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Marx (and please, Marxist philosophy is not equal to communist ideology, so let's not go there) put forward the idea that Work must be a process of self-embodiment, it must humanize. As such, it should not be a means to an end (money, which in turn is a means to another end, paid-for enjoyment), rather it should be an end in itself. Work, in so far as it is a process of us becoming ourselves, should be a goal in itself.
The problem I see in many places in the city-data forums is that while people do ascribe meaning to work, often it is against the measure of income rather than self-realization.
So the question I have is, has our society degraded to the point where work is no longer who we are, but what we do? Is it no longer possible for work to be a source of meaning, but instead can only be a source of income? Can/Do people still aspire for Work rather than a job?
Consider the machine---the classical machine, which is the simple instruments like the inclined plane and the pulley. Man's ingenuity, fairly early on, developed these concepts for a very good reason: The machine enabled man to get constant output from less work. Less work yielded more liesure, which ultimately came down to us as art, literature, philosoply. But somewhere that got short-circuited. The machine was used not to get constant production from less work, but to get more production from constant work. This shift in emphasis benefited a few, who profited from the increased production, but was to the detriment of the many, who lost their liesure time. Perhaps as a result, the collecltive wisdom of mankind stagnated. Knwledge ran ahead apace, as industry demanded it, but wisdom was relegated to useless, and is now stuck in the same rut it was in several thousand years ago. This is readily seen in the fact that, despite a huge explosion in knowledge, virtually every society on earth bases its values on a a pool of wisdom that has remained unchallenged for milennia.
One works to live, not lives to work IMHO. Without work and competition the mind can stagnate, but it's not good to frame oneself in what one does. It doesn't mean some one shouldn't have pride in what they do, it's that life is more then work.
I think a second issue is that making a good salary is almost exclusive from doing work one would aspire to do. I know many who work in the peace corps, or doctors without borders, or similar...and they make a pittance. Their jobs have a great deal of meaning and they have great aspirations, but it's hard when you know you can't put your kids through college. Even if you could be making a decent wage helping the world, it's pretty frowned upon (I posted a story from the NY Times a little bit ago about that).
I'd rather make as much as I can and provide the best for my family, even if the job is mind numbing and the company is just out for a profit. Any extra money can be donated to charity. Meaning I can do in my spare time.
Don't you think there is something absurd in spending approximately 50% of our waking hours doing something that provides for the other 50%? - especially if it is mind-numbing, or worse, something that diminishes us (I used to work for a conglomerate that thought lying about the goodness of the product was normal.)
"Meaning" doesn't have to be about "peace corp, doctors without borders" . . . meaning, to take Marx again, can simply be a sense that one is expressing one's own, true, human, self in the Work. If the job is about the money, than the job is not a goal, it is a means to a goal.
I don't know if it is good for us to spend half of our waking lives on something that merely provides wealth but is not enriching.
I think it depends on economic prosperity at the time the question is being asked. Today, where there are many lay-offs, and few hirings, more people are working where they can find work, not as a means for self-realization. Even before the economy took the downturn it has in recent times, people often can't do what they "want" to do for work just based on society's supply and demand.
Someone may want to be a police officer, or fireman, or even store manager. But based on pay and standard of living, oftentimes people are resigned to working where they can afford to, rather than where they'd want to. This could apply to the myriad jobs out there to include construction, road repair, forestry, etc. They may want an outside job, but fiscally, local states or cities can't afford to higher them at any position.
There may come a time that this would change, but as I see it, with few exceptions, modernization, computers, and robotics are helping in reducing the required position for many jobs. And, at the shrinking job market but inversely ever increasing population, there will be (if there aren't already) more people than jobs available. This isn't as conducive an environment for work being what we are over being what we do. That's a luxury that may, unfortunately, be past it's time in today's society.
Each person should probably try to find a job or career that they at least enjoy a little, but if it can't be found, then they will have to do something less appealing. No philosophy in the world will relieve us from the ultimate reality of the fact that we need a job.
I think judging someone who makes less money at a job they do enjoy than perhaps some other professional job where they would make more is the mind set I don't understand. A person's worth should not be determined by their income or their job title.....but a person's worth is determined by their willingness to work.
A person's worth should not be determined by their income or their job title.....but a person's worth is determined by their willingness to work.
Again, another great point, Gloria. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone doing a job I, personally, might not want, or may not seem like the most glamorous (working at McDonalds, cashiering at Lowes' or Home Depot, stocking at Walmart). But, the bottom line is that each individual had a choice. They could work there, and do something worthwhile, or decide they didn't want to work (which, inevitably could become a burden society will have to deal with at some time) - and, they chose the former. I respect the hell out of young kids for stepping up like that.
Then you have to define enrichment and meaning. Meaning differs from person to person, they think helping the poor holds the greatest meaning, some think perusing your talents have the greatest meanings, some think kids bring the greatest meaning, or even some just want to party as meaning.
It means a great deal to me to provide the best for my family, and that I work in a position that I like what I do as well as providing intellectual stimulation...I don't think I could ask for more. The first is most important to me, mostly because I think of wealth as the flexibility and opportunity to do what one wishes...including the ability to stockpile to do the same in the future and for my little spawn. I don't think money is the greatest meaning in my life, but it provides the resources that I can do what has more meaning to me. The second 2 are less important because I think all work is pretty well mind numbing, doing the same type of things 5 days a week gets old pretty fast. Even if the job is terrible, I would say that it's a learning experience...my worst job has led to the greatest enrichment, motivation, and knowledge in my life.
Work needs to get done for anything to function, it may not provide one with the greatest humanizing experience but there needs to be some one that takes out the trash, cooks meals, wash windows, or drive buses. If jobs were only to express oneself, most jobs wouldn't get done...society would grind to a halt without inputs.
I can recall times in my life when I somehow, almost magically found myself completely absorbed in the task at hand. This has occurred doing jobs that had little appeal and also doing jobs that I viewed more favorably. I wish I could put my finger on how I navigated into this frame of mind, so I could go there at will. If I could do that, it truly wouldn't matter what I was doing. In that state of mind, nothing seems like work, even though on some of those occassions I was working my butt off.
Some things we TRY to be can take lots of time before we "are them". Examples may be the person who makes sketches all his life, yet never becomes 'much of an artist'....or the person who fools around with wood, yet isn't considered a 'real carpenter'. Likewise with musicians or cake decorators...easy to "do", but hard to "become one" in the eyes of others.
But OTHER things? That's easy....one little 'incident', and BOOM...you're a "rapist"....or a "gunman".....or a "terrorist"....and you'll be 'credited' with these titles, when the news media mentions you.
Sometimes what we "do" is what we are....other times, not.
Seriously, though...the "professions" (such as they are) are normally looked at as more a part of what a person "is", than is hourly work. Generally, the higher 'status' a job has, and the higher its qualifications and length of preparation, the more it's regarded as 'representing' one's inner self.
A surgeon is more of an 'expression of self' than the job of the hospital orderly who staffs the operating room ; A skilled bricklayer's job is more an 'expression of self' than is the job of the laborer who keeps him supplied on the job site. Not in ALL cases, but usually.
Last edited by macmeal; 01-05-2009 at 04:42 PM..
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