4 ms·

The closer your work is to the actual benefit it provides, the more gratifying it is.

libraryatnight 7y ago
I post this quote a lot, but I your point made me think of it again: "It is useless work that darkens the heart. The delight of the nursing mother, of the scholar, of the successful hunter, of the good cook, of the skillful maker, of anyone doing needed work and doing it well, - this durable joy is perhaps the deepest source of human affection and of society as a whole." - Ursula K LeGuin
- Zanni 7y ago
  That's a great quote. I've often said that fulfilling work is one of the great joys in life, but leave it to Ursula LeGuin to say it better.
bryanrasmussen 7y ago
Then why do I hate cooking?
- bondolo 7y ago
  Nobody has to like everything. I like cooking, I hate doing dishes and cleaning. I know people who hate cooking and enjoy dishes. It is good to have a mix of complementary skills and preferences in a household. It's a hell of a thing when, as a cook, you can stand up from a good dinner you made and walk away from the mess knowing that your roommate Barry wants to have a quiet hour of not talking to anyone doing the dishes and tidying the kitchen because he has actually been looking forward to it and that's what gives him peace. The same peace I got from chopping vegetables and stirring pots. I've even met someone who likes doing laundry! They wash and iron their own dress shirts despite being perfectly able to pay an inexpensive dry cleaner and describe it as "Cheaper than seeing a shrink".
  - stevesimmons 7y ago
    You make it sound as if washing and ironing is a massive chore. Let's say you have 5 shirts a week. Step 1: When you do your white wash, throw in the shirts. Hang them up afterwards. Incremental cost: 2 minutes of your time... Step 2: When you do ironing, incremental cost of 5 shirts @ 3 minutes per shirt is 15 minutes... Probably less that your two trips to the dry cleaner. Plus, nil $ cost, no plastic wrapping to throw away, no use of dry cleaning chemicals.
    - mistersquid 7y ago
      > When you do ironing, incremental cost of 5 shirts @ 3 minutes per shirt is 15 minutes. 3 mins? I iron my shirts, five a week, and it takes me 10-15 mins per shirt, depending on the shirt.
      - enqk 7y ago
        There's something wrong with your technique or the materials.
      - gnaritas 7y ago
        Then you're really bad at ironing. It really shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes per shirt. 1 if you're good at it.
- bzbz 7y ago
  Because your brain is thinking of other tasks or responsibilities, and you feel as if you’re wasting your time, or need to rush to finish. Additionally, if you’re not experienced, you don’t know how long something will take, and the indeterminate estimate is off-putting. Correct?
  - csallen 7y ago
    I recently experienced this with a specific work-related task, where I was shocked to find myself enjoying doing something that I usually hate. When I asked myself what the difference was, the only thing I could come up with was that during this particular run-through, it was the only time that I wasn't rushing through the task while thinking about what came next. Any additional insight into what's going on here? I'd love to wield this power to help myself love other things that I hate.
- johnchristopher 7y ago
  There are many definitions of cooking. Do you hate cooking for thanksgiving, when step-parents are coming for supper on sunday or when you slap peanut butter on loaves of bread ?
- lazyjones 7y ago
  For me it's because it's repetitive and can't be optimized well. Programming has spoiled me...
icebraining 7y ago
This seems counter-intuitive, if you consider the work choices throughout history. People who had no choice did all the "direct benefit" work (cooking, cleaning, etc) whereas those with money engaged in a bunch of pursuits with no clear benefits, just for the sake of it: science, theoretical math, philosophy, art, etc. Often the fruits of their work only came after their deaths.

I post this quote a lot, but I your point made me think of it again: "It is useless work that darkens the heart. The delight of the nursing mother, of the scholar, of the successful hunter, of the good cook, of the skillful maker, of anyone doing needed work and doing it well, - this durable joy is perhaps the deepest source of human affection and of society as a whole." - Ursula K LeGuin

Zanni 7y ago
That's a great quote. I've often said that fulfilling work is one of the great joys in life, but leave it to Ursula LeGuin to say it better.

bryanrasmussen 7y ago

Then why do I hate cooking?

bondolo 7y ago
Nobody has to like everything. I like cooking, I hate doing dishes and cleaning. I know people who hate cooking and enjoy dishes. It is good to have a mix of complementary skills and preferences in a household. It's a hell of a thing when, as a cook, you can stand up from a good dinner you made and walk away from the mess knowing that your roommate Barry wants to have a quiet hour of not talking to anyone doing the dishes and tidying the kitchen because he has actually been looking forward to it and that's what gives him peace. The same peace I got from chopping vegetables and stirring pots. I've even met someone who likes doing laundry! They wash and iron their own dress shirts despite being perfectly able to pay an inexpensive dry cleaner and describe it as "Cheaper than seeing a shrink".
- stevesimmons 7y ago
  You make it sound as if washing and ironing is a massive chore. Let's say you have 5 shirts a week. Step 1: When you do your white wash, throw in the shirts. Hang them up afterwards. Incremental cost: 2 minutes of your time... Step 2: When you do ironing, incremental cost of 5 shirts @ 3 minutes per shirt is 15 minutes... Probably less that your two trips to the dry cleaner. Plus, nil $ cost, no plastic wrapping to throw away, no use of dry cleaning chemicals.
  - mistersquid 7y ago
    > When you do ironing, incremental cost of 5 shirts @ 3 minutes per shirt is 15 minutes. 3 mins? I iron my shirts, five a week, and it takes me 10-15 mins per shirt, depending on the shirt.
    - enqk 7y ago
      There's something wrong with your technique or the materials.
    - gnaritas 7y ago
      Then you're really bad at ironing. It really shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes per shirt. 1 if you're good at it.
bzbz 7y ago
Because your brain is thinking of other tasks or responsibilities, and you feel as if you’re wasting your time, or need to rush to finish. Additionally, if you’re not experienced, you don’t know how long something will take, and the indeterminate estimate is off-putting. Correct?
- csallen 7y ago
  I recently experienced this with a specific work-related task, where I was shocked to find myself enjoying doing something that I usually hate. When I asked myself what the difference was, the only thing I could come up with was that during this particular run-through, it was the only time that I wasn't rushing through the task while thinking about what came next. Any additional insight into what's going on here? I'd love to wield this power to help myself love other things that I hate.
johnchristopher 7y ago
There are many definitions of cooking. Do you hate cooking for thanksgiving, when step-parents are coming for supper on sunday or when you slap peanut butter on loaves of bread ?
lazyjones 7y ago
For me it's because it's repetitive and can't be optimized well. Programming has spoiled me...

icebraining 7y ago

This seems counter-intuitive, if you consider the work choices throughout history. People who had no choice did all the "direct benefit" work (cooking, cleaning, etc) whereas those with money engaged in a bunch of pursuits with no clear benefits, just for the sake of it: science, theoretical math, philosophy, art, etc. Often the fruits of their work only came after their deaths.