from Hacker News

Acting your wage will atrophy your abilities

by jinjin2 on 6/24/23, 8:09 AM with 3 comments

  • by sgbeal on 6/24/23, 8:16 AM

    > Whatever the situation, whatever the company, you should show up with your very best. Not for them, but for you.

    i cannot stress this enough. Case in point: after having been a moderately successful I.T. Guy my whole life, i was knocked out of the industry by a severe case of chronic RSI and found myself, a couple of years ago, delivering newspapers between one and three in the morning, six days a week, to earn some extra money. i found myself thinking, "you know, this may be minimum-wage menial labor, but if i don't give it my best effort then i'm just being an arrogant (expletive)."

    To be clear, i had to keep _actively reminding myself_ of that (because it _was_ brain-dead, low-paying work, which can easily become demoralizing for someone used to earning well by typing), but if someone's paying me to do a job, and i've accepted the terms of that job, then it's up to me to make an honest best effort.

  • by Mizoguchi on 6/24/23, 9:09 AM

    Giving your very best usually takes time and energy, which are finite resources. For many people a job is just an instrument to finance other things (an idea, education, a hobby) that also take time and energy. So depending on your particular goals and life situation not giving your very best is perfectly ok.
  • by 082349872349872 on 6/24/23, 9:15 AM

    There's always open source...