The Analyze of the Fine Art of Putting Things off

The Fine Art of Putting Things Off encourages us to be a procrastinator, in order not to make a hasty decision. The author considers the well-intentioned men are postponers,. Also, since the procrastination inspires and receives a creative soul, and the postponement had been virtually a monopoly of the military, diplomacy and the law, the procrastination should be encouraged, which is his second and the third reason. Then, the author further states the difference between chronic procrastination and purposeful postponement. Besides, he shows us that the academe also takes high honors in procrastination and the reason why we put things off in terms of psychology. The whole passage is supported by all of these reasons. In the first reason, the author uses many examples of the great men in history to show that even the well-intentioned men are postponers. Also as the beginning of the passage, this reason draws the readers and the author closers, because the readers do not feel guilty for putting things off like before. I think, it is the strongest reason. The further explanation about the difference between chronic procrastination and purposeful postponement can give the reader a clear idea about the exact kind of putting things off that the author talks about, which is a good critical thinking in the passage. As for the reasons that academe also takes high honors in procrastination, the author only tells us there is procrastination common in academe, which does not inspire us to put things off at all, so I consider it weak reason in the passage.

To begin with, the author tells the reasons that even the well-intentioned men are postponers. He gives us example of Lord Chesterfield who was too busy to marry his son's mother and had a bad habit of keep the famous people, like Doctor Johnson waiting for a long time. He also gives us the example Quintus Fabius Maximus who would put things off until the deadline came and the example of Moses who used his speech defect to make his unwillingness to deliver God's command to Pharaoh reasonable. In our mind, putting things off is something that should not be encouraged and should be avoided; however, Lord Chesterfield, Quintus Fabius Maximus and Moses, who are three very famous and important figures in history, are all postponers. In other words, being a delayer does not make you a loser, which is like what we have acknowledged.

The author states the difference between chronic procrastination and purposeful postponement. It is a good critical thinking example in the passage. We all have learnt in our family or in school that it is not good to be a postponer, but the author gives us many examples which make the postponement reasonable but still contradict our old idea. So the clarification here distinguishes the chronic procrastination, which is what we are not encouraged and the purposeful postponement, which can prevent us from making hasty decision. In order to further argue for the