Wow. I think very differently about what "hard" and "work" when it comes to engineering-type things: "hard" is when there is a significant chance of failure because, for example, I'm not sure my skill set can stretch to coming up with a solution to the problem, and "requires work" is when something takes my particular skill set and some focused effort and time, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it done in the end and be happy with the result. (And the focused effort and time ought not to be too unpleasant, or else it falls into some other category again.) "easy" is "requires work that is far enough below my skill level that I don't have to worry about it at all".
I prefer "requires work", or on the easy-enough end of "hard" that the risk of failure is somewhat low; I hate when "hard" borders on "seems impossible" and yet there we all are bashing along at it and failing.
'course, then there's also when "seems impossible" meets "sudden inspiration" and then you actually have accomplished something that seemed nearly insurmountable, and that feels great - but I hate the part of the process of getting there before the sudden inspiration and feeling doomed.
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branchandroot
Re: Excerpts from IM, Part 2
Date: 2006-02-24 03:27 pm (UTC)of failure because, for example, I'm not sure my skill set can stretch to
coming up with a solution to the problem, and "requires work" is when something takes my particular skill set and some focused effort and time,
but I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it done in the end and be happy with the result. (And the focused effort and time ought not to be too unpleasant, or else it falls into some other category again.) "easy"
is "requires work that is far enough below my skill level that I don't
have to worry about it at all".
I prefer "requires work", or on the easy-enough end of "hard" that the
risk of failure is somewhat low; I hate when "hard" borders on "seems impossible" and yet there we all are bashing along at it and failing.
'course, then there's also when "seems impossible" meets "sudden inspiration" and then you actually have accomplished something that
seemed nearly insurmountable, and that feels great - but I hate the
part of the process of getting there before the sudden inspiration
and feeling doomed.