Differentiating between a Slacker and an Unmotivated Person

Recently, numerous issues have prompted me to think the idea of team dynamics again. To many who have taken LTB, the words "free rider" probably do not come as an unfamiliar term. Most people usually call these people "slacker".

From my understanding, the word "slacker" is being used on people who are irresponsible and do not put in effort to complete the job that is allocated on them. This term has been commonly used in projects, competitions and other team-related events.

On the other hand, an unmotivated person is viewed as a person who has no goal, no aim and behave aimlessly. He/She appears to not know what he/she wants and do not make effort to do or complete stuff.

Looking at the above, I am really concered that these 2 socially defined words "Slacker" and "Unmotivated Person" seem to have much in common. Purely by looking at the person's actions, a "slacker" and an "unmotivated person" seem to be highly similar. But I guess the main difference comes from the cause of these actions. To most people, a person is termed as a "slacker" because this person inherently is disinterested in work and do not want to do work. On the other hand, an "unmotivated person's" reason for not doing work is due to a lack of reason or aim.

So... let us ask ourselves this, how many people have we called "slackers" without discerning the difference? Are the people we despise truly "slackers" or do they just lack a motivation? It was only these few days that i realize that i was one of these people who reprimand without discerning the difference. I personally believe in the goodness of mankind. I believe that people are genuinely "unmotivated" if they are not doing what they should be doing.

Thus, i feel that the next time we are engaged with a team activity with such people, regardless of whether we're a leader or a team member, let us try our best to understand the reasons for a lack of motivation and help our friend. On the other hand, if you know that you're unmotivated or unhappy, do share this with your teammates. It is the responsibility of both parties to share and communicate so that we understand each other.

So, Let us stop calling each other "slackers"! and let us start helping each other!