The phrase "everything happens for a reason" uncovers the most truth when applied not to some force of fate, but rather to the human will. To take it one more step, "everything that does not happen similarly fails to occur for a reason."

We're strong-minded people, really. We don't like being told what to do; we prefer to choose our own fates, our own actions, our own interests. So when we choose not to do something, it's almost never due to some bizarre innate lack of motivation. It's because we've lost the sense of faith and belief that what we are doing matters. It's here that we lose our desire to act. As I've said, we're independent beings; we prefer to act with conviction.

I'd like to take this discussion to the educational system as an example. For many of my schooling years, I simply could not fathom why someone would fail to complete a basic homework assignment. But when we claimed laziness as the rationale, we failed to acknowledge the rationality of the student in question. We downgrade their ability to make logical decisions while simultaneously blaming them as an individual for failing to make the "right choice." It's a bit of a paradox, really.

So why, in truth, did the student spend their time on something other than the homework assignment? The answer can most likely be found in disengagement. As I've previously written, most of the work we completed in school was relatively pointless. It did little to address a need of the community, to inspire the simple curiosity of the student, and to, in short, invoke a sense of relevancy. Now, I'd also like to maintain hope that assignments are given with some kind of purpose in mind. But to what degree do we trust students with that explanation? Furthermore, what exactly is the end in mind?

It's from there that I wish to raise the issue of disillusionment, which far transcends the problem of disengagement. Generally speaking, there is a clear trajectory in mind for homework. By completing assignments, you both better your grades and prepare your mind to take exams, which will solidify these marks. With better grades, you are more likely to achieve admission to post-secondary programs and potentially receive scholarships. With a degree, you have access to a wider range of employment. With these often higher-paying jobs, you have the money, resources, and connections for a multitude of opportunities.

But let us consider, for example, a student who feels less hope in advancing their situation due to a lack of connections or financial support. Let us say that this student also faces intense job schedules or complicated home lives that make the completion of homework difficult. Students from positions such as these often receive little fair attention at school. If they don't fit the one-size-fits-all educational structures, school faculty and staff often have no idea what to do. These students may lose the sense that the education world is doing anything for them at all. The pushback they often receive for not perfectly fitting the demands and expectations of these frankly oppressive structures have left them disillusioned with their own potentialities. Many students facing these types of situations do engage anyway; however, when others choose not to engage, it is especially worth examining the reasons rather than labeling them as "lazy."

When people don't perform as expected in existing structures, it's not because they're lazy. It's because, probably more so than most, they recognize the disappointing flaws of these structures. They disengage because they don't have the sense that the work means anything at all. They're doing their best to live honest lives.

So the real question we need to be asking is not, "Why is _____ lazy?" but rather, "Does what we're doing matter? Can each person we ask to act honestly act out of a sense of conviction and meaning? And most importantly, what are we doing to reach ______?"