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Config 2025: Crafting quality that endure (Karri Saarinen, Co-founder & CEO, Linear) | Figma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=pCil7YNhNCU

old Chinese saying about "pulling sprouts to make them grow faster";

old Chinese saying about "pulling sprouts to make them grow faster"

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/old-chinese-saying-about-pulli-iRlv9ZA1S..WwMWd9V_.XQ

The old Chinese saying you’re thinking of is **“揠苗助长”** (*yà miáo zhù zhǎng*), which literally means “pulling up the seedlings to help them grow.” ### Meaning It’s a classic idiom used to warn against impatience and forcing progress-if you try to rush things unnaturally, you’ll only cause harm. ### Origin The story comes from the ancient text **Mengzi (Mencius)**. A farmer, impatient for his crops to grow, pulled up all his seedlings, thinking it would help them grow faster. Instead, he ended up killing them. ### Usage This idiom is often used to describe situations where someone tries to speed up a process (learning, growth, development, etc.) in a way that’s actually counterproductive. **Example:** > Don’t push your team too hard on the new project-remember, 揠苗助长! Let me know if you want the original story or a translation! --- Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share

they pretend to pay us we pretend to work

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/they-pretend-to-pay-us-we-pret-qArxPhqnQI6nGUcZ_OUXFA

This phrase is a famous quote often attributed to workers in Soviet-era enterprises, reflecting a sardonic workplace attitude where there's a mutual, unspoken agreement of minimal effort and productivity. ## Core Meaning - Employers provide minimal compensation - Employees provide minimal work effort - A passive-aggressive form of workplace resistance ## Historical Context - Originated in Soviet Union's centrally planned economy - Highlighted systemic inefficiencies in state-run enterprises - Symbolized worker disengagement and economic stagnation ## Modern Relevance - Still resonates in bureaucratic or poorly managed organizations - Reflects workplace disengagement - Can indicate: - Low morale - Inadequate compensation - Lack of meaningful work - Misaligned organizational incentives ## Tech/Startup Perspective In modern tech environments, this attitude is counterproductive. High-performing teams focus on: - Clear expectations - Fair compensation - Meaningful work - Professional growth - Mutual respect Pro tip: If you feel this way consistently, it might be time to: 1. Discuss concerns with management 2. Seek new opportunities 3. Upskill to increase your market value

"There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase closely associated with P. T. Barnum, an American showman of the mid-19th century, although there is no evidence that he actually said it. Early examples of its use are found among gamblers and confidence tricksters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_a_sucker_born_every_minute

The irresistible force paradox (also unstoppable force paradox or shield and spear paradox), is a classic paradox formulated as "What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?" The immovable object and the unstoppable force are both implicitly assumed to be indestructible, or else the question would have a trivial resolution. Furthermore, it is assumed that they are two entities. The paradox arises because it rests on two incompatible premises—that there can exist simultaneously such things as unstoppable forces and immovable objects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irresistible_force_paradox

"when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object"

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