The Importance of Pace
In The Simpson's episode Homer's Enemy , Frank Grimes is a unlucky man who's worked hard his life but failed to reap any of the benefit. When confronted with the inequity of his circumstances compared to Homer's he breaks down into a self destructive fit of jealousy that eventually ends his life prematurely. The episode is a 1990s comedic expression of the general observation that life is not fair. Several decades later, as income inequality has increased it's become a popular talking point that, "Hard work alone doesn't make you successful." In Gen A slang a, "Try Hard" is someone like Frank Grimes who does himself discredit by giving it too much effort. For us conscientious types, this is not only counter intuitive but also elicits an emotional reaction. Folk heroes like Rocky show us that while God may not have blessed us with any particularly useful talent, we can make up for it for it with heart. Hercules taught us that even wi