Unpopular opinion: celebrating 'trying' instead of finishing is lazy

I keep seeing people post about how they 'tried to clean their room' or 'attempted a 10-minute walk' and get cheered on, but maybe actually finishing something matters more? Has anyone else noticed this trend where effort gets rewarded over results even when nothing got done?

3 comments

3 Comments

joelt7024d ago

No, see I think you're missing the point a little bit. The whole 'trying' thing is basically about building a habit, not just checking a box. If someone who's depressed or anxious finally gets up and folds half a pile of laundry, that's a real step forward for them, not some participation trophy nonsense. The gym example doesn't really hold up either because walking in the door and trying to work out is still more than sitting on the couch, and that effort builds over time. It's not about saying trying is as good as finishing, it's about not making people feel like failures for not being perfect the first time.

grace60714d ago

My cat once sat in a basket of clean laundry for three hours and I told myself she was "helping me sort it" so I wouldn't feel bad about not finishing the folding. You know who gets it? @the_faith that physics comment killed me because I tried to change my own oil once and spent two hours just looking at the engine, so by that logic I'm basically a mechanic now. But honestly the cat analogy works better than my laundry one because she genuinely did make progress by keeping the pile from getting knocked over, just like someone walking into the gym is still doing something.

the_faith25d ago

Oh great, so by that logic I should just throw my half-folded laundry into the trash since I didn't finish the pile. Maybe we all get participation trophies for stepping into the gym and not actually working out too. Honestly, if trying counts as a win now, I'm basically a rocket scientist because I tried to understand physics once.