This Nepalese Proverb is Absolutely Wrong

“When two paths open before you, take the harder one,” it says.

I’d say proverbs like this are one reason why the world needs life coaches and mental health professionals. No. Simply no. File this proverb away with “True love is truly amazing only when it’s truly true.” What?!?? Some sayings are simply silly.

This is not to say the harder path may not be the better path. I would not say NEVER take the harder path. Leap on your chance to learn Greek if that appeals to you. But don’t feel compelled to make your life hard. What for? Life’s not complicated enough?

Ask instead: What’s the ratio of risk to reward? What’s the opportunity cost? Should I go to the beach instead? Hell, ask who put the tribbles in the quadrotriticale if that will slow you down before you leap.

“It’s hard, therefore I should do it” makes sense sometimes. The harder book will often be the better book. The harder path will tone and firm more muscles, and may possibly offer better scenery. More intensive efforts sometimes yield higher pay-offs.

Making a culture out of “harder,” though, no doubt contributed to the fact that Americans now may have the longest, toughest work week in the civilized world, at least in terms of hours worked. A report Gallup released “showed the average time worked by full-time employees has ticked up to 46.7 hours a week, or nearly a full extra eight-hour day,” according to Jena McGregor in a September 2, 2014 article in the Washington Post. In fairness, I’ll note that some Asian countries appear to have our work hours beat. The numbers are really muddy out here when you start to look at them.

I would like to boldly assert that 46.7 hours is too damn much, though, unless you love your job. If you love that fulfilling job, 60 or more hours may be fine. For the many Americans who are working to eat and pay the mortgage, however, these hours have gotten out of hand as we buy into American versions of the Nepalese proverb.

Embracing tough options may make those options more palatable, and if the Nepalese proverb has been helping readers manage their daily lives, I don’t want to rock functional boats. Still, I do want to leave this post with a question for you:

Would you be better off on the easier path? Instead of reflexively saying, “I will work harder!” maybe you should make a T-Chart with the advantages of the harder path on one side and the disadvantages on the other.

Is it time to walk away from your harder choice? Or at least cut out a few less-fun hours? Maybe go get a mocha milkshake or a hot fudge sundae instead?