Beautifully expressed. My work in the realm of sculpture has shown me how more primitive, less ‘optimized’ tools are often the most conducive to creativity, flow, and skill development. The grind is so antithetical to art-making, and I worry that our social and economic trends will eventually abandon any arts that require capital and overhead to practice.
It’s also a pleasure to see the word ‘invention’ applied here - I’ve been musing lately about what it means that we’ve largely abandoned the word in favour of ‘innovation’. We’ve given up on the idea that there’s anything left to discover, and that contributes to the pervasive sense of meaninglessness.
I was about to close the window thinking this would be yet another Millennial we-got-screwed screed (Yes, I'm a Millennial). I'm glad I didn't.
I still think that Millennials overstate the dysfunctional state of society and the good fortunes previous generations, but the latter half of this essay is excellent.
While I have not encountered anything factually, spiritually wrong, or misleading, I do not find it wise to follow your advice unconditionally. I question what would happen if, especially for young people, were to refuse to grind. Would this lead to better outcomes?
From my experience, there are hundreds of pleasure-addicted hedonists for every person who could be considered addicted to grinding. It may be a social custom to claim that one is hardworking, but this is a meaningless statement, as it is simply customary to say so.
Most people I know who could objectively claim to work hard would probably not consider themselves grinders, as they find meaning and joy in what they do. This observation supports your argument in principle, but I do not believe the alternatives are simply the meaningful life of lightness versus the meaningless life of grind and suffering. While your argument does not revolve around replacing grinding with hedonism, I cannot help but think that these pathways might be the only options available to many, especially young people.
It is true that grinders are unlikely to realize their true potential, as they constantly work against a part of themselves, achieving everything at an unnecessarily high cost. When grinding becomes necessary for an extended period—perhaps years—it signals that one is not fulfilling their Dharma, to use a more esoteric term.
Most who grind too hard will eventually learn this profound lesson on their own. It might take years, but it is a deeply personal lesson that can only be learned through experience.
I imagine that most who find themselves constantly grinding, including myself, are working towards vague goals, such as earning more money in the future, without a clear idea of what to do with that money. They may follow a career path solely for the sake of progression in an arbitrary, impersonal metric. Over time, motivation fades as they progress without achieving anything that feels meaningful. Objective achievements bring no satisfaction, and the prospect of future achievements becomes daunting, as there is a well-founded fear that they will not change anything. When achieving less becomes increasingly challenging, one can truly speak of grinding. What was once a meaningful struggle towards a false but still motivating goal has now become a struggle for nothing—a dead end. I have been there; perhaps I still am. Nevertheless, this experience has provided me with invaluable lessons.
The correct approach is to change something fundamentally. I would not say to follow your instinct; rather, follow your intuition. "Instinct" implies following the animalistic part of oneself, which I believe is even more delusive than following mind-driven reason alone. However, this may be a matter of semantics.
Thus, I will not argue for a life of constant grinding. However, I contend that a life without grinding for an extended period will not cultivate character beyond immaturity, hedonism, and inherent misery. I further argue that the moment one realizes they have betrayed themselves for no reason—sacrificing years of effort for nothing—the profound nihilism that arises from this realization is among the most important insights one can achieve. Strangely, I find this nihilism to be a worthwhile but unexpected payoff. While the experience may be painful, it holds extraordinary potential for learning.
Conversely, the most fundamentally miserable people I have encountered are those who never struggled towards anything, never tried, always took the easy way out, and never learned to reject hedonistic gratification. This may be the default path for those without guidance, especially in a modern, consumerist society that exploits these impulses. Thus, I wonder if removing the false idol of grinding towards the meaningless might paradoxically lead to worse outcomes.
It is true that pursuing hedonistic joy and exploring the darker parts of oneself can lead to profound realizations. However, I argue that this path not only carries the risk of complete self-destruction beyond recovery but also lacks a consolation prize if one fails to integrate their shadow. Grinding, on the other hand, offers a consolation prize in the form of skills and material goods that can, in principle, be invested wisely.
There is no strict logic dictating that grinding and hedonism are the only choices available. However, my life experience suggests that they often are. This may reflect an odd manifestation of the right- and left-handed paths, to use esoteric terminology again.
Both struggle and hedonism can lead to dangerous and potentially dark places, where there is no return—depression versus unlimited indulgence. Both can yield invaluable insights.
In conclusion, I argue that one should indeed reject grinding when it manifests as nihilism, but simultaneously encourage striving towards something, even if it will likely turn out to be a false idol, especially when the urge to grind stems from youthful naivety. There remains the unlikely possibility of finding meaning on the first try, and if not, there is much to learn from struggle, grind, and suffering, even—and especially—if it is in vain. From my experience, I am more worried about those who do not try anything hard than about those who try too hard. Thus, I suppose I still encourage others to make the mistakes I made; I was not that bad, just a little bad.
"The baby boomer generation lived a life of relative ease, with a stable, well-paid employment, affordable housing, and the bull markets of their time."
I can't read any further when I see something like that. You know nothing of what the baby boomer generation went through (or, probably, anything before you were 18). "the bull markets of their time." didn't start until 1982. The 70's featured a long, long bear market, 15% inflation and 20% interest rates. Not to mention gas lines. And of course Vietnam, the first lost war.
And there WERE layoffs, and the PC revolution hadn't started yet.
Stop pretending to be a victim gramps and understand what the word 'relative' means. Yes the fed couldn't get inflation under control in the 70s but that was 50 years ago, what about the 45 years since? Also I notice you decline to mention the housing issue in your little rant, as on that point you have no argument at all.
Beautifully expressed. My work in the realm of sculpture has shown me how more primitive, less ‘optimized’ tools are often the most conducive to creativity, flow, and skill development. The grind is so antithetical to art-making, and I worry that our social and economic trends will eventually abandon any arts that require capital and overhead to practice.
It’s also a pleasure to see the word ‘invention’ applied here - I’ve been musing lately about what it means that we’ve largely abandoned the word in favour of ‘innovation’. We’ve given up on the idea that there’s anything left to discover, and that contributes to the pervasive sense of meaninglessness.
I was about to close the window thinking this would be yet another Millennial we-got-screwed screed (Yes, I'm a Millennial). I'm glad I didn't.
I still think that Millennials overstate the dysfunctional state of society and the good fortunes previous generations, but the latter half of this essay is excellent.
While I have not encountered anything factually, spiritually wrong, or misleading, I do not find it wise to follow your advice unconditionally. I question what would happen if, especially for young people, were to refuse to grind. Would this lead to better outcomes?
From my experience, there are hundreds of pleasure-addicted hedonists for every person who could be considered addicted to grinding. It may be a social custom to claim that one is hardworking, but this is a meaningless statement, as it is simply customary to say so.
Most people I know who could objectively claim to work hard would probably not consider themselves grinders, as they find meaning and joy in what they do. This observation supports your argument in principle, but I do not believe the alternatives are simply the meaningful life of lightness versus the meaningless life of grind and suffering. While your argument does not revolve around replacing grinding with hedonism, I cannot help but think that these pathways might be the only options available to many, especially young people.
It is true that grinders are unlikely to realize their true potential, as they constantly work against a part of themselves, achieving everything at an unnecessarily high cost. When grinding becomes necessary for an extended period—perhaps years—it signals that one is not fulfilling their Dharma, to use a more esoteric term.
Most who grind too hard will eventually learn this profound lesson on their own. It might take years, but it is a deeply personal lesson that can only be learned through experience.
I imagine that most who find themselves constantly grinding, including myself, are working towards vague goals, such as earning more money in the future, without a clear idea of what to do with that money. They may follow a career path solely for the sake of progression in an arbitrary, impersonal metric. Over time, motivation fades as they progress without achieving anything that feels meaningful. Objective achievements bring no satisfaction, and the prospect of future achievements becomes daunting, as there is a well-founded fear that they will not change anything. When achieving less becomes increasingly challenging, one can truly speak of grinding. What was once a meaningful struggle towards a false but still motivating goal has now become a struggle for nothing—a dead end. I have been there; perhaps I still am. Nevertheless, this experience has provided me with invaluable lessons.
The correct approach is to change something fundamentally. I would not say to follow your instinct; rather, follow your intuition. "Instinct" implies following the animalistic part of oneself, which I believe is even more delusive than following mind-driven reason alone. However, this may be a matter of semantics.
Thus, I will not argue for a life of constant grinding. However, I contend that a life without grinding for an extended period will not cultivate character beyond immaturity, hedonism, and inherent misery. I further argue that the moment one realizes they have betrayed themselves for no reason—sacrificing years of effort for nothing—the profound nihilism that arises from this realization is among the most important insights one can achieve. Strangely, I find this nihilism to be a worthwhile but unexpected payoff. While the experience may be painful, it holds extraordinary potential for learning.
Conversely, the most fundamentally miserable people I have encountered are those who never struggled towards anything, never tried, always took the easy way out, and never learned to reject hedonistic gratification. This may be the default path for those without guidance, especially in a modern, consumerist society that exploits these impulses. Thus, I wonder if removing the false idol of grinding towards the meaningless might paradoxically lead to worse outcomes.
It is true that pursuing hedonistic joy and exploring the darker parts of oneself can lead to profound realizations. However, I argue that this path not only carries the risk of complete self-destruction beyond recovery but also lacks a consolation prize if one fails to integrate their shadow. Grinding, on the other hand, offers a consolation prize in the form of skills and material goods that can, in principle, be invested wisely.
There is no strict logic dictating that grinding and hedonism are the only choices available. However, my life experience suggests that they often are. This may reflect an odd manifestation of the right- and left-handed paths, to use esoteric terminology again.
Both struggle and hedonism can lead to dangerous and potentially dark places, where there is no return—depression versus unlimited indulgence. Both can yield invaluable insights.
In conclusion, I argue that one should indeed reject grinding when it manifests as nihilism, but simultaneously encourage striving towards something, even if it will likely turn out to be a false idol, especially when the urge to grind stems from youthful naivety. There remains the unlikely possibility of finding meaning on the first try, and if not, there is much to learn from struggle, grind, and suffering, even—and especially—if it is in vain. From my experience, I am more worried about those who do not try anything hard than about those who try too hard. Thus, I suppose I still encourage others to make the mistakes I made; I was not that bad, just a little bad.
How sick I am of reading stuff like this:
"The baby boomer generation lived a life of relative ease, with a stable, well-paid employment, affordable housing, and the bull markets of their time."
I can't read any further when I see something like that. You know nothing of what the baby boomer generation went through (or, probably, anything before you were 18). "the bull markets of their time." didn't start until 1982. The 70's featured a long, long bear market, 15% inflation and 20% interest rates. Not to mention gas lines. And of course Vietnam, the first lost war.
And there WERE layoffs, and the PC revolution hadn't started yet.
Stop pretending to be a victim gramps and understand what the word 'relative' means. Yes the fed couldn't get inflation under control in the 70s but that was 50 years ago, what about the 45 years since? Also I notice you decline to mention the housing issue in your little rant, as on that point you have no argument at all.
... and you're blocked, little asshole.