Would you rather: Do meaningless work well, or meaningful work poorly?

[Party Elephant]

There's a whole tourism industry built around people doing "meaningful" work poorly in third world countries.

[Sainters7]

How is this a question? I'd rather be good at something meaningless than terrible at something that chips away at my self esteem every day until I do something drastic. No?

[Coach]

Is there an option to improve at the meaningful job? Why can't you get better at it?

Meaningful to you, or meaningful to the world? Because making hats for cats could be meaningful for some people.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Is there an option to improve at the meaningful job? Why can't you get better at it?

Meaningful to you, or meaningful to the world? Because making hats for cats could be meaningful for some people.

Its a hypothetical situation, changing the parameters seems like cheating.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

Its a hypothetical situation, changing the parameters seems like cheating.

I suppose.

I guess I wonder how the person can't improve at something they find meaningful. If one finds something meaningful, you would want to be better at it, and thus improve. If you don't want to improve at something, you probably don't find it meaningful.

I think people can always improve, and basically do whatever they set their mind to, ability wise. Most people are naturally gifted at a few things, that doesn't mean you can't get better at things you suck at. It requires more work though. If it's meaningful to you, you're probably going to put that work in.

[flamesfan1297]

^You must be a blast at party's.

And id rather be good at meaningless work. I would hate to do something meaningful but be awful at it. And if it's meaningful it would affect other people too.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

To answer the question: meaningless job well.

If you do a meaningless job well you give it meaning.

What is a meaningless job? Sure the guy holding the 'slow' sign at a road stop doesn't have a hard jib, but if done poorly there's ano accident and potential injury or death.

The people who clean toilets ando floors where I work are awesome. If the bathroom is dirty then the work is meaningful. I once had a deputy minister of the province ask me how old the building we were walking through was then remark how the floors look brand new. That's all the cleaning staff excelling at a 'meaningless' job.

If you flip burgers or pick up trash from the side of the road, if you do it well it's meaningful

[AltaGuy]

I've found that when I do a meaningless job well, I quickly stop doing it well because I'm bored. So then I'm doing a meaningless job adequately. Which is depressing, and eventually I'll be doing said meaningless job poorly which is the worst.

At least if I suck at something meaningful, I'll strive to be better and improve. Hopefully won't suck for long.

[bizaro86]

The "friend" you're asking for is Irfan Sabir isn't it?

[TorqueDog]

Assuming I'd never get better at the meaningful job, I'd rather do the meaningless job really well. At least I'm meeting and/or exceeding expectations, even if the job is rubbish.

But if we're not operating in a fixed state and I can improve at the meaningful job, then you better believe I'd take that one. If I am not being challenged at my job, I'm miserable.

[N-E-B]

Trick question. All jobs are meaningless. Death is imminent.

[btimbit]

Doing meaningless jobs well is pretty much my entire resume. Hell it could be on my tombstone

[jayswin]

Haha, I knew people would suggest doing a meaningful job poorly but then getting better and doing a meaningful job excellently. Kind of takes away from the spirit of the question and I'm sure EVERYONE would choose that option if the question was open to you being better at the job!

[para transit fellow]

It seems that the definition of "meaningless" can be very vague. For example I have been told by drunken oilpatch types that my work is meaningless because I don't work in the "patch"


So what is meaningful work for this question?

(I certainly would not want to be a surgeon that was only in it for the money)

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

It seems that the definition of "meaningless" can be very vague. For example I have been told by drunken oilpatch types that my work is meaningless because I don't work in the "patch"

Really? Don't you help disabled people get around? How could that possibly be considered meaningless?

Anyway, I once did meaningful work. I don't anymore, but I get paid way more now for meaningless stuff.

I guess it's meaningful that I don't live in a basement suite, but I also don't get to think "I actually did something today". So that's something!

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Really? Don't you help disabled people get around? How could that possibly be considered meaningless?

I wish I was lying, but 6 - 12 people have told me that because I'm not an oil patch my work is meaningless. Some of them were nobody's - but two were CEO s of junior oil companies.

I think I can even throw in an MLA ..(klien-era conservative) and an elected municipal official in the Calgary region.

Meaningful (and meaningless) is a very subjective designation.

[Wormius]

Meaningful and meaningless for the purpose of this question should be in the eye of the beholder. I think I would rather be good at a meaningless job though. Seems like it would be a lot less stressful than performing subpar in something hat I found meaningful. This is assuming the pay was equal between the jobs. If not, I might struggle with the meaningful job.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

I wish I was lying, but 6 - 12 people have told me that because I'm not an oil patch my work is meaningless. Some of them were nobody's - but two were CEO s of junior oil companies.

I think I can even throw in an MLA ..(klien-era conservative) and an elected municipal official in the Calgary region.

Meaningful (and meaningless) is a very subjective designation.

That's just weird. I could see someone saying you're stupid, if you're doing something and not making much money when you could get more. It's not nice, but I could see the logic.

But anything out of the oil industry meaningless? People in the oil patch still need to eat, go to the doctor, dentist, etc.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Dan02

The people who are driving to work poorly usually don't realize they are.

So true.