Ignoring the value of "quiet work" starts in the classroom

Some people talk their way through a task — checking in, workshopping, circling back. Others dive in and stay quiet until it’s done. Both approaches can produce results, but only one tends to get recognized.

In a recent piece, software engineer tells the story of two colleagues assigned the same task. One posted updates, asked questions, and collaborated loudly. The other stayed silent and shipped clean code. Both delivered. But only one was praised as a “great team player.” Jain’s point is simple: In many work cultures, we conflate visibility with value. If you speak often, we assume you’re contributing. If you’re quiet, we assume you’re not.

Why does this happen? Science teacher explores how quiet focus often goes unnoticed from the start, as classrooms often reward surface-level participation while disrupting the conditions needed for real focus. He writes about the kind of sustained attention that allows someone to get fully absorbed in a task. That state — what psychologists call flow — can be productive, satisfying, and self-reinforcing. And for some, it’s not just beneficial, but mandatory:

This is central to the idea of monotropism: some people really only function at their best when they can focus their attention tightly. Outside of hyperfocus, monotropic thinkers tend to be restless and intensely distractible, like there’s a fountain of attention that has to go somewhere; or else we get mentally depleted, with little energy for anything.

Instead of protecting focus, classrooms often reward the performance of it. It’s easy to see the transference of this to work culture, where collaboration, confidence, and the ability to speak on cue are celebrated. But those traits can just as easily cover for a lack of follow-through. I once worked with someone who made a show of busyness — always jumping to answer the phone, narrating every delay — but rarely finished the work she was actually assigned. The most consistent work often happens quietly, without theatrics or self-promotion.

Maybe it’s time to recognize that the best work doesn’t always make a scene.

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