The Importance of Play Hard & Work Fair

In today’s society, the values of playing hard and working fair are essential building blocks to creating a resilient community. These values represent the antidote to taking lazy shortcuts and emphasize the importance of integrity and hard work.

As time goes on, the meanings of these values evolve, but their essence remains the same: to promote a culture of fairness and hard work.

Play Fair

• Everyone gets an opportunity to participate, from the very beginning.
• Leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.
• Take responsibility for the effects and side effects of your work.
• Don’t seek monopoly power.
• The long-term is the point.
• Show your work and bring transparency to the market.
• Don’t be a jerk.
• Give others the benefit of the doubt.
• Call your own fouls and don’t work the refs.

Work Hard

• Do the reading.
• Ask good questions.
• Create value.
• Change your mind before it’s fashionable.
• Engage in emotional labor and seek out uncertainty.
• Write the spec, don’t just follow it.
• Play by the rules or work to change them.

In a society where selfish shortcuts are often glorified, it is crucial to adopt the values of playing hard and working fair. While manual labor may be rare today, there are ample opportunities to contribute meaningfully by solving useful problems in a way that is both generative and resilient.

Creating a culture where playing hard and working fair is the norm requires effort, but the benefits are invaluable. Let’s strive to uphold these values in our communities and workplaces to foster a culture of integrity and hard work.

Remember, ‘PS Play Hard & Work Fair’ helps us see the list with even more nuance, highlighting the nuances of these values in our daily lives.