Effort

When faced with a problem, there can be many approaches to how it can be solved. One thing which separates all these different methods is the amount of effort that is put into the solution. Effort is defined as a determined attempt at something which can be in any form. I think the idea that really differentiates effort from trying is the 'determination' put into it which displays the interests of the user and their care for a topic. I want to talk about effort today and go over three things: is effort worth giving?, effort vs technique, and the morality of it all.

First off, on the topic of the value of effort, I want to look at an example of William Schmidt who spent 38 years of his life digging through a solid granite mountain in the Mojave desert of Southern California. His reasoning was that he would be able to transport his ore faster in this route, however, 20 years in a road was already built making the transport of ore easy and his tunnel obsolete. In the end, he retired from being a miner without the tunnel ever being complete (800m), leaving this dug cave as a tourist site for people to visit. A remarkable story of dedication for sure, though, was this effort all worth it in the end? Must one struggle through so much only to achieve nothing. Let's look at this from his perspective where his goal was completed without his own means. In the end, the work to move the ore more efficiently was done by others and as a result William was then able to move his ore efficiently. He kept going though and dug for another 18 years. I think what enticed him was a sense of pride or discipline to get it finished even though it remains uncomplete to this day. Even though his solution was granted, he takes pride in the effort he put which I think displays how effort, even if it bears no fruits, is always value to someone.

Now how does effort compare to technique? By this I am referring to taking an easier route to accomplish the same task by any means necessary. If you are achieving the same goal shouldn't one be efficient and try to take the easy way out. To this I will have to disagree because personally, I find joy in the effort of achieving the goal, just like the phrase "It is about the journey not the destination". This becomes more apparent in fields such as art where the hard efforts of the dedicated artists are recognized and allow for a personalized piece of art. Things such as Legos are not meant to be built by machines but from the reading of guides which makes them so fun. I think that AI art is something that goes against the idea of effort and is why it is looked down upon as a work of art. To sum this part up, yes, technique may be changed to ease the burden but it is the interpretation of burden and enjoyment which makes effort worthwhile.

To finish, I'll cover the morality of effort and the extent that people will go to achieve their goals. I think that effort displays the willingness to achieve a goal and the care for the subject though I think radical fanaticism to achieve them is not acceptable. For example the efforts Thanos who wanted to shape the world to his liking, sacrificed his daughter for the Soul stone in the movie Avengers: Infinity war. He wanted to end all chaos in the universe by wiping out half of all life that existed as a result causing others to suffer for his own ideals. I seem to find this idea of effort in a poor light at the moment so where can it be seen better? One moment is seen through the likes of Asta from the anime Black Clover who is seen to be a meek boy who strives to be the best Wizard Emperor knowing the limitations that his body has set him, however, through sheer will, pushes through to achieve his goals with his eyes on only his goal. I think as a viewer I can only feel commendation for his effort, as though I want to cheer him on (even though he can be annoying at times). What makes it that way though is that his goal for his effort is very innocent and child-like with many hoping that he can achieve this dream of his. I want to recognize how this idea of morality displays that others interpret differently morality, and the efforts of oneself can be viewed differently by others.

To conclude, effort is a display of willpower of oneself to achieve their goals, whether it be good or bad, global or meagre. Effort will always be a way to display ones interests and the amount they want to achieve them.