People are not inherently "lazy"

I really do not think that people are ever inherently lazy. I believe that what we call "lazy" is more properly termed "unmotivated". If a person is facing a situation where the real or perceived level of effort exceeds the real or perceived level of reward (or value of the reward - different rewards are preferred by different people), then the person's impulse to act will be below the threshold for behavioral activation.

Another reason for lack of motivation is fear. If you have to face a fear in order to get a reward, then the anticipated value of the reward must exceed the relief felt at avoiding the fear.

Some labels strike me as being counterproductive. Calling people "lazy" without looking at the variables involved is "lazy" thinking.

This begs the question, "why do we call other people lazy?" I think there are three explanations:

1. Feeling better about oneself by implying that someone else is less motivated, and therefore the non-lazy party is more socially productive and acceptable;
2. Essentially complaining that someone else is not pulling their weight - in other words, an unwritten "social contract of fairness" has been broken;
3. Noticing that someone else uses their time and resources more efficiently, and so understandable sensations of envy trigger the "lazy" accusation, because it doesn't feel good to be expending more effort than someone else without getting equal rewards.

"Lazy" is a word I've never felt comfortable with being applied to myself or anyone else, and now I realize why. It's a psychological sleight-of-hand, a cheap mind trick - understandable, but inefficient - that glosses over reality, nothing more.

I agree with you on the point of fear.