Why we must ‘eat bitter’ for the greater good
Some people in China have a saying. It’s quite short, and goes something like this:
Eat bitter
That’s it. According to bullet-proof online sources, this saying originates from the Sichuan province, where poverty forced many to ‘eat bitter’ to stay alive. Whether that be the bitter part of the sugar cane or the worst cuts of meat, you eat your bitter or you won’t make it to better days.
It’s a literal translation of 吃苦, chi ku, which can be more aptly translated as the ability to endure hardships. But that doesn’t sound as good.
It’s widely used in the booming African expansion project by Chinese workers, conveying a cultural ability to withstand a rougher life, presumably in an effort to achieve one that is more comfortable in the future. It’s also used in the martial arts and other sports as a philosophy of training extremely hard to reach one’s physical and sporting goals.
Eating bitter in a business context is most likely to mean knuckling down to those tasks you know that need doing but can be left a bit longer, even if you would benefit from having them done early. Content writing, sales calls, tax returns… you know the type of thing.
Right, come on then, let’s eat some bitter together today.
