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Being able to decide what to work on requires a certain amount of privilege, as opposed to needing to do whatever you can to pay for rent, bills, and groceries

Being able to decide what to work on requires a certain amount of privilege, as opposed to needing to do whatever you can to pay for rent, bills, and groceries this month.

dhimes 5y ago
I think you're on to something here. I'm struggling to articulate that somehow this essay addresses, albeit well, the low-hanging fruit of working hard, at least in the move-the-world-forward sense than this is written (he's not talking to bricklayers, he's talking to the architects). You have options; you have family/social support, and so on. These things allow the other things to become. [As you can seem I'm still struggling.]
- UglyToad 5y ago
  This is sort of tangentially related, since TFA doesn't really talk about long hours as such but I definitely prefer the following angle: https://ericlippert.com/2019/12/30/work-and-success/ https://ericlippert.com/2019/12/30/work-and-success/
  - lifekaizen 5y ago
    That's a good post. Addresses the societal imbalances that are sometimes hard to see, adds a little more context: >If hard work and long hours could be consistently transformed into “success”, then my friends and family who are teachers, nurses, social workers and factory workers would be far more successful than I am.
yetihehe 5y ago
So what? Being able to comment on HN requires a certain amount of privilege too.
- pjerem 5y ago
  Personally, I just had to click on the "login" button then to fill a username and a password.
  - yetihehe 5y ago
    Yeah, but you have access to a computer and you are speaking english. Some may consider that privilege, like "Being able to decide what to work on requires a certain amount of privilege". I can decide what to work on like all of my friends and family but I don't think me or they are privileged. In current climate, anything beyond subsistence is considered privilege and used to belittle and shame those who have means to have life not lacking in neccessities. I'm flamebaiting, because original comment is not in any way insightful, but essentially means 'Oh look, he can choose what to work on, he is "privileged"' without any further meaning.
    - pjerem 5y ago
      Maybe I misinterpreted oc, but I understood that « choosing what to work on » was about choosing precisely what project you want to work on and not just doing the job you wanted but on the project of your boss. Because that is really rare and close to impossible if you are not an entrepreneur : I have. personally never ever worked on a really interesting project, and tbh, the few times I switched jobs following my attraction to the product, it went terribly wrong. I’m not saying that you can’t be happy and fulfilled in this situation : my current company is really nice and I’m happy to be paid correctly to do what I wanted to do, but our products are extremely boring and I would never choose to work on my current project if I had a true open choice. And I don’t think I’m the exception on this one.
steve76 5y ago
The ability for hard work is a luxury. Work three jobs, save, build a better future for yourself is a very nice thing. Take it away, such as spending your life caring for a disabled or addicted family member, and you will realize how nice self-determination is.

Being able to decide what to work on requires a certain amount of privilege, as opposed to needing to do whatever you can to pay for rent, bills, and groceries this month.

dhimes 5y ago

I think you're on to something here. I'm struggling to articulate that somehow this essay addresses, albeit well, the low-hanging fruit of working hard, at least in the move-the-world-forward sense than this is written (he's not talking to bricklayers, he's talking to the architects). You have options; you have family/social support, and so on. These things allow the other things to become. [As you can seem I'm still struggling.]

UglyToad 5y ago
This is sort of tangentially related, since TFA doesn't really talk about long hours as such but I definitely prefer the following angle: https://ericlippert.com/2019/12/30/work-and-success/ https://ericlippert.com/2019/12/30/work-and-success/
- lifekaizen 5y ago
  That's a good post. Addresses the societal imbalances that are sometimes hard to see, adds a little more context: >If hard work and long hours could be consistently transformed into “success”, then my friends and family who are teachers, nurses, social workers and factory workers would be far more successful than I am.

yetihehe 5y ago

So what? Being able to comment on HN requires a certain amount of privilege too.

pjerem 5y ago
Personally, I just had to click on the "login" button then to fill a username and a password.
- yetihehe 5y ago
  Yeah, but you have access to a computer and you are speaking english. Some may consider that privilege, like "Being able to decide what to work on requires a certain amount of privilege". I can decide what to work on like all of my friends and family but I don't think me or they are privileged. In current climate, anything beyond subsistence is considered privilege and used to belittle and shame those who have means to have life not lacking in neccessities. I'm flamebaiting, because original comment is not in any way insightful, but essentially means 'Oh look, he can choose what to work on, he is "privileged"' without any further meaning.
  - pjerem 5y ago
    Maybe I misinterpreted oc, but I understood that « choosing what to work on » was about choosing precisely what project you want to work on and not just doing the job you wanted but on the project of your boss. Because that is really rare and close to impossible if you are not an entrepreneur : I have. personally never ever worked on a really interesting project, and tbh, the few times I switched jobs following my attraction to the product, it went terribly wrong. I’m not saying that you can’t be happy and fulfilled in this situation : my current company is really nice and I’m happy to be paid correctly to do what I wanted to do, but our products are extremely boring and I would never choose to work on my current project if I had a true open choice. And I don’t think I’m the exception on this one.

steve76 5y ago

The ability for hard work is a luxury. Work three jobs, save, build a better future for yourself is a very nice thing. Take it away, such as spending your life caring for a disabled or addicted family member, and you will realize how nice self-determination is.