Fables of Work: Hard Work #2 - Beyond the "Brute Force" Model - DBR 097

"Work hard" is common advice, but what does it really mean? This episode challenges the one-dimensional view of success and "hustle culture." It explores the limitations of the "brute force method" and deconstructs "hard work" into four distinct "flavors." By understanding these different kinds of challenges, you can critically evaluate your own career path, define your version of success, and choose the "pain" you are best suited to deal with.

Challenging the "Brute Force" Model of Success

• We often see narratives of seemingly successful people who advocate for the "brute force method," which involves sacrificing life for intense, long hours.
• The entrepreneur Emil Barr, for example, is presented as someone who works 12.5 hours a day, 7 days a week, with little sleep, to become a billionaire by age 30.
• However, there are multiple valid paths to success. Many people define success as a "quiet life" with financial comfort rather than immense wealth, a philosophy akin to the "millionaire next door."
• Impatience, not virtue, often determines the difference between these models.

Deconstructing "Hard Work": Four Distinct "Flavors"

"Hard work" is an ambiguous term that lumps different types of challenges together. It’s important to recognize that useful and valuable work is challenging, but it doesn't always have to be a "white-knuckle" grind.

1. Physically Demanding and Dangerous Work: This involves direct physical exertion and personal risk. Examples include military service, SEAL training, or being a firefighter or professional athlete. It requires overcoming fear, the use of physical skills, and the energy of the body.
2. Long Hours / Brute Force: The work itself may not be dangerous, but the sheer volume and duration of effort make it hard. The "Elon Musk model" of 10-12 hour days, 7 days a week, is a prime example. This is the "brute force" model of success, probably derived from #1 above.
3. Cognitively Hard Work: This involves creating new knowledge, solving complex problems with no clear answers, and pushing intellectual boundaries. Examples include computer programming, thought leadership, or inventing new concepts. This type of work is draining, but for some, it is not particularly painful.
4. Emotionally Hard Work: This involves navigating emotionally charged situations, often in leadership roles or careers such as therapy or pastoral work. It requires patience, strong communication, and the ability to endure frustration, such as a doctor facing grieving families. This work is emotionally draining, but perhaps less so for some than for others.

These four types are all underpinned by the underlying qualities of grit and persistence. Success and flourishing requires these qualities. Maybe best to think of them as 

Choosing Your Own Challenge

• What is "painful" for one person might not be for another, highlighting the individual nature of hard work. Some might, indeed, find the brute force method to be the right one for them.
• What is most important to note is that the brute force method is not the only path. It is not even required, but is most likely simply a sign of impatience.
• From the four types above, and perhaps others, we should choose the "flavor of pain" or struggle that we are best adapted to dealing with or find most acceptable.
• Instead of searching for an elusive "passion," a more productive approach is to understand what challenges or flavors you are willing and able to embrace to a greater degree than others.
• This understanding can help you navigate your career and life choices with greater clarity and purpose, moving beyond a simplistic and potentially damaging narrative of sacrificing everything for success. This is a core principle in enabling us to Do Busy Right.