🏋️♂️ Pain is not the unit of Effort
Sunday Scoop #27 - This week, I share a short myth-buster, questioning whether pain is synonymous to the effort we put in.
Hey friends,
As I return to properly studying the A-Level syllabus after 6 months of University Applications, I finally got around to listening to more podcasts. (something I can do while I work through Mathematics Problem Sets but not while I’m writing essays)
Here is an excerpt from the a Less Wrong article that I came across in one of the podcasts I heard.
✂ Excerpt
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. ~ Kelly Clarkson.
No pain, no gain. ~ Exercise motto.
The more bitterness you swallow, the higher you'll go. ~ Chinese proverb.
I noticed recently that, at least in my social bubble, pain is the unit of effort. In other words, how hard you are trying is explicitly measured by how much suffering you put yourself through.
As a child, I spent most of my evenings studying mathematics under some amount of supervision from my mother. While studying, if I expressed discomfort or fatigue, my mother would bring me a snack or drink and tell me to stretch or take a break. I think she took it as a sign that I was trying my best. If on the other hand I was smiling or joyful for extended periods of time, she took that as a sign that I had effort to spare and increased the hours I was supposed to study each day. To this day there's a gremlin on my shoulder that whispers, "If you're happy, you're not trying your best."
💭Thoughts
Even now, I often hear internet laments like:
"This is so tiring."
"Spain but the s is silent."
"I'm done."
Of course, venting is healthy to a certain extent. It helps us expend our negative energy instead of suppressing them.
However, I reserve a slight concern on whether these rants stem from the pervasive and damaging belief that pain is the unit of effort. With this belief, the injunction "actually try" means "showing that you're unhappy/tired/fatigued/in pain".
Even worse, people with this belief may optimize for the appearance of suffering. Burning the midnight oil to study and appearing fatigued in classes are somehow taken to be more credible signals of effort than actual results. Although in theory, one can in principle trade off happiness for short bursts of productivity, in practice this is never worth it.
It goes without saying that we are all free to do what we want. What I’m proposing that we do a quick reflection before we let this belief get the best of us.
If it hurts, is there some way the specifics of the pain/tiredness can lead me to notice wasted effort / improvable form?
Are there ways I can let go of some of the pain/tiredness? If I was really trying here, might I be happier?
With that said, I hope that this myth-busting that I find very amusing and am hence sharing with you today adds value to your life in some shape, way, or form. Especially since classes are starting after a month-long break.
Have a great week ahead and see you in the next issue of Sunday Scoop!
Jia Shing.
Links
📰 Newsletter - In efforts to learn more about the political turmoil in America, I’ve signed up for CNN's Meanwhile in America New. It's pretty neat to have a daily analysis of US politics fresh in your inbox every morning. If you'd like to join, sign up here!
✍ Article - This article by Derek Sivers really sets the tone for what to do at each age category.
Question
If it hurts, is there some way the specifics of the pain/tiredness can lead me to notice wasted effort / improvable form?
Are there ways I can let go of some of the pain/tiredness? If I was really trying here, might I be happier?
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