Sloth

It doesn't seem like there'd be much to say about sloth. You're lazy, so what? You don't aspire to be anything, that's your problem. How's it a sin? It doesn't hurt people, it doesn't make you feel anything bad or good , it just makes you... exist. It should be more of a state of mind than a sin if you think about it, right? Well, you thought wrong. It really doesn't tie in with any other sin, it's fairly unique in its chemistry. But because it makes you indolent and apathetic, it makes you oblivious to the world around you, which is dangerous, and in turn, sinful. It's a little more difficult to contemplate due to its seemingly transparent affect on human nature.

Other sins have direct here-and-now effects, wrath being the most sudden and violent of them all, but also the others. Envy festers in your mind until you know for certain you will never be complete without whatever it is you obsess over. Gluttony is the bottomless abyss that strives for more of everything that won't make you a better person, as anything in excess is essentially detrimental. Greed blackens your heart with ultra-capitalistic overtones and quiets the conscience with promises of more, more, more. Lust fills the soul with the desire for romance so much that it becomes a drug you can't clean from your body. And pride numbs the consequences, assuring you that you, in your insurmountable glory, can do no wrong.

Sloth feeds on you from the inside, exponentiaiting its torment with every successful obstacle it creates in your mind. Why do your homework? There's so much of it, there'll be plenty to do tomorrow. Why feed the dog? It's a beast, it can fend for itself. Why go outside for that matter? It's too hot. It's too cold. I wanna play Xbox damn it. People die out there, only my hopes and dreams die in here. Why should I go to school? I've skipped too much homework, I'll never catch up.No point getting off the couch, I've got a an IV drip in here. I've become the epitome of a wasted life, why should I live? I've dropped out of school, I don't go outside, I have no job, no girlfriend, no friends, I think my parents moved out... I should just end it. Fuck life.

And when you fuck life, you fuck yourself out of heaven, and hell fucks you. Seems kind of obvious why it's a sin now. It facilitates the beginnings of the most pitiful humans in history, all by not doing anything at all. It puts in your head the seed of indolence, nurtured by the subtle beauty of apathy, finally sprouting into the fully-thorned vines of sloth, enraptured by the taste of your will, finding loving embrace when curled around your sanity, only releasing you from its confines when your beating heart palpitates the final ounces of blood from your gaping wrists.

It's the chess master of the seven deadly sins, playing its game by strategy, the strategy of nothing but manipulating your own desire to merely exist. It feels so good to relax after a hard day's work. It feels even better to relax for a few days, sans hard work. And after that, just take the week off, you deserve it. You got out of bed this morning, and in this world that's quite a feat. Don't even bother getting out of bed actually. The world's a dangerous place, even in your own house. School's even worse, dogs bite, and jobs? Forget it. Just stay in bed and watch t.v. Make sure you've hidden the sharp objects and dulled the table corners though, because the seed's already there, all it needs is the rest of your will. Once that's gone, the vines emerge seeking their solace.