible even warns us against this when it says that the path to heaven is narrow and the path to damnation is broad. We should hold the mind set of secularism, in Renaissance style, and focus on reaching God for greater enlightenment and fulfillment instead of reaching Him for a better afterlife.

Lastly, before we can behold the beauty of the universe, we must turn our eyes onto ourselves and focus on individualism. We are so easily caught up in our surrounding events that we forget to focus on us. The human soul can be compared to a beautiful garden. When it is first planted, it takes much nourishment and careful watering. Soon, the plants grow in size and begin to bear gorgeous blossoms that are pleasing to the senses. However, the work does not stop there. If the garden is left alone, weeds will grow and the plants will fall stop producing blossoms. For the garden to grow is size and continue to flourish, the gardener must pull up the weeds and prune the plants so the blossoms will multiply. Only after taking away, the garden is able to mature. Only then are we able to enjoy the pure beauty and awesomeness of the garden.