The old man in Calcutta

When harder work is better work — regardless of how hard it might actually feel.

We’ve all heard “work smarter not harder.” But a story Rick Rubin tells in The Creative Act gives good reason to rethink that.

He describes an old man in Calcutta who goes to a well every day and draws his water with a clay pot that he lowers and raises by hand. This requires much time, effort, and concentration, as he guides the pot on its journey without striking the sides of the well and causing it to crack or break.

A passerby one day suggests that the old man allow him to build a pulley system that would accomplish the same task with much less time and effort. “The pot will be just as full with much less work,” the passerby says.

The old man replies, “I think I’m going to keep doing it the way I always have. I really have to think about each movement and there’s a great deal of care that goes into doing it right. I’d imagine if I were to use the pull…