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One of the most regarded value ingrained in the Filipino psyche is the value of being "hardworking". Partly because the Philippines still has it's third world country mentality taught to slaves, that if you work hard, you will be rewarded.
While we will hear many stories of this being true, we fail to consider the confirmation biases of the stories we hear. We assume that successful people are successful because they are hardworking, ignoring the other side of this belief: poor people are lazy, while they may have failed despite working hard. There's a vast majority of hardworkers who don't make it. We tend to underestimate the role of lady luck to put merit on our hard work.
Less work is better for economy
Looking at a society with an economical perspective, it is not the "hardworking"-ness of the people that produces overall economical prosperity. It might even be counterproductive.
The 'flow' of the economy is produced by people spending their money on leisurely activities. There is less spending when people are in their jobsites. Spending happens when people are on their days/hours off of their job. Not when people are working and saving their earnings in banks.
Bad economy produces poor people, poor people tend to have faith on hard work, hardworkingness produces bad economy. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Hardworking-ness Corrupts the Universities
In an Ideal world, universities were meant for people who have passion on specific knowledge. They pay for that knowledge to apply it on a work of passion.
However, hard work mentality has transformed the university into a factory to produce people who will fit into available employers - the 'bosses'. Students go to university to get a piece of paper to prove the 'bosses' that they will be loyal and hardworking. "Tyaga lang makakatapos kadin."
And if that was the case, why should the student pay for the tuition? Isn't it more fitting to charge the employer if they are the prime benefactor? A lot of the graduates end up in positions lower than their qualifications anyway.
Besides that, due to lack of passion and the underpaid nature of industries, corruption has been very rampant in most walks of life. May it be actual government corruption or some business scheme created by somebody who has some diploma to prove their legitimacy. Diplomas have become a liscense to abuse the system.
Less Work Allows Pursuit of Sciences and Arts
When societies are free from the grasps of poverty and the false faith in hard work, it produces people who has time to pursue science and arts. This is why prosperous countries are on the lead when it comes to technological advancements and pop culture.
Philippines is deeply lacking on this area. The hardworker remains as the archetype of success. But in reality, the hardworker simply does what others do not want to do, for the off chance of being recognized and appreciated for their efforts.
Working Smart wins over Working Hard
The trend of society when it comes to work since the industrial times is towards efficiency. Invention has always pushed us toward working less for more result. Manifacturing, agriculture, and most labor intensive tasks has been passed on to robots. And now, with the rise of machine learning and A.I., even the lighter tasks or mental tasks will slowly be passed on to computers.
It is not a matter of "if", but "when" this happens.
Richer countries might provide some sort of universal basic income, embracing the fact that some people does not have to work anymore. Their citizens will be free to pursue whatever lifestyle they want. I wonder what Philippines would be on board on a similar system. Are we going to be one of these countries? Or do we continue working on unwanted jobs - impoverished, non-passionate, stagnant and underapreciated - to maintain the trait we have valued so much, being hardworking...
This piece took me a great deal of going against my biases, so I apologize if some ideas are all over the place. But like always,
thank you for reading.
While we will hear many stories of this being true, we fail to consider the confirmation biases of the stories we hear. We assume that successful people are successful because they are hardworking, ignoring the other side of this belief: poor people are lazy, while they may have failed despite working hard. There's a vast majority of hardworkers who don't make it. We tend to underestimate the role of lady luck to put merit on our hard work.
Less work is better for economy
Looking at a society with an economical perspective, it is not the "hardworking"-ness of the people that produces overall economical prosperity. It might even be counterproductive.
The 'flow' of the economy is produced by people spending their money on leisurely activities. There is less spending when people are in their jobsites. Spending happens when people are on their days/hours off of their job. Not when people are working and saving their earnings in banks.
Bad economy produces poor people, poor people tend to have faith on hard work, hardworkingness produces bad economy. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Hardworking-ness Corrupts the Universities
In an Ideal world, universities were meant for people who have passion on specific knowledge. They pay for that knowledge to apply it on a work of passion.
However, hard work mentality has transformed the university into a factory to produce people who will fit into available employers - the 'bosses'. Students go to university to get a piece of paper to prove the 'bosses' that they will be loyal and hardworking. "Tyaga lang makakatapos kadin."
And if that was the case, why should the student pay for the tuition? Isn't it more fitting to charge the employer if they are the prime benefactor? A lot of the graduates end up in positions lower than their qualifications anyway.
Besides that, due to lack of passion and the underpaid nature of industries, corruption has been very rampant in most walks of life. May it be actual government corruption or some business scheme created by somebody who has some diploma to prove their legitimacy. Diplomas have become a liscense to abuse the system.
Less Work Allows Pursuit of Sciences and Arts
When societies are free from the grasps of poverty and the false faith in hard work, it produces people who has time to pursue science and arts. This is why prosperous countries are on the lead when it comes to technological advancements and pop culture.
Philippines is deeply lacking on this area. The hardworker remains as the archetype of success. But in reality, the hardworker simply does what others do not want to do, for the off chance of being recognized and appreciated for their efforts.
Working Smart wins over Working Hard
The trend of society when it comes to work since the industrial times is towards efficiency. Invention has always pushed us toward working less for more result. Manifacturing, agriculture, and most labor intensive tasks has been passed on to robots. And now, with the rise of machine learning and A.I., even the lighter tasks or mental tasks will slowly be passed on to computers.
It is not a matter of "if", but "when" this happens.
Richer countries might provide some sort of universal basic income, embracing the fact that some people does not have to work anymore. Their citizens will be free to pursue whatever lifestyle they want. I wonder what Philippines would be on board on a similar system. Are we going to be one of these countries? Or do we continue working on unwanted jobs - impoverished, non-passionate, stagnant and underapreciated - to maintain the trait we have valued so much, being hardworking...
This piece took me a great deal of going against my biases, so I apologize if some ideas are all over the place. But like always,
thank you for reading.
Last edited:
PHcorner mag-ingay. 