American Perspectives: Long Qing is the personification of "Work Smart, Not Hard." "Ever Night" Ep. 57-60

I hate the phrase "Work smart, not hard." Every time I hear it, I want to barf.  I could never really articulate why, something about it just never felt right. And then, I watched "Ever Night," and was introduced to Long Qing.  A-ha! Long Qing is the  personification of "work smart, not hard." 

He gets by on privilege, hacks, and cutting corners.  Of course, it catches up to him, as stuff like that always does.

He loses his power because he can't stand the idea of someone from a lower class who didn't have the option to "work smart, not hard."  And because he is so obsessed with this person of a lower class obtaining something he felt entitled to, he does not focus on his own cultivation.  Instead, he keeps harassing Ning Que, to the point that Ning Que kicks his ass and destroys his power.

The thing is, when you work hard, not smart, there are intrinsic rewards to be had, additional strengths developed, and an intuitive relationship created that is missed when you work smart, or subscribe to the latest hack in the name of efficiency and making fast money.  When you utilize privilege, hacks, and short cuts; the end result is superficial and not truly earned.  It feels a bit half baked.  There isn't a steady foundation, and the success is like a house of cards.  It stands tall, but is easily toppled by anything and everything that conflicts with it.

As we saw when his power was taken away, he immediately fell apart and became a beggar. It was beneath him to receive help from his fiancee, the Anthomaniac.  He immediately assumes the light abandoned him when it's quite possible that he never really had it to begin with.  On a superficial level, yes.  On a more in depth level that can only be developed with hard work: no.

When he has the opportunity to try again by being admitted into the monastery, history repeats itself, and he tries to "work smart, not hard." When the whole point is to strengthen his character and re-develop, which can be accomplished from being mindful and working hard.  He tries to get short cuts from the mutilated Holy Man.  He uses the evil Grey Eye Magic and steals the Holy Man's cultivating abilities.  He steals medicines and the Heavenly scrolls.  This is a good example of someone in a high position not only embezzling, but delegating tasks to others while they don't benefit, and he pockets all the rewards.

This man is a personified example of why I'm not a fan of "work smart, not hard."