If you have goals beyond feeling good in the moment then sometimes it’s worth feeling bad for some time to achieve them. Most people definitely spend a lot of time doing things that will never lead them to that deeper satisfaction but that shouldn’t stop one from trying. And to enjoy the struggle along the way.
Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
61–70 of 361 posts
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#62This seems to be a major epidemic nowadays. I suspect that mechanistic, meaningless, purely mimetic pursuit of success has some pretty negative consequences on society. I suspect it might explain why so many people are interested in engaging in politics (or company politics) and zero-sum value extraction schemes instead of just adding value... They're not interested in the process at all, only in the outcome; financi…
A friend recently got what he thought was a great gig with an engineering firm - turned out it was more of a cult - rah rah sessions, after work bowling, softball - and they weren’t shy about shunning anybody who didn’t want all in right away.
He got bullied and saw others bullied too - we figure it’s why they prefer to intern pipeline and hire and retain - a lot easier to brainwash when young.
I mean it’s not a bad company, they do strong and good work - but acting like it’s the best place ever? Well, most of them have only worked there. We were like, offhand we’ve each had two better jobs than that one.[0] They used culture as a bait for lower pay too.
There’s something really disturbing about a company in 2022 wanting to act like a cult rather than accept the job market is turning more mercenary by the day. Oh well, their choice to fail.
[0] - Daniel Tosh “America #1” stand up bit for reference
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#63The topic is nice, but above all I thoroughly enjoy the writing.
I feel like I get a lot more done precisely because I don't like to eat frogs. I sleep until I'm rested. I don't touch my computer until I've had tea on the balcony. I work on what feels right, when it feels right, for as long as it feels right. If the weather is nice, I'll hop on my bicycle and forget about work.
But when something sparks my interest, I have stores of energy to throw at it. My appetite for work is unrestrained by the frogs I've had for breakfast.
I embraced the fact that I am not a machine, and that my output is neither constant nor predictable. I'd rather respect the tides of my energy than fight against them.
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#64As a Frenchman, it took me a while to realize it was supposed to mean "a painful thing to do"
Interestingly, there is a similar French expression: "avaler des couleuvres" ("swallowing snakes").
It also means "doing things against your will", although it has the additional sense of doing them because you're gullible (not sure if this sense is also present in the English expression).
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#65> we have a bad theory about how our minds work, one so dastardly that it could have only been devised by the devil himself. It goes like this: We humans are, deep down, lazy and gluttonous creatures. If left to our own devices, we will do nothing but eat Pringles and watch Netflix. The only way we can escape our indolent nature is to exert our higher faculties over our base instincts.
I believe that allegedly wrong theory applies perfectly to me, since I have watched myself descend into the junk food - junk flix routine. It started with a mild depression which was a perfect excuse at the time, and then continued down into the pits of procrastination where the lazy part of me was feeling fabulous. Thankfully, the devilish side went completely crazy with guilt and frustration, never mind their Satan worshiping sidekick - the wife - and eventually delivered me back into productivity heaven/hell.
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would eating bread in the country with one of the best bakery cultures be painful? Edit: It's too early, thanks to the more awake commenters to point out the pun ;)
Pain is French for bread. I hate this joke. There's a bakery I used to drive past called the "House of Pain".
Ah, they did one of my favorite wraps. Baguette up, baguette in..
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#67Regarding pomodoro: I've found that 5 minutes of rest is not enough. Through trial and error I've settled on 30min work and 20min(!) of rest. I have to force myself to stop working when my timer is up, otherwise my productivity that day goes down. On one hand it's just a somewhat smarter way to eat frogs, on the other it doesn't feel so. I suppose half of the problem is not knowing what amount of frog is too much for…
I find it really depends on how motivated I am for the task. If I’m really motivated I can focus for hours and not feel bad at all.
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wouldn't eating bread be more painful in France? (Sorry.)
I've never eaten bread as delicious as the "boring" baguettes available from virtually every bakery in France. Maybe it's the yeast they use or something? So I'm genuinely curious as to where you're coming from with that. Edit: Oh. Pat yourself on the back for a pun well played. Whooshed straight over my head! Take my angry upvote ;)
Thanks, I'll accept your upvote graciously as I'm celiac and unable to eat that fantastic French bread anymore!
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#69Re; This particular quote from the article… > "Stop confusing productivity with laziness. While no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to lost productivity." I was taught growing up that if it's something you must do anyhow, then true laziness is finding the simplest and most effective way to do a given task quickly and correctly the first time so that you don't have to waste time and effo…
I heard a quote once that a general or some leader said he preferred “highly intelligent and slightly lazy” people because they found the most efficient and reliable ways to get things done, and quickly as a bonus!
Re: Excuse me but why are you eating so many frogs
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's quite rare. I tried once because a friend was visiting from the US and wanted to try. With a bit of research, I found a restaurant specialised in frog, but yes, they aren't common.
Idk, I went to a lot of restaurant that had frog legs in their menu. On the other hand I had snails only once. But I think "traditional" french restaurant are not that common anymore in anycase. My city is full of restaurant from all over the world or thematic restaurant, only an handful of "classic" french restaurant (and its not a bad thing, I love the variety).
Frogs are a protected specie in france: you can catch some for personal "use" but there are quotas. So all the frogs you eat in restaurants come from elsewhere in europe. Could explain the evolution. Also i'm not sure it's something "typically french", i'd definitely categorize it as region-dependent (eg from the Dombes near Lyon). Btw for frog fishing you need no hook but just a small piece of fabric, had some fun making a couple fly when a kid, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDmb3ZMw5c