Part 3/9:
An experiment by Azim Sharif highlights how our perception of work and effort has moral implications. Participants were faced with two scenarios regarding an employee named Jeff, who was made redundant due to automation. Jeff could either collect his paycheck while doing nothing or continue showing up for work. The latter version of Jeff was viewed more favorably, not for his economic sensibility but for his moral choice to 'do the right thing.'
This phenomenon points to a larger societal tendency to view effort as inherently virtuous, irrespective of its actual productivity or financial impact. We tend to admire individuals who appear to work harder, developing a kind of shortcut in how we evaluate potential partners and employees based on effort rather than results.