Do you finish things even when they no longer matter?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I took a class and haven’t handed in my final. The class ended up being a waste of time, and the final is essentially a rehashing of everything that was the waste of time from the class.

As the final, you had to write a list of all the mistakes you made in every assignment, show a correction for them, and then basically wear sackcloth and ashes about what a loser you are and how wise and wonderful the instructor was and how you’ll never ever ever ever ever ever make such a stupid error again.

The final is easy and incredibly stupid. It would probably take about two hours to complete, but when I think about doing it, I think about all the nasty things I would want to write about how useless and pointless and sucky the class ended up being.

Part of me is annoyed with myself for not finishing. The other part knows that it’s completely useless and a waste of time. My two parts are thumb wrestling right now, thumb wrestling to the death!

Do you find yourself finishing things even when they don’t matter, or are you able to shrug and walk away?

I kinda, well, have a problem even finishing things I should fin…

2

I only finish things if they still matter to me. If I no longer care if something get finished and it’s just useless busywork for someone else, I don’t finish. If I’m getting paid to finish, I will complete stupid tasks because getting paid matters to me.

3

Yes, I probably do, but can’t remember an example.

I can’t understand why they don’t completely finish baseball games if it is obvious which team is going to win. They should still do that last half of an inning to see what the score would have been.

4

My husband wants them to, too. You’re both NUTS. :smiley:

5

Would finishing have utility for you? I might finish, especially at such a low cost of energy/attention, if finishing served a purpose. I often finish continuing education activities that are pointless in and of themselves because 1) it serves as documentation that I know the content; and 2) finishing usually opens an option to provide feedback.

6

Shit, I can barely make myself finish things that do matter, much less stupid busy work.

7

This may be slightly off-topic, but…

Where I work, we are constantly reminded of the “corporate policies”. Trouble is, following them usually results in major inconvenience, either for the customer or for peons like me. Long ago, I decided to follow policy only if it suited me. Which is to say, rarely.

Works for me, works for the customer. Screw the suits.

8

I finish things regardless of utility. I’ve only recently let myself off the hook from finishing every book I start, no matter how suck-tastic. I think it’s being raised with “finish what you start” drummed into me so thoroughly that I came to believe that it (“finish what you start”) was itself a virtue, as opposed to a means to an end. But I’m not sure that rationale holds up to logical scrutiny, and I’m starting to value my time enough to not think I have have to see everything through.

9

If I had no use for the class I would probably not finish it.

10

I concur.

If there was a prize for the most fucking about instead of doing what you ought to, I would at least be runner up. If I could be bothered entering.

11

This sounds right up my alley, but only if it doesn’t involve leaving the couch.

12

Not usually. Sometimes I don’t even finish things when they do manner. I failed to get my college degree because of one class I got an incomplete in. Said class which I got an incomplete in for not completing one paper. This was ten years ago and despite my parents offering to pay for me to retake the class I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. Whether or not I technically graduated, in my mind, I was done with school.