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I grew up in an immigrant family.. we were indoctrinated at an early age to have a good work ethic.
However, we worked to live (we didn't live to work).
We woke up everyday not thinking "I look forward to working towards a meaningful existance" but instead "I look forward to the immense rewards including the American Dream through our hard work." In other words, our passions in life were more tied to the rewards of our hard work, including being able to reside in the US, rather than the work itself; these passions for the reward then propel us to overcome any obstacles in the process.
Although precise definitions differ, I think of the "work to live" attitude as one where one works hard only with the end (reward) in mind while the "live to work" attitude as one where one works hard by default.
What do you think? In your opinion, is it possible for someone with a good work ethic to adopt the "work to live" attitude or must they "live to work" in order to be labeled as a "hard worker"?
Work ethic is independent from those two options. I think the real question is why would someone want to 'work to live' OR 'live to work', instead of finding a job they enjoy doing so that the job doesn't feel like 'work'?
Your hard work ethic doesn't necessarily translate to how much you work or how many hours you put in.
It has to do with how well you do your job while you are there. The intensity, focus, and discipline.
Because of that, you can easily have plenty of free time to enjoy the fruits of your labors and still be considered to have a good work ethic.
Having a good work ethic isn't about filling up every hour of your day with work. I know people who have 2 or 3 jobs, and they are still some of the laziest MFs I know (because they goldbrick at all their jobs and just take the paycheck). If they had an ounce of gumption or really had a work ethic, they probably wouldn't need multiple crappy jobs - they could score one good one.
No, I live to live, and am paid to do something I love. My job hasn't felt like 'work' in years. I am paid to do things I did as a hobby five years ago.
as Big George said, loving your job is wonderful. I genuinely feel sorry for people who never pursue a job that they love coming to every day.
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To me, "live to work" means that you have no life outside of work and that suits a lot of people but has nothing to do with work ethic. A good work ethic is exactly that you work to support your lifestyle and realize that is the way to do it rather than mooch off of someone else whether it be an individual or a governmental system.
I'm reminded of this quotation: "No one on their deathbed ever said that they wished they had spent more time at the office."
The other side of it is this quotation: "People Say Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness? It buys a WaveRunner. Have you ever seen a sad person on a WaveRunner? " – Daniel Tosh
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