Should You Admire Hard Work?

Philosophy

Brief reflections on quotes of Theodore Roosevelt

I like how Theodore adds the qualifier “ … worth doing” to his thought. You’ve likely heard a phrase that goes something like this:

“Work smarter, not harder.”

Is it possible this is what he means?

Sometimes, our egos love the idea of hard work. That way, we get to congratulate ourselves for having persevered a difficult task. After all, that 3-hour meeting where you sat as others flapped their lips was hard work, right?

I find the concept of hard work to be an ego-positive way of justifying the wasted effort we put into meaningless or needlessly complex tasks. Consider this article took 30 minutes to create from start to finish. For me, it was relatively effortless (and perhaps it shows).

No path worth pursuing is easy, true enough. When we think everything we desire should come to us without lifting a finger, well, we’ve got another thing coming. Does this denote paths worth pursuing should be hard then?

Absolutely not. Effort doesn’t require hard, it only requires effort.

What then of pleasantness? Well, that’s as it always was: a personal choice. Yet, choosing it becomes impossible when hard work is the priority. And what’s to admire about those who engage in it, anyway? They would appear to have their reward.

My mission in life is to prioritize activities that let my spirit soar, my soul, discover, and my body thrives so that I can experience life’s beautiful gifts most fully and help others do likewise. I personally invite you to follow me and share the journey.

Thank you for your kind support.

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