Insipid
Worse than no work is insipid work.
Worse than low productivity is insipid productivity.
It produces something, but it also serves as a sponge, sucking the vigor, the flavor, the interest, the passion from all the work around it.
In a world of more—more average stuff, more mediocre filler, more uninspiring, plastic, preform, forgettable things—insipid work is normal, even expected. Warm a seat, fill a cog, do the mindless work.
But it sucks dry those around it. It’s not net neutral. It’s negative. It’s a vacuum for creativity. It’s a thief of inspiration.
The solution is not harder work, longer hours, more discipline.
The solution is better work.
More creativity.
More interested, engaged, curious minds.
Don’t do insipid work.
Don’t do the work you do insipidly.