# The Nature of Nothing or Something By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-11-03 For some, doing nothing is the hardest thing to do. Others do nothing all the time without any effort. The difference rarely has anything to do with a conscious choice. Those who can't do nothing are likely highly industrious (e.g., the personality trait of someone hardworking, determined, and persistent). There is always something to accomplish for them, and they derive self-worth from it. They often have the bias that accomplishment is measured via actions. Thus, it's easier for them to do something if they reframe their thinking to acknowledge that sometimes the best path towards accomplishment is doing something. The other side of the coin is those who are low in industriousness. Accomplishments do not define them, so doing things hardly matters to their existence, and nothing comes naturally. Of course, the downside is that nothing gets accomplished, and becoming content with one's situation is extremely easy. Both sides exist as they are, and both are valuable in the right doses at the right moments in time. But know that most people on either side are not consciously choosing to do nothing or something. When designing an organization, be mindful of the mixture and one's natural state. If one is high in industriousness, having someone around low in it might drive one crazy, but it could unlock something critical. The same goes for one low in industriousness. Hiring the opposite brings about craziness and opportunity. Surrounding oneself with carbon copies of oneself is the recipe for local optimization and extinction. As the saying goes, it takes all types. Doing nothing or something isn't a choice as much as it is a way of being for most people. #### Related Items [[Nothingness]] [[Choice]] [[Personality]] [[Organization]] [[Nature]] [[The Human Condition]] [[Structure]]