Washing Dishes Is A Waste Of Life?
May 9th, 2008
Email this article to a friend
Photo by chispita_666
Last week I came across erica.biz, a very interesting blog by Erica Douglass about investing, setting goals, and entrepreneurship. She shares some great advice and the story of how she became a millionaire at 26, but something that really stood out for me was actually a comment someone left regarding peak experiences and drudge experiences, which said:
Most people find washing dishes annoying, but they’ll do it…Me on the other side, I grew up with a dish washer and spent my first 7 years out of home without one. These are 7 wasted years of my life and it was not just a ‘oh I hate it but I do it’ thing, but really hating. Doing it never was easy.
I’ve never before come across someone who hated washing dishes so much that they considered it to have wasted 7 years of their life. I couldn’t help laughing hysterically before eventually deciding that it wasn’t really funny.
There might not be another person on the planet who shares such an intense hatred of washing dishes, but many of us despise things that might seem perfectly fine to someone else.
I left one job because I got sick of working until 10:00 every night, and sometimes until 4:00 in the morning. People were honestly surprised that I hated that.
I’d hate not having a car, even though millions of people (including Brip Blap) argue that public transportation is better for a number of reasons.
I hate any event that doesn’t allow jeans. I can put up with it for weddings and other things that are necessarily formal, but not for restaurants where the food isn’t even that good. It’s dumb and elitist and I hate it.
Many people might not be able to imagine why things like this bother me at all, the same way I don’t understand what’s so bad about washing dishes (though I’ve always had a dishwasher). Let’s try to be a little more understanding of people who seem to overreact to things we don’t think are that bad. One person’s peak experience is another person’s drudgery.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Hi Hunter,
I love to wash dishes (and I have a dishwasher). I hand wash some items, especially pots and pans as they take up so much space. There’s nothing more therapeutic than putting your hands in hot sudsy water and getting the kitchen tidy in the process.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:35 am
Good points Hunter but the dishwasher guy was being a bit silly. Strikes me as somebody who grew up a little spoilt, perhaps, and when finally thrown out into reality had a bit of a hissy fit.
In the UK, the vast majority of people – I’d estimate 90 per cent – handwash dishes all of their life. Would I like a dishwasher? Sure, but the exchange rate against the Philippine Peso is not so great right now.
Also, while this wasn’t really what you were getting at, it’s a risky game to be too catering to things other people ‘hate’. Even in simple examples, hate is often down to some inner prejudice or ignorance. When you start talking about more serious world issues (i.e., race) to afford others the luxury of expressing that perception, certainly on an open platform, is not something that should be offered too lightly.
I agree with your jeans comment, though. Ultimately, that won’t be an issue. Give it 10-20 years, and companies with attitudes like Google and Apple will totally be the norm. The suit, a distant memory.
Sheamus’s last blog post..How Rich Will You Be?
May 9th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I have two very different takes on this.
(a) hate is a very strong word, and it’s overused, as Sheamus points out
(b) the value of time is incalculable to others
A coworker of mine claims to hate carrots. I asked if she really hated carrots. I said I hated Hitler, for example, but saying I hated sour cream would not be in the same category. I am making a very determined effort, actually, to restrict ‘hate’ to things that are worthy of hate – and in the end, there are very few things or people “worthy” of hate. So part of the I-hate-dishwashing problem is that it’s not something to hate. Dislike, maybe.
I understand regretting time spent dishwashing. I used to spend a lot of time cleaning our house – vaccuming, wiping, dusting, etc. etc. It was a massive time suck and really kept me from achieving other tasks. We finally hired housecleaners and the time savings have been worth far, far more than the cost of hiring them. Public transportation, to me, is all about choice. I agree that I would dislike not having a car at all. I try to take the bus or subway when I can, but it’s VERY nice to have the option to drive when I need to.
A lot of it is about choice. Sometimes I do the dishes by hand, sometimes I use our machine – it depends on how I choose to spend my time that day. But it’s nice to have a choice!
Thanks for the link!
Brip Blap’s last blog post..Guest Post: Emerging Credit and the Future of Lending
May 9th, 2008 at 9:48 am
“These are 7 wasted years of my life” – well that’s a strong statement, isn’t it?
I’m guessing this was written by a passionate person who feels strongly about many things (as in, drama queen/ king).
I do agree that it’s important to respect other people’s reactions to things.
Vered – MomGrind’s last blog post..Why Won’t You Post Photos of Your Kids?
May 9th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Hatred is an absence of silence. For most part, it is an extreme form of stress that requires equally extreme reason to justify hating. I’d rather use feeling of dislike than hatred for things that I do not enjoy doing. Life is too short, why hate?
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.com’s last blog post..5 Axioms of Life: A Pathway to Happiness
May 9th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Since understanding the power of thought, I also refrain from the use of strong negative words. Instead I prefer to focus on the positives and being grateful for what I currently enjoy.
Washing dishes may not sound like a very fun thing to do. To do them for 7 years can be admittedly agonising. But I was told recently by a Buddhist monk to practise “Being In the Now” even while doing mundane household chores. This is the secret to true happiness, I was told.
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map’s last blog post..17 Types Of Smiles To Wear: A Guide For All Occasions
May 10th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hey Hunter!
Thanks for the link to Erica’s blog!
I think it’s really good =)
I agree with Evelyn on this one.. But I was just thinking.. For somebody who hates washing dishes, why didn’t he just invest in a dishwasher and just save himself all that negative energy?
lol the things people do…
To CANI,
SaiF
SaiF’s last blog post..The AAA Plan to Wealth by Dr Joe Vitale
May 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
You might find, as you gain the wisdom of years, that there is a part of you that likes the idea going formal and looking good every once in a while. I work largely at home and my dress is informal, which makes me appreciate every single opportunity I have to put on a suit and tie.
May 10th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
@ Barbara, I would always hand wash pots and pans too. I wish I enjoyed it as much as you though!
@ Sheamus, not knowing much about the dishwasher gal, I can’t say with any certainty whether she’s spoiled or just has an Achilles heel. As for jeans, I don’t know. Steve Case was the first big executive I noticed wearing jeans all the time, and he went back to wearing suits when the bubble burst. But more people have followed in his footsteps. We’ll see how long it takes for them to become the majority.
@ Brip Blap, absolutely, people use the word “hate” to mean so many things. I don’t see how anyone can truly hate carrots. Isn’t your coworker free to simply not eat them? But maybe for that lady to say she dislikes washing dishes, “dislikes” isn’t a strong enough word to express how she feels. “Hate” would make it easier to get the point across, even if it’s not the same kind of hate you’d use for Hitler.
@ Vered, it’s certainly possible that she’s a drama queen, but I don’t know. It’s also possible that she’s very well adjusted and this is just something that affects her more than the rest of us. I did find it funny how she worded it so strongly, but I also felt sympathetic if that’s the way she really feels.
@ Shilpan, “Life is too short, why hate?” – Two thumbs up! Hating something puts tremendous stress on our minds and bodies. It’s not a good idea to make hating a hobby.
@ Evelyn, I like the whole “be in the now” idea. Snow White had it right when she decided to whistle while she worked!
@ SaiF, I was wondering that too–why not just buy a dishwasher? I assume there must have been a reason.
@ Curmudgeon, I do like going formal every once in a while. When I go to a wedding, I always wear a suit, and I think it’s funny to see so many people just pretending to dress up…if you’re going to do it, you should really do it!
May 12th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Hi Hunter,
Washing dishes ain’t so bad. I wouldn’t want to do it for a living, but there are some good things about it:
1. I’ve gotten some pretty cool creative ideas while washing dishes.
2. It’s fun to wash dishes for someone who made dinner for you.
3. It’s a good life metaphor. When overwhelmed, you can only wash one dish at a time.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:46 am
@ Mark, #2 is the best way for someone to make me happy about washing dishes!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I don’t like washing dishes, but I love to clean. If you’re going to shave 7 years off your life not washing dishes, what will you do with the time, watch tv? lol
Don’t eat or eat out.
Natural’s last blog post..The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and By the Way
May 15th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
@ Natural, I had suggested paper plates and plastic utensils as another way out.
August 8th, 2010 at 11:47 am
I’ve just googled ‘hate washing dishes’, because I really ought to do mine and I will do anything to procrastinate. I love cleaning and organizing but I absolutely hate washing the dishes!