The Illusion of Approval

It is simple and logical that when someone does something well, they are rewarded. In a society that is functioning exactly as it should, we are rewarded exactly reciprocally for how well we do. This is incredibly complicated though. The following example shines light on the point I'm getting across.

Say there was a job position that was either outdated, stretched out, or otherwise objectively just a bad job. One of the those jobs where a minimum amount of work was never good enough and going above and beyond was never worth it. There are exceptions to every rule though. Everyone is wired differently.

Say there was someone that came along and even though 99% of people hate this job and get no fulfillment from it, this person does. Should we give them special praise? Probably. Should we make them out to be something people should be like? No. Absolutely not. We can approve of this person without making them a role model.

There is an illusion that gets created in various workplaces as it relates to some people that seemingly "go above and beyond". The reward for something that is generally agreed upon not to be fulfilling is generally less performance based and few would do them if they were.

In other words, there are shitty jobs out there. When rare people come along and enjoy doing those jobs, they can get all the praise in the world but don't make them an example of expectations. Just because someone else enjoyed or was grateful for something, doesn't mean anyone else has to do the same, even if that is what is ideal.