We learn that in order to be successful, we must work hard and engage effortful activities that we have to do, often times at the expense of fun and playful that we want to do. But despite the many positive outcomes hard work, self-discipline brings about—yielding professional success, and achievement of key long-term goals, enacting the work itself is usually not accompanied by positive feelings. Why are we designed in a way that enacting the means to reach desired end states often feel aversively ‘effortful,’ despite the obvious benefits of doing so? In her talk, Sarah Rom suggests that the feeling of effort has adaptive reasons and challenges the importance today’s society places on work over play.