
#128: Professor Katrien Devolder on why you're wrong about laziness
From The Academic Imperfectionist by Rebecca Roache
March 13, 2026 · 1h 7m · Episode 128
About this episode
Professor Katrien Devolder discusses the stigma of laziness and its impact on high achievers.
Is it bad to be called lazy? Prince Harry thinks so: in his memoir, he suggests that it's better to called racist than lazy. But even if you wouldn't go that far, I'm willing to bet that you care deeply about not being viewed as lazy. Perhaps you've worked when you should have taken a sick day, said yes to things that you knew were a bad idea, or pushed yourself to burnout - all to avoid the L word. If you've ever thought you might be lazy, you're in great company. Plenty of high achievers th...
People in this episode
Host: Rebecca Roache
Guest: Katrien Devolder
Topics covered
- laziness
- mental health
- self-perception
- high achievers
- burnout
Keywords
- laziness
- mental health
- self-improvement
- burnout
- high achievers
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