The Easy Way

Does taking the easy way always signify taking a shortcut or missing out on quality of experience? Often, when I think of doing things "the easy way," it's usually indicative of cutting corners, being lazy, or trying to get ahead fast without putting in the real character-building grunt work. Are there ever any instances where taking the easy road gets you where you need to go without sacrificing quality?

Taking the easy way does imply that there is less work involved, which evokes a sense of "cheating." For example, the easy way to an A on an exam would be to copy your neighbor's test. The more arduous, but fulfilling, road would require studying, memorizing, and a certain unquantifiable amount of effort (straining your neck to look at someone's answers does not qualify as effort, by the way). Thus, one benefits greatly in terms of knowledge and life experience when he or she puts in the longer hours and larger amounts of effort in order to reach a particular goal.

In other posts, I've established the concept that time is a precious commodity and one not to be wasted in a trivial fashion, so shouldn't we sometimes strive for a simpler way of doing things to capitalize on our time? For example, if I use Turbo Tax to calculate my taxes rather than duking it out with the paper versions, does that necessarily mean that I've missed out on a formative experience that will teach me valuable lessons? Doubtful. Anyone that wants to spend more time cuddling up to their taxes, other than you accountants out there, undoubtedly has a screw loose.

It seems, then, that taking "the easy way" is only detrimental if you're skipping over learning important life skills or trodding on general moral codes, and if you're doing both, you'd better take a closer look in the mirror.