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If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

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Re: If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

#11

Post by squozzer »

I think Seth Godin had something called hard emotional work, essentially risk-taking. The few times I've done it, it felt more draining than some of the following:

1) moving my gf out of here apartment; 2) cutting grass with a slingblade (sure like them french-friend taters); 3) loading trucks with no forklift

Though I'm sure Mr. Fried worked at a kibbutz in the middle of the Sanai and hand-dug a 40-km irrigation disk. And I'm sure he paid his dues to get where he is.

And so have I and probably most of HN-sylvania.

Re: If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

#12

Post by intopieces »

A better line to draw in the semantic sand -- and this is mentioned elsewhere in the discussion -- is toil vs. work. Nobody creates a portfolio of toil, unless it's on a resume used to get more of it.

My parents toiled so I could work. I work so future generations can do.. whatever work turns into. It's an important distinction, and one that I often think of when I consider bragging / commiserating about my stress. I am so damn grateful that I have to work and not toil.

Re: If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

#14

Post by geetfun »

The hardest work -- my opinion, of course -- is those that deals with front line customers. The irrational and angry customer who you can't reason with because they want to be angry for angry's sake. It's hard because it is incredibly dissatisfying and a "win" doesn't carry over to the next interaction.

Re: If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

#16

Post by legostormtroopr »

Sorry_Rum_Ham wrote: post #15

Allow me to save you thirty seconds: The author defines 'hard work' as any kind of work that is physically taxing and/or dangerous. Any other kind of work is simply challenging, not 'hard'.

Fighting clickbait is the real hard work. Thanks!

Re: If you’re reading this, you probably don’t do hard work

#17

Post by cbanek »

I'd like to see how this opinion would change if the lettuce picker went to school for a few years, studied really hard, practiced for a job interview, then got the job, then shows up every day and does something they didn't know existed a few years ago.

Sounds hard.

Other than that, this is just one of those "where I am isn't so bad, because there are people I view as worse off than me."

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