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Some people in this discussion don't seem to understand that America has a different work ethic than European countries. All this talk about less work hours, more holidays, more vacation days and more dependency on government comes off as sounding unambitious, lazy and even parasitical to most people in the U.S. People who live like that are relegated to the lower rung of society here.
Having big goals and big dreams and working hard to achieve them - THAT's the American way and lifestyle. Who wants to live just an "average" life? Not me.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 09-19-2011 at 03:22 PM..
Probably hard to understand for an American, especially an American business owner. Workers are not work dogs, possessions, or parts of a machine that must be used until worn out and then thrown away, to be replaced by a new part. Which gets beck to the OP...Americans have less time off, too much work causes stress, which in turn, cause health problems. Not to mention the lack of quality of life, but Americans don't care for that anyway.
Americans are world's leading consumers of medication for stress and anxiety. America also leads the world in heart problems. Those are the benefits.
When I worked in Germany the law was for 3 weeks. That way an employee can switch jobs without losing vacation time with a new employer. In America, switching jobs means you start with the minimum, most likely 1 week.
The American system is not to benefit the worker.
It's really uncalled for you to be so condescending. I understand perfectly the health benefit of having time off and managing stress. I would agree that more employers need to understand it. Your point seems to be that government needs to dictate what constitutes adequate time off. I'm arguing that under the U.S. system it can be fairly argued that government, particularly the federal government, owns no such role.
And for the record, at this point in my career, every potential employer who's approached me has been willing to offer 3 weeks to move. But I already have 4 weeks, so...........
Having big goals and big dreams and working hard to achieve them - THAT's the American way and lifestyle. Who wants to live just an "average" life? Not me.
The beauty of this country is that it's OK to simply want to live an average life. Heck, for those coming from the most underpriviledged parts of society, average is a heck of an improvement. I don't hold it against anyone for wanting to be an average Joe.
Some people in this discussion don't seem to understand that America has a different work ethic than European countries. All this talk about less work hours, more holidays, more vacation days and more dependency on government comes off as sounding unambitious, lazy and even parasitical to most people in the U.S. People who live like that are relegated to the lower rung of society here.
Having big goals and big dreams and working hard to achieve them - THAT's the American way and lifestyle. Who wants to live just an "average" life? Not me.
I think it is more a matter of what Quality of Life means in the USA vs what it means in many parts of Europe. You won't get the same answers.
I worked for fifty years in the USA before moving to Europe, so the standards of American...and how they have changed over the decades are quite familiar to me. By the current standards of most Americans my life would probably be seen not only as average, but as excrutiatingly boring. For me it is the richest, most satisfying part of my life, and filled with intellectual stimulation.
This was brought home to me this past weekend as I listened to a small group of American college students on the beach. Their conversation consisted of trading anecdotes about what they found so lacking here compared to the U.S. After listening to their catalogue of laments, I felt very, very sorry for them...sitting in the middle of one of Europe's most historic areas, in a gorgeous and largely unpolluted environment and they were concerned about the quality of hamburgers, the automobiles, the lack of a mall, etc.
By my standards they were clearly headed for very average, if not mediocre lives. But that's that the difference in "Quality of Life."
The beauty of this country is that it's OK to simply want to live an average life. Heck, for those coming from the most underpriviledged parts of society, average is a heck of an improvement. I don't hold it against anyone for wanting to be an average Joe.
I don't think you get it; If I felt you'd understand I'd elaborate....but at the moment I just don't feel the need to
Cultural attitudes toward work seem to be changing in the US. Look at rates of childbearing, marriage, home ownership, and other indicators of "adulthood" among Americans under 35, compared to those numbers back in the 80's or previous decades.
A lot of younger Americans watched their own parents strive and strive and work overtime for years, and have chosen to largely reject that approach.
There is no glory in burning yourself out in a company job for bosses so far above you that you and them will likely never even run across one another. They see their parents as "chumps" and "suckers."
This seems to be a generational shift arising from the decline of income mobility in the US. The old formula that "hard work = success" has collapsed, and attitudes are gradually following.
The beauty of this country is that it's OK to simply want to live an average life. Heck, for those coming from the most underpriviledged parts of society, average is a heck of an improvement. I don't hold it against anyone for wanting to be an average Joe.
I tend to agree, having come from the bottom of working class...just average as far as material things went was great. More wasn't needed to be happy.
However, that kind of attitude is probably as extinct as the dinosaurs.
The people, not the system, are what is backwards. That's why you occasionally hear about the American millionaire who drives the 97 Honda Civic... he/she's the one who know's what's up.
I think it is more a matter of what Quality of Life means in the USA vs what it means in many parts of Europe. You won't get the same answers.
I worked for fifty years in the USA before moving to Europe, so the standards of American...and how they have changed over the decades are quite familiar to me. By the current standards of most Americans my life would probably be seen not only as average, but as excrutiatingly boring. For me it is the richest, most satisfying part of my life, and filled with intellectual stimulation.
This was brought home to me this past weekend as I listened to a small group of American college students on the beach. Their conversation consisted of trading anecdotes about what they found so lacking here compared to the U.S. After listening to their catalogue of laments, I felt very, very sorry for them...sitting in the middle of one of Europe's most historic areas, in a gorgeous and largely unpolluted environment and they were concerned about the quality of hamburgers, the automobiles, the lack of a mall, etc.
By my standards they were clearly headed for very average, if not mediocre lives. But that's that the difference in "Quality of Life."
This post pretty much is what I'm talking about, so consider yourself enlightened.
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