Tasks and duties are two different nouns with totally different meanings. Where the task is a piece of work that is done as part of one’s duty that is included in it, while duties are something that someone is obliged or obligated to do, it is something that binds a person morally.
Tasks vs Duties
The main difference between task and duty is that task is something that is part of a job or an assignment that needs to be done till the deadline given while duty is more like a responsibility that a person is morally obliged to do, like raising a child and giving them good education is a duty of every parent.
Generally speaking, a task is something that a person is assigned or been asked to do by others, and that is needed to be done for some practical or logical reason till the given period of time. A task can be as easy as a chore like cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry and as tough as writing an essay, sending invitations.
While duty, on the other hand, is something a person is supposed to do as that is the right and the important thing to do, it is something that a person is morally obliged and obligated to by himself. In contrast, duty is a moral obligation. Like if you are a parent, it is your duty to raise your children fine.
Comparison Table Between Tasks and Duties
| Parameters of Comparison | Tasks | Duties |
| Meaning | It is part of duty itself and has been assigned to a person by another person to complete it in a given period of time. | It binds a person morally and makes that person obliged to person certain things that are his/her responsibility. |
| Specification | Tasks are more specific as the person knows what he has to do and at what time. | Duties are assumed to be in general and are quite similar to responsibility. |
| Time period | Tasks have a specific and limited time period in which it has to be completed. | Duties are assumed to be a long-term assessment and not for a certain time period. |
| Part | A task is generally a part of a job or an assignment. | Duty is not a part of a job or anything, and it is something that person is obliged to do. |
| Example | If you are a cashier at a store, your daily task is to maintain the logbook and manage the cash. | If you are a teacher, it is your duty to ensure that all of your students do well in their exams. |
What are Tasks?
A task is basically an activity that needs to be accomplished within a specific or given period of time. A task can be further divided into assignments that can have a defined start and an end. It is something that is part of duty itself and has been assigned to a person by another person in order to complete it in a given period of time.
Generally, task completion requires the coordination of others and the right integration of time, energy, effort, ability, and resources. In simpler words, a task is a piece of work assigned to a person with a certain deadline or a time period to finish it. It is mainly the specific work that needs to be done. It can be a duty or a chore. To task, someone is like to drain or use someone’s resources or assign them to do a certain job.
An example of a task is- You asked Rachel to do the laundry till evening.
What are Duties?
A duty is basically a commitment made to someone or to yourself or an expectation to perform some activity in general or when a certain situation arises. It can be raised from some ethics or a system of basic morality.
Many of the duties are created by the law, too, that are mentioned n the law in a codified way, and citizens are obliged to dot those duties. These duties include codified punishments too for not following the rules or for not performing what is being asked.
This whole act of performing duties may include one’s self-interest or even some sacrifice too. According to some Roman philosopher, duties come from four different sources:
- As a result of being a human.
- As a result of one’s own character.
- As a result of one’s own moral expectation.
- And as a result of one’s particular place in his/her life.
Main Differences Between Tasks and Duties
- As from the discussion so far, it is known that the main difference between both the nouns is that task is something a person is assigned or been asked to do for a certain period of time and maybe even for something in return, While duty, on the other hand, is something that a person is not asked for but is obliged to do as a responsibility in the form of his/her morality.
- The task is a comparatively smaller part of the job that has to be performed within a deadline. And duty is basically a liability upon an employee to perform or do some specific tasks and roles more like a responsibility.
- Once a person engages himself with duty, or he/she has been entrusted with some duty, then they are committed to it fully, while for the task is for a limited period and the person is supposed to do on;y what he/she has been asked for.
- They are then involved in those activities without any or much self-interest. Like a citizen of a country, a person has several duties to perform for which he/she is bind to do, but for tasks, people are involved only for their self-interests.
- Tasks are supposed to be more specific and for a specific period of time too, but duty is assumed to be in general.
Conclusion
From this above discussion, we have concluded that Tasks and duties are two different nouns with totally different meanings. Where the task is a piece of work that is done as part of one’s duty that is included in it, while duties are something that someone is obliged or obligated to do, it is something that binds a person morally.
Tasks are more specific as the person knows what he has to do and at what time, whereas Duties are assumed to be in general and are quite similar to responsibility. Tasks have a specific and limited time period in which it has to be completed while Duties are assumed to be a long-term assessment and not for a certain time period.
References
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-03688-001
- https://warframetrader.ru/en/dolzhnostnye-i-funkcionalnye-obyazannosti-v-chem-raznica-chem-otlichayutsya/