DIFFICULT TASKS - THE EFFORT PARADOX

What makes Delfín run? What keeps him exercising daily, at his age, in spite of operations galore, terrifying hospital stays, and plenty of medication? This relentless drive is physical and mental, "spiritual," if you will. His brain refuses to give up, to give in to time and decrepitude, and forces his body to keep on going, stay in shape no matter how age and decrepitude may make it difficult and truly uphill. His brain and spirit keep pushing him to study, learn new concepts and ideas, acquire novel skills, and go the extra mile. Alex Hutchinson, in The Atlantic, puts it thus in his article "The Paradox of Hard Work," March 25, 2025: "People like things that are really hard. In fact, the enormity of a task often is why people pursue it in the first place. Exerting effort. It seems to be the key route, maybe the only route, by which you can fulfill certain needs, like the needs for competence and mastery and maybe even self-understanding. You can’t get those without pushing yourself.”