If It's Not Fun, Why Do It? A Few Pointed Answers

Don't get me wrong: Ben & Jerry's ice cream is delicious–nobody's saying it isn't. It's also ridiculously unhealthy and will kill you if you eat enough of it, but I'm sure that when Mssrs. Cohen and Greenfield started their ice cream shop up, killing people was the furthest thing from their minds. I even believe that the company is, or at least has been, a beacon of responsible corporate citizenship–honestly I haven't looked at it in great detail since the Unilever takeover a decade or so ago, so I'm not sure whether that's still the plan or if it's just the brand strategy.

But notwithstanding delicious ice cream and the good will of the founders, I have always hated the slogan Ben & Jerry's uses sometimes: "If It's Not Fun, Why Do It?"

Here's why:

Because the kids need to eat
Because long-term happiness is more important than short-term pleasure
Because you'll be glad you did, even though it was difficult at the time
Because you have a cavity
Because tequila isn't good for dogs
Because it will clear the air
Because you promised
Because if you do it enough, it will really pay off
Because it will help you do fun stuff in the future
Because they can use your help
Because the cat box isn't going to clean itself
Because integrity is more important (and more satisfying) than fun

I could go on like this all day, but they're telling me it's time for my meds. Let me just mention, though, that I'm very much in favor of making things you've decided to do fun–it's practically essential. I'm just not in favor of deciding what's worth doing based on whether or not it seems easy and pleasant. There's more to life, right?