What is diligence?#
Does it refer to working for a long time? Or does it mean that as long as a person is busy, even if not just with work, but with other activities as well? For example, painting, chores...
I believe it is the latter, so let's set the condition: can diligent work lead to wealth? But before that, let's discuss "Is diligent work harmful?"
Is diligent work harmful?#
I think it can be divided into two situations: one is a non-exploitative environment, and the other is an exploitative environment.
So how do we determine whether it is exploitative?
In a non-exploitative environment, it seems that the term diligence is rarely heard; instead, we hear about those who are deeply engrossed in their interests and hobbies.
In an exploitative environment, most of the wealth generated by diligent work goes to the exploiters, and the exploiters, besides enjoying their wealth, also reinforce the stability of the exploitative system, making it harder to overthrow. Moreover, many exploiters are extremely short-sighted and foolish; they increase the level of exploitation on those who work diligently. If you are willing to work, there will always be work to do; some bosses simply cannot stand seeing their employees idle. Although diligent work may eventually yield a small amount of wealth for oneself, this is a short-sighted behavior that harms the collective, and in the long run, it is also detrimental to oneself.
Diligent work means that other things are done less. We need to understand what the purpose of life is. Work is for acquiring wealth, and wealth is merely a tool, not the goal.
Diligence implies a higher opportunity cost, as it leads to a loss of time for nurturing relationships, exercising, learning new knowledge, etc. In an environment where social development is slow, the opportunity cost is relatively low; conversely, in a rapidly developing society, the opportunity cost is very high.
We need to understand that more opportunities lie outside.
Can diligent work really lead to wealth?#
Diligence can only bring about a quantitative accumulation, and it is difficult for quantitative accumulation to lead to qualitative change; the possibility is too low, especially in an exploitative environment.
Diligent work cannot lead to wealth; solving problems cannot either. Seizing opportunities is what leads to wealth. Therefore, we need to learn more new knowledge, engage with new things, and chat with strangers. Most gatherings without strangers can actually be avoided, as they are mostly just casual chats among friends. Note that news is not new knowledge; News is not New; news merely repeats what has already happened.
Summary#
Diligent work not only cannot lead to wealth but is also harmful. Therefore, the idea that diligence leads to wealth is likely a lie propagated by exploiters, and we should not promote diligent work. However, there is one exception, which will be discussed below.
What should we do?#
If you are engaged in a job that does not allow you to learn new knowledge, as long as it solves survival problems and will not be eliminated by market competition, do not work diligently; just work normally and spend your time elsewhere. In a normal environment, people work normally, which not only ensures survival but also allows for the accumulation of considerable wealth, even in many exploitative environments.
If you are engaged in a job where you can learn new knowledge, then you can work diligently. Because in such an environment, as long as you persist, your knowledge reserves will increase, the value you can create will be higher, and becoming wealthy will be much simpler; all you need is to escape the exploitative environment and find job opportunities in a new environment.
What kind of work can acquire new knowledge?#
Repetitive work rarely leads to acquiring new knowledge, but it can make you accustomed to unfamiliar knowledge; this is the only benefit of repetition.
The simplest repetitive jobs include screwing in screws, moving bricks, and even designers and authors, who may seem surprising to outsiders (of course, this applies to most, not the top-tier ones); they are merely using existing knowledge to create repetitively and will hardly acquire new knowledge in their work. This is a characteristic of repetitive work.
So what specific non-repetitive jobs are there? For example, scientists and research teams. While we certainly cannot all become scientists or join research teams, we can study, right? Anything is fine. If it relates to work, then you can work diligently; if it does not relate to work, then do not work diligently; instead, use the saved time to learn, think, and research.