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Even better, if the word indicates that you're the one who ultimately suffers.

Ex: I leave a suitcase in the middle of the hall, knowing someone might trip on it but ignoring that fact. Then I trip on it later on.

Or: I leave keys on a desk, though if I put them in the proper spot I won't have to look for them later. Later on I can't find them.

I'm thinking German might be a better bet for finding a single word, more specific to the outcome as well as the disregard for better judgement.

Edit:

Trying to come up with a sentence. In the case of the word only describing the intentional disregard for a potential bad outcome for the sake of laziness: This morning's --- led to small disaster when, forgetting he'd left them out, he stubbed his toe on the weights.

I guess I'm trying to get something like the term schadenfreude, where it's more conceptual. So: Greg, being lazy and perhaps masochistic, had a habit of being -- / creating --- situations. (One's wherein he knows what he's doing will cause issue for himself, but goes through with it anyway and ultimately suffers.)

Edit:

This is different from the previously asked question regarding idioms as I'm not looking for an idiom and am also in search of a term that indicates a sort of laziness on the part of the do-er.

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4 Answers 4

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Impetuousness:(Cambridge Dictionary)

the quality or fact of doing things suddenly, without considering the results of your actions:

I think this word is closely related to your idea, though not an exact word. If an idiomatic phrase is acceptable, the below one is suitable.

dig one's own grave (The Free Dictionary)

Fig. to be responsible for one's own downfall or ruin.

If you try to cheat the bank, you will be digging your own grave.

Those politicians have dug their own grave with their new tax bill. They won't be reelected.

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  • Impetuous is a good one but I definitely feel that the focus needs to be on the awareness of what one is doing and the disregard coming from a place of laziness. But I think there may not be a word specifically for this, haha. Thank you. Sep 16, 2018 at 17:45
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How about shortsighted?

[Merriam-Webster]

1 : lacking foresight

shortsighted politicians who only care about how they do in the next election

A perhaps more critical version of shortsighted is myopic:

[Merriam-Webster]

2 : lacking in foresight or discernment : narrow in perspective and without concern for broader implications

But only a myopic angler would fail to recognize the alarming signals in those unusual conditions. —Pete Bodo

However, these are both for people who only think about the short term, not caring what happens in the future. They may be aware that it will have detrimental long term effects—or they may not be


If you're talking about people who do know it's bad in the long term, but don't care anyway, that's more commonly known as instant gratification (or immediate gratification).

This comes from Freud's idea of the pleasure principle.

In her article "What Is the Pleasure Principle? How the Pleasure Principle Helps Motivate Behavior," Kendra Cherry says:

In Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the pleasure principle is the driving force of the id that seeks immediate gratification of all needs, wants, and urges.

This is in contrast to delayed gratification, where something may be of more benefit if effort is put into it in the short term, or if you simply wait.

Appropriately enough, given your assertion that single words are easier to come by in German, the single German word for pleasure principle is Lustprinzip (Collins).

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  • Reckless
  • Negligent
  • Thoughtless
  • Audacious
  • Brash
  • Carefree
  • Careless
  • Daring
  • Foolhardy
  • Hasty
  • Imprudent
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  • Can you explain why you think each word would fit?
    – Laurel
    Oct 16, 2018 at 19:22
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    I work for a startup company, and we use those words a lot when mistakes happen from irresponsibilities, especially the word "reckless".
    – hbtpoprock
    Oct 17, 2018 at 6:25
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to act with disregard vocabulary.com

willful lack of attention and due care

As in:

Greg, being lazy and perhaps masochistic, had a habit of acting with disregard!

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