Then what's your definition of "work"?
Conversation
Work is purposeful mental or physical activity that is not directed on consumption, recreation or play.
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It sounds like paid labor is a subset of "work". And I'm not sure how I would determine which parts of my unpaid, voluntary activity are not "recreation or play".
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Anyway, I don't mean to nitpick at you. The only point of my comment was to say be wary of anyone who tells you to take pride in doing the thing they want you to do for them. It seems inherently manipulative.
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I am a founder and I tell my team to do work they will be proud of. It’s about workmanship and doing things the right way than about extracting more work for less. If it feels manipulative to be advised to be proud of your craftsmanship, you possibly have been in toxic workplaces
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"Do work you will be proud of" seems subtly better than "take pride in doing this work I give you." In the former, you're telling me to pursue the values I already have. In the latter, you're telling me to align my values with the work I've been given.
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If you advise me to "do work I will be proud of", I can use that as an opportunity for reflection as to whether the work you give me is something I could be proud of. If I decide that it isn't, then you have effectively advised me to find a new job.
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(or possibly to half-ass my job so that I can spend more time and energy on things outside my job that I find rewarding)
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That’s exactly what I tell people who work with me. Be proud of what you are building. For that you have to like it first and apply yourself to it. If you can’t, be honest about it and find other things to do. I don’t subscribe to half-assing a job as it is not ethical.
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I agree with you on the first part. But I grew up on the Simpsons, so cynicism is too deep wired into my DNA for me to completely condemn professional half-assery.😅
(And I suspect that has a PhD-thesis-sized take on the ethics of half-assing your job.)
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Of course I do 😎
Scattered across a few blog posts and newsletter issues
I should read. I am too vested in the idea of doing more than required, at work. Any tags I should search for, to narrow down? You’ve written a lot :)
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Probably not a productive bunny trail for you tbh. You seem to have a playbook that works for you.
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