[iicc]

>Let me share my slightly unusual definition of “effort”: it’s the felt experience of expending energy beyond what an activity requires

How about finding a word that actually captures your meaning, or defining a new one?

I asked an LLM - it came back with "overexertion".

>Using this definition, it’s clear that the appropriate amount of [overexertion] for any activity is zero.

[actionfromafar]

But overexertion means using up more than was available. ("Running on fumes" etc.)

Expending more than an activity requires may or may not mean you have more power reserves left.

[dare944]

Yep. All done to create a manipulative title.