The problem with this overly simplified conceptualization is that there are so very many things that are extremely enjoyable, but require some level of expertise to enjoy them.
Music is a pretty visible example; if no one persisted through the (fairly lengthy) early stage when the noises you can squeak out of your violin are downright offensive, we simply wouldn't have violinists in the world.
I'd feel lost if I couldn't have music in my life; it's something I do every day; but when I started learning as a kid, it was often frustrating and never really fun, though I had some sense that this was going to eventually give me something I wanted.
That very experience -- i.e., work at something for years and it'll really blossom into something that's central to your life -- also gives me the spine to work at other things with no immediate rewards or even much enjoyment at early phases, because I can see the longer path.
Writing code sucked at the start, but I wanted to get the result, and I knew already that if I persisted over months, years.. it would keep getting easier, and it would become enjoyable. Now it's my living, and I pour incredible amounts of time into it.
I wouldn't be doing either of these things if I sat down at the start and said, "well, am I really enjoying this now? If not, perhaps it's just not for me..."
Music is a pretty visible example; if no one persisted through the (fairly lengthy) early stage when the noises you can squeak out of your violin are downright offensive, we simply wouldn't have violinists in the world.
I'd feel lost if I couldn't have music in my life; it's something I do every day; but when I started learning as a kid, it was often frustrating and never really fun, though I had some sense that this was going to eventually give me something I wanted.
That very experience -- i.e., work at something for years and it'll really blossom into something that's central to your life -- also gives me the spine to work at other things with no immediate rewards or even much enjoyment at early phases, because I can see the longer path.
Writing code sucked at the start, but I wanted to get the result, and I knew already that if I persisted over months, years.. it would keep getting easier, and it would become enjoyable. Now it's my living, and I pour incredible amounts of time into it.
I wouldn't be doing either of these things if I sat down at the start and said, "well, am I really enjoying this now? If not, perhaps it's just not for me..."