Passive vs. Active Work (2024)

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with someone about work. I told them I felt guilty when I wasn’t working, but then said that part of doing the kind of work I do involved having new experiences — in short, basically, not working.

She asked me how that made any sense, and I had to break work down into two things — passive work, which is the nature of experience; and active work, which is the nature of using that experience to inform something tangible.

The tangible thing could take any form — written, aural, visual. But without experience, something with which to give it its life, it would likely be uninspired and uninteresting. Actually living, that is where a lot of great work comes from.

It’s like young artists and that old adage: you haven’t lived enough to truly know pain.

Still, you do feel a pang of guilt, because you can’t sell things that are just swirling around in your head. At some point you do need to sit down and get it out, put the tangible thing together, so that you have something to show for all that you did.

There is heartache, sure, but there is also the work itself. These days, does anyone know the difference? Does anyone care? I’m not so sure.

Passive vs. Active Work (2024)

FAQs

Passive vs. Active Work? ›

Typically, passive employees are motivated by higher wages and a more balanced work/life balance, while active ones strive for work environments that encourage growth and advancement. In general, passive employees are a bit more passionate about their work than active ones, although the survey doesn't indicate why.

What is the difference between active and passive work? ›

She asked me how that made any sense, and I had to break work down into two things — passive work, which is the nature of experience; and active work, which is the nature of using that experience to inform something tangible. The tangible thing could take any form — written, aural, visual.

What is active and passive job? ›

Active job seekers tend to follow the traditional way of recruitment while passive job seekers only consider working for a company that offers a good package and enhanced work-life balance. If we put active vs passive job seekers to a conclusion we may not get a total winner as both have advantages and disadvantages.

What does passive work mean? ›

Basically, it means doing something. So how does that relate to passive work? Passive work is more about watching, looking at, or listening to things rather than doing things. In a place of employment, it's equally as important as active work.

What is active work? ›

Active Work or “actively at work” means the actual expenditure of time and energy by the employee, performing duties pertaining to the employee's job in the place where and in the manner in which such job is performed on a continuing basis.

Who is a passive employee? ›

A passive candidate is someone an employer is considering for a certain position, although the candidate has not applied for the open position and is not searching for a new job.

What is an example between active and passive? ›

Active voice: She bought a new car. (She is the subject and a new car is an object.) Passive voice: A new car was bought by her. (A new car is a subject and her is the object.)

How to deal with passive employees? ›

Dealing with Passive Employees
  1. #1 Remove risk. Passive team members are very risk averse. ...
  2. #2 Encourage trial. Since the passive employee will tend to resist change, the leader should encourage giving the change a try. ...
  3. #3 Use positive reinforcement.

What is the opposite of passive work? ›

Passive is the opposite of active. In English class, you might be advised to avoid the passive voice.

Are you doing your work passive? ›

Answer: Is your work been done by you?

What is considered an active employee? ›

Employee labels vary by company, but the use of "active employee" typically means staff currently working at your company and taking home a paycheck issued by your company.

What do you call an active job? ›

An active job is any job on your account that is not a draft or an archived job. Active jobs may have a published, internal or confidential status. These are the jobs that appear on the Jobs page when you log in. On a Starter plan, you are charged monthly for up to two active jobs at a time.

Does an active job count as exercise? ›

The truth is, working hard on a farm or any other physical job isn't the same as getting some pure cardio in. Physically demanding jobs also tend to be repetitive, so doing the same movements all day requires a certain level of endurance and mobility.

What is an example of a passive word? ›

Passive Voice Sentence Structure

Note that the verb "be" is conjugated followed by the participle form of the main verb. The house was built in 1989. My friend is being interviewed today. The project has been completed recently.

What does it mean to say something passive? ›

: asserting that the grammatical subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb. the passive voice. (2) : containing or yielding a passive verb form.

What do you mean when someone is passive? ›

Passive Behavior involves saying nothing in a response, keeping feelings to yourself, hiding feelings from others, and perhaps even hiding your feelings from yourself. Passive behavior is often dishonest and involves letting other people violate your personal right to be treated with respect and dignity.

What is an example of passive? ›

Active and passive voice describe two grammatically correct ways to construct a sentence. They both have their uses, and writers can choose when to use each voice. (active) The bobcat humiliated the grizzly. (passive) The grizzly was humiliated by the bobcat.

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