The problem seems to be one of language. When encouraging people to work hard, what is often meant is not that they should toil for the sake of toiling. Rather,

The problem seems to be one of language. When encouraging people to work hard, what is often meant is not that they should toil for the sake of toiling. Rather, in examining excellence, what we observe is persistence. We say "work hard" but what we mean is "persist" in attempting difficult things that are valuable. These aren't the same. This blog rant is low quality, and attacks a straw man; that what people who encourage hard work are praising is the toil and not the persistence. Shame on him.