Saturday, December 5, 2009
Protestant Work Ethic
The whole tradition of motivation, self-improvement, etc... is one I view with great suspicion. Maybe that's why I have to apologize for it with the word "stupid." I am also ambivalent about "work." Some things have come very easily to me, with little apparent work. I can see my colleagues look at me and wonder why I can publish so much. I think you should have a work ethic, but not necessarily a protestant one. De-emphasize the idea of the hardness of the work, the sweat. I'd much rather you be working smart rather than hard.
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2 comments:
I took "Stupid" in a different way at first. The things we need to do to get work done may indeed be pretty humble or silly compared with the lofty or serious work itself -- indeed an attitude of seriosity and loft can get in the way. But so far you don't seem to be talking about rewarding ourselves with cookies, or doing back bends like Naipaul.
That definition of stupid also works.
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