Goofing off is an American slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected. Common obligations neglected in the course of goofing off include schoolwork, paid employment, social courtesies and the expectations of relations. Goofing off at

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

is considered to be a regular behaviour in the Western world, which is engaged in by all students at one time or another. When goofing off occurs within the classroom, teachers can resolve the matter quickly by direct confrontation.

Employer Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

s may use

wage A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', '' prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remune ...

premium Premium may refer to: Marketing * Premium (marketing), a promotional item that can be received for a small fee when redeeming proofs of purchase that come with or on retail products * Premium segment, high-price brands or services in marketing, ...

s to discourage goofing off by their employees, although it is suggested that the effects of such

incentive In general, incentives are anything that persuade a person to alter their behaviour. It is emphasised that incentives matter by the basic law of economists and the laws of behaviour, which state that higher incentives amount to greater levels of ...

s causes

aging Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

to have a negative effect upon

earnings Earnings are the net benefits of a corporation's operation. Earnings is also the amount on which corporate tax is due. For an analysis of specific aspects of corporate operations several more specific terms are used as EBIT (earnings before intere ...

sooner than would be otherwise expected. Goofing off has been shown to improve work or study in the right environments, and can relieve stress. It may be a form of creativity and experimentation, providing useful learning experiences and discoveries. Some research has indicated that women tend to feel more

guilt Guilt may refer to: *Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard *Culpability, a legal term *Guilt (law), a legal term Music * ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims * "Guilt" (The Long Bl ...

than men about taking time for themselves and so use breaks to become more organized.

James C. Scott James C. Scott (born December 2, 1936) is an American political scientist and anthropologist specializing in comparative politics. He is a comparative scholar of agrarian society, agrarian and non-state societies, Subaltern (postcolonialism), ...

considers shirking work (goofing off) to be a frequent form of unnoticed resistance by subordinate groups. Perhaps the most famous example of goofing off is the tale reported by

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

fiddling while

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

burned.

References

External links

Goofing Off
by Paul Roberts; Psychology Today; Jul/Aug 1995.

NPR; 16 Nov 2007.
Goofing Off In The Computer Age: Some Employers Crack Down On Use Of Company Computers
by Patrik Jonsson; CBS News; 18 Mar 2005.
More Time on Task, Less Goofing Off
by Fred Jones, Ph.D; Education World; 18 Aug 2003.

By Steve Bass; PC World; 29 Dec 2004. {{Portal bar, Language Leisure activities

See also

References

External links