The Daily Stoic

(Dana P.) #1

W


May 30th
WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING?

“I  can’t   call    a   person  a   hard    worker  just    because I   hear    they    read    and write,  even    if  working at  it
all night. Until I know what a person is working for, I can’t deem them industrious. . . . I can if
the end they work for is their own ruling principle, having it be and remain in constant harmony
with Nature.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.4.41; 43

hat are the chances that the busiest person you know is actually the most productive? We tend to
associate busyness with goodness and believe that spending many hours at work should be
rewarded.
Instead, evaluate what you are doing, why you are doing it, and where accomplishing it will take you.
If you don’t have a good answer, then stop.

Free download pdf