The world is a busy place, so who can blame anyone for wanting to take a little time out to relax and recharge in the comfort of their own home?
The issue with this, however, is that it seems like people are being judged for sitting down and relaxing in their homes. Now, Molly Daw has people asking when relaxing became a ‘lazy’ trait, having shared a video declaring ‘rotting’ as her passion.
The viral clip, posted to the account @molly_daw, has gained over 49,000 likes and more than 422,000 views since being shared on April 13. In the video, Daw is seen sitting on her couch with snacks, binge-watching a reality show, which she says is her “favorite thing to do.”
Daw says that you shouldn’t “let anyone tell you that ‘rotting’ is not living”, as the term, meaning relaxing at home or doing nothing, has grown in popularity; internet users discuss ‘rotting in bed’ and take time out ‘to rot’.
Ultimately, rotting is a new term to describe something we have been doing for thousands of years: relaxing. Somewhere in the last few years, relaxation has translated to laziness, with the thought of sitting on the couch all day or staying in bed seen as a negative.
Unlike others who have been conditioned to feel a sense of guilt from staying at home and doing nothing, Daw said that spending her time this way is “my passion”, adding that “I’m enjoying my life right now.”
Daw said: “I’m not missing out on anything, I’m not being lazy. This is life too right here, sitting on the couch enjoying yourself. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
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What Do the Comments Say?
The comments section was full of users who also enjoy taking time to rot, agreeing that what is widely viewed as a negative way to spend your time has a multitude of benefits for those doing it.
One user commented: “I decompress by rotting. Scrolling. Munching. Reading. Watching TV. Maybe napping, enjoying the time I don’t have to do anything.”
A second posted: “Retired 3 months ago, live alone and I have done NOTHING worthwhile and have NEVER enjoyed myself more.”
“Hell yes! Before rotting, it was called RELAXING,” added another.
Others weren’t as keen on the term, as one commented: “Rotting is such a derogatory term for literally relaxing and doing what you love to do.”
“I agree but why do we call rotting? I think the name has an extremely negative implication,” wrote another.
Newsweek has reached out to @molly_daw via TikTok.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.