The Illusion of Hard Work

Xuefeng

February 24, 2025

Whenever parents, elders, teachers, or others encourage someone, they always say, “Work hard!”

After suffering a huge loss from following Napoleon Hill’s success philosophy and subsequently labeling success studies as a scam, I suddenly realized today that hard work is not just a deception—it is the very root of enslavement.

I believe that Chinese culture is a divine heritage, as evidenced by the structure and meaning of each character. Take the character "婚 (marriage)", for example—it is composed of "女" (woman) and "昏" (dazed), implying that a woman enters marriage in a daze. Similarly, "好" (good) is formed from "女" (woman) and "子" (man), symbolizing the harmonious union of a woman and a man. This raises an interesting question: what significance arises when we consider "婚 (marriage)" and "好" (good) together? If "婚 (marriage)" suggests that a woman marries in a daze, does the union of a woman and a man in "婚 (marriage)" truly yield "好" (good)? This implies that the true meaning of "好" (good) lies in the union of a woman and a man—but it does not mean that only a marriage between them results in what is deemed "good."

Now, let’s look at "hard work" (努力). The character "努" (hard work) consists of "奴" (slave) on top and "力" (strength) on the bottom—literally "a slave’s strength." "Hard work" is simply the toil of a slave.

If hard work is the labor of a slave, then the harder one works, the deeper one sinks into slavery.

Does this mean that hard work is inherently wrong? Should people stop forcing themselves to work hard?

Hard work means exerting one’s full strength to complete a task. Over time, it has come to signify the enthusiastic investment of one’s time, energy, and intellect into a task or endeavor in pursuit of a goal or ideal.

The character "努" (hard work) subtly warns the intelligent not to exert effort—it is meant for the foolish.

Let’s examine two scenarios:

A young person goes to an internet café and becomes addicted to a game, playing for over ten hours straight without eating, drinking, or sleeping—would you call this hard work? A mountaineer climbs peaks like Everest, enduring extreme hardship and life-threatening risks, yet they do it with great enthusiasm—is this really hard work, or is it simply following one’s passion? The answer is no—at least not in its true sense. These actions are driven by passion and intrinsic motivation.

So, what is hard work?

Hard work is when external forces compel a person to suppress their innate nature and toil like a slave—studying, working, networking, or engaging in certain activities to achieve a goal or fulfill a wish, even if they are unwilling and have no choice but to invest their time, energy, and intellect into the pursuit.

By nature, no one wants to be forced into hard work. Hard work is the mark of slaves. Slave masters never work hard.

I manage a vacation resort and write almost daily—would you say I am working hard?

If anyone believes that I am, they are mistaken. This is not hard work—this is passion. I do it willingly. I find it enjoyable, interesting, and fun.

Hard work is largely ineffective. If a rooster spends its life trying to fly, will it ever outsoar an eagle? If a sheep trains rigorously, will it be able to fight off a wolf? If Jack Ma had devoted himself to basketball from a young age, could he have become an NBA star?

Without the right talent, hard work is meaningless. The harder one works, the worse the outcome.

Everyone should engage in what they love. When a person follows their passion, they will naturally become fully dedicated, willing to sacrifice everything, and give their all—without needing external pressure.

Goodbye, hard work—your reign of slavery is over!