Comments on: On work, pleasure, and occasionally contributing to the world at large http://helloform.com/blog/2009/10/on-work-pleasure-and-occasionally-contributing-to-the-world-at-large/ A blog on building experiences Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:07:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Caroline Schnapp http://helloform.com/blog/2009/10/on-work-pleasure-and-occasionally-contributing-to-the-world-at-large/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Caroline Schnapp Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:21:47 +0000 http://helloform.com/?p=336#comment-277 Working is about killing time, your time, my time, the precious time we have that we'll never get back, while having to usually worry less about money. The latter is not even true if you're a freelancer because then you'll think of money too often. A job is often not much more than an occupation, something that takes time... away from you to contribute very little to the world. I was more creative when I was a student, I was more creative when I was taking long breaks from work, between jobs. Employment can feel sweet because it's a routine with very little resistance onto its path -- contributing something of value does have resistance on its path because I believe more is at stake then. Employment is about getting stuff done to justify the money you're given, and to over-justify it quite often, bringing something of close-to-no-value to a state as close to perfection as it can get. There's something zen about work. Pushing your Sisyphus rock up the mountain is not entirely devoid of rewards: there is the one reward of looking back on your day and being able to say: I pushed some rock. Toward what? For what? Irrelevant. I just pushed on something, I am now tired, I can now watch some TV to turn my brain off (while my soul was off the entire day), and eat some Fill in the Blank food I was able to afford. Working is about killing time, your time, my time, the precious time we have that we’ll never get back, while having to usually worry less about money. The latter is not even true if you’re a freelancer because then you’ll think of money too often. A job is often not much more than an occupation, something that takes time… away from you to contribute very little to the world. I was more creative when I was a student, I was more creative when I was taking long breaks from work, between jobs.

Employment can feel sweet because it’s a routine with very little resistance onto its path — contributing something of value does have resistance on its path because I believe more is at stake then. Employment is about getting stuff done to justify the money you’re given, and to over-justify it quite often, bringing something of close-to-no-value to a state as close to perfection as it can get.

There’s something zen about work. Pushing your Sisyphus rock up the mountain is not entirely devoid of rewards: there is the one reward of looking back on your day and being able to say: I pushed some rock. Toward what? For what? Irrelevant. I just pushed on something, I am now tired, I can now watch some TV to turn my brain off (while my soul was off the entire day), and eat some Fill in the Blank food I was able to afford.

]]> By: Fred Oliveira http://helloform.com/blog/2009/10/on-work-pleasure-and-occasionally-contributing-to-the-world-at-large/comment-page-1/#comment-275 Fred Oliveira Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:16:09 +0000 http://helloform.com/?p=336#comment-275 Bruno: Although I had already seen that presentation, I love seeing it again - thanks for the reminder. Tim O'Reilly does hit it on the head with it. I'm sure everyone else reading will benefit form your link. Thanks! And do share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Bruno: Although I had already seen that presentation, I love seeing it again – thanks for the reminder. Tim O’Reilly does hit it on the head with it. I’m sure everyone else reading will benefit form your link. Thanks! And do share your thoughts, I’d love to hear them.

]]> By: Bruno http://helloform.com/blog/2009/10/on-work-pleasure-and-occasionally-contributing-to-the-world-at-large/comment-page-1/#comment-274 Bruno Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:19:47 +0000 http://helloform.com/?p=336#comment-274 Hi Fred, Perhaps this presentation is relevant to your post: <a href="http://blip.tv/file/1277276" rel="nofollow">Tim O'Reilly - Work on stuff that matters</a> I have no time to post my thoughts right now but I will do so later. Hi Fred,

Perhaps this presentation is relevant to your post:
Tim O’Reilly – Work on stuff that matters
I have no time to post my thoughts right now but I will do so later.

]]>