Work ethic is an ability that somebody learns over time. Through the increasing work levels of high school, college, and eventually a real world job, one work ethic stands with the majority: procrastination. Adam Grant looks at procrastination in a positive light in his New York Times opinion article, "Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate", in which he appeals to ethos through personal experience and a realistic counterargument in order to show his view of procrastination being a main source of creativity.
Many people think of procrastination as being an internal flaw, as did the author of this very article. However, through his years as a non-procrastinator, he has learned to see the values in holding off on work until the last minute. By including his experiences in discovering his own work ethics, Grant is able to appeal to ethos and gain credibility in his argument. He explains that all his life, he has been considered a "pre-crastinator", somebody who has the "urge to start a task immediately and finish is as soon as possible". Since Grant decided to incorporate his personal background with the topic, there is proof that he has seen both sides of procrastination: being against it and for it. This makes him a more reliable source for the argument that he is making, because he can now vouch for both sides and offer an accurate opinion of which one he favors. Without this factor, Grant would not seem as trustworthy, and it would be easier to question the validity of his argument.
In addition to his appeal to ethos, Grant includes a realistic counterargument. While he has finally realized the good that can come from procrastination, he also takes note of the possible downsides. After teaching himself to stay off task, Grant realized that "of course, procrastination can go too far". He considers this to be "destructive procrastination", a kind that he does not recommend for best results. By recognizing the other side of procrastination, and bringing up the reality that not all instances of postponement will turn out successfully, he is more likely to gain trust in the readers and less likely to turn them away. Grant even offers a list of suggestions for avoiding this type of procrastination, and making sure to stick with the one that can result in the most creative productivity.
One of the best things about this article was the fact that Grant admitted to procrastinating even in writing this piece. Interestingly enough, as I scrolled through the other opinion articles, Grant's stood out to me as one of the more creative ones. Adam Grant is able to appeal to ethos in his article, "Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate", through inclusion of personal traits and offering of a counterargument, ultimately showing his readers that every bad thing they have heard about procrastination is wrong; well almost. Not only do I have a new view on the creative benefits of procrastination, but I also have a good excuse to wait just a few more hours before I start my homework tonight.
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