People, it seems to me, are more focused on their work,- their study,- or their career, than on living a healthy and balanced life which provides both time- and room to work on themselves, take the necessary rest or actually raise their kids- because let's face it: Today's kids are primarily being raised by strangers and screens, instead of their parents. Instead, It's a constant stress-a-thon about the above three points, and I fail to see the "why" to it.

Apart from the monetary part, what's people's "addiction" with work all about, and why?

Edit: I know that work is important because, well, civilization, but why are so many people rendering their occupation the absolutecenter of their life?
290 sats \ 9 replies \ @siggy47 6 Sep
Beyond acquiring enough income to provide yourself and those you support with the basics of survival, it's really a desire for more ease, comfort, and opportunities for enjoyment. Some want more than the basics for survival. It's true that sometimes people get carried away, and work becomes the sole focus of living. Why? Work can be the most interesting, enjoyable, and fulfilling part of your life. It's true. I have experienced it myself.
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Work can be the most interesting, enjoyable, and fulfilling part of your life. It's true. I have experienced it myself.
That's something I've yet to experience, and most likely never will; It's a pure necessity to me, and it has been like that since I started working.
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193 sats \ 5 replies \ @siggy47 6 Sep
It's not easy to find that situation, I guess. I have also had my share of boring, meaningless jobs that I couldn't wait to quit. I bet @k00b enjoys working on SN the vast majority of the time.
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Of course, having a "Baby" like @k00b and his "Stacker.News" are self-explanatory, but it's about people who a) don't want to and b) don't enjoy it, and still make it their little center of the universe.
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I know some of them too. I think it's usually an insecurity based need to keep up with their neighbors with fancy shit, or they have developed some expensive habits they need to fund.
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I like to think that people simply "cave-in" to the sheer peer-pressure; what's it called when people try to pull other people down to their "situation", simply because they don't wanna be unhappy alone?
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42 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 6 Sep
Misery loves company! Very true.
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Ah, that's what I ment!
52 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 6 Sep
most likely never will
That's your first problem: your mindset. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You need to keep looking.
and it has been like that since I started working.
How old are you if you don't mind asking? You can give a range.
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I'm 25, have been working on / off since 17.
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I get an extreme sense of accomplishment doing my work, so it’s easy to want to keep working all the time. It’s fun and rewarding
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that was my thought too, people keep going because they get that little hit of progress every day
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Addiction, you say? 🤭
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That’s basically what it is. Except it’s a form that society mostly says is ok, even good
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Ah, like drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in company? 😸
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 6 Sep
I think addictions must be bad so unless @WeAreAllSatoshi is suffering from it, it's not an addiction
edit: I stand corrected by random article on the internet
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You're shooting too fast, cowboy! 🌝
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related: Would You Stop Working If You Won 1 M€ In The Lottery? 👀 #674294
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€ 1M?! I'd stop for half that. 😅🤭
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and do what? drinking beer at the beach for the rest of your life? Imagine how boring ;)
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How about starting a family and actually raise the kids myself?
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Sounds like a good plan :)
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😉
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People conflate "having a job" and "working." Most people who have a job have it because they need to pay the bills. Most people who actually work do it because they cannot not do it. The word "profession" in Estonian is "elukutse" which literally translates to "life's calling" - which is what work should be all about IMO. Also, people like to define themselves via their job - it's quite widespread in the culture (you meet someone, one of the first things they ask is quite often "what do you do for a living?"). Some people (most people?) haven't truly found themselves so they think what they do is who they are...
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The word "profession" in Estonian is "elukutse" which literally translates to "life's calling"
this gives the word "to act professionally" a better meaning: to act according to life's calling. instead, a profession is typically regulated by acts and statutes. #674373
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Oh @Kontext! I've expected nothing less than the above of you! Awesome, absolutely with you on that!
Can you expand some more?!
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Well I don't have much more to add off the top of my head, maybe about the following:
why are so many people rendering their occupation the absolute center of their life?
I reckon that would have to do with the "meaning crisis" which in and of itself stems from the lack of religion/spirituality and strong family/community/tribal connections. In a Huberman Lab podcast with Dr James Hollis, Hollis said something, paraphrasing Carl Jung:
"People walked off the Medieval Cathedral into the Abyss of the Self."
Great topic btw 👊
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Hm, yeah I also think that
religion/spirituality and strong family/community/tribal connections.
Are a very important aspects when looking at the (bad) mental state of the average citizen today, another very interesting topic.
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I'm in academia. I love my work. I fantasize about it when I've been on holidays for more than a few days. I'll take out the laptop as soon as I've put my kid to bed. I spend every minute of my day with my kid when he's not sleeping or not as school. At some point, i slept less hours so that i did not have to compromise on time to work and time with the kid. My two passions at the time. Now that he's a bit older I've managed to re-add sport to the equation. For me, it's all about doing stuff that give me satisfaction. Work just happens to be a very important one to give me satisfaction.
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Hm, fair.
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52 sats \ 8 replies \ @mo 6 Sep
It's all about comfort and laziness, but also, some people like to be told what to do! We are humans, we explore the limitless borders of our short existence. Work is something that has been indoctrinated since long time, since someone understood that could control others with less confidence and more emotional awareness.
We have free will for a reason, we have the power on our side to decide what to do. Why the majority choose to work? Because they are stuck in a belief system, they haven't selected to continue following the “safer path”!
Therefore, there's a lack in general for people to be able to choose the values they want to live by. Fewer people usually define metrics to measure their own success.
If you are questioning yourself about this, just consider there's no way back after you take the red pill 🤣
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Hm, interesting, can you expand on the "belief system"-part?
If you are questioning yourself about this, just consider there's no way back after you take the red pill 🤣
+100.
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0 sats \ 6 replies \ @mo 6 Sep
Generally speaking, we all know what today belief' system propagate and why. If you don't... well, there's much more to learn about. Anything in particular you want to expand on?
Your question What's The Point Of Work In The Modern Age? already assume you are not willing to "work". But what does work means for you? Getting cash for something someone else tell you to do? Do something you enjoy? Anything in between? Something else?
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I'd like to hear more about the particular "belief system" which prompts people to put so much value into their professional occupation.
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53 sats \ 4 replies \ @mo 6 Sep
Belief system is whatever you decide to believe, as simple as that. Or, in the other side, whatever someone else tech you to believe in... we have a variety of options to choose from. Your "professional" occupation, mean that you, for whatever reason, dedicate your efforts specifically to something... depending on the values you have been exposed to.
  • if you do, you probably don't have your values aligned with you are doing
  • if you don't, you are then probably not giving a crap about €.
But the first question is, why in the world you'd play Lottery anyway? Because you believe you have a chance to win?
This is just becoming a rant 🤣... Think about everything you believe as true and assume, for just a little moment, that the opposite can be true too. The difference is made by the perspective you decide to take. Are you ready to unlearn everything someone else thought you? Why you are asking the question? if you aren't willing to do it anyway? Would the response make you feel better/worse?
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good point!
edit: good points! :) cc @mo
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @mo 6 Sep
which one? 😅
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Hm, no, that's not quite what I was expecting.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @mo 6 Sep
Oh I see.... then, I know anything about the particular "belief system" which prompts people to put so much value into their professional occupation.
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When you work at Walmart you fantasize about retirement When you work on freedom tech you fantasize about working until the day you die, like Hal.
Before bitcoin TheWildHustle didnt care about jobs or careers, thought people who did were a little strange, and missing out on the good stuff in life.
After bitcoin TheWildHustle considers those who aren't engaged in meaningful work as...... really missing out on the good stuff in life.
Hopefully TheWildHustle becomes a 95 year old bitcoin veteran, still resolute in guarding the realms of men.
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People (including me in the past) can have their sense of self completely wrapped up in what they do for a living. Their careers. Why? Because when you are good at something you usually get acceptance and respect for your skill and hard work. It can be a trap because your work will not be their for you when you can't perform. Your company will not love you. Your co-workers are not your family.
What I have learned is that I need to be aware of becoming to wrapped up in the praise of others. For some money/wealth is a huge motivator. Never has been for me. I started out my current career out of desire to provide for my family. As I became more successful I discovered my self-worth was getting to strongly tied to my career. The key is balance. Work is good for most people but like most things it can become an ultimate thing. I still enjoy my work but I have other things that are very key to who I am. My faith, my family, and my hobbies in addition to my work.
Here's something I've noticed. These days people seem to think that they have to do work that matters... If they can't do work they love they are not interested in working. This is a black hole of disrepair. All work that someone is willing to pay for matters. At least it matters to the person or company paying you. If it didn't matter, they would not agree to pay you.
Of course based on your personal moral values some work is not valuable. But that is subjective to your beliefs. Over and over again I have heard therapists advise depressed people to get jobs. This rings true for me because there was a time in my life where I was in a field where I would lose my job due to layoffs. I would receive unemployment benefits but there was a psychological effect. I think there are many factors but one was feeling like I wasn't producing any value. Or put another way, I wasn't desired. I wasn't needed. I think these factors can lead people to become obsessed or even addicted to work. But its not the work. Its the side effects of work. Work is hard. Great work requires emotional and physical energy.
Learning to work and work well is a skill we don't really teach. We focus on knowledge. Information. Not ethics. Laziness is not a virtue, but rest has value and is required for you to do good work.
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Hm, interesting points, I recognize the point you raise about "work that matters", and I think it's more that people nowadays want to do something with a greater social impact, instead of an economic impact.
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Exactly. And this is a mistake because economics are tied to the social. Also its a mistake because everyone can't be an artist or do something that has a more direct social impact. One can find joy in work that is more utilitarian. Many that work in such fields view their careers/jobs and fueling their other pursuits including their families.
IMO these issues with work are mostly present because of the wealth free markets have created. In centuries past we would not have the time to think about such things. We would be grateful for the food and shelter we have.
I am very thankful for the times of unemployment I had and many of the jobs I worked that I hated. They fueled my desire to focus on providing value and it has made me grateful for where I am today.
I think most people do no realize what they are capable of achieving given drive and hard work. I think most of us are not really working as hard as we can or effectively. When you make something, when you fix a problem, when you provide value to another person it feels good. And this isn't a bad thing. When you know how hard you worked to accomplish a goal it feels good. This is a much better problem than being hooked on a drug. But its not good to a slave to yourself and your self-worth.
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During a heat wave AC or HVAC repair or installation person is most important
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Honestly, the TLDR of this is suck it up. We have it really good.
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Yep
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Work is money 💵 You have to do some work for money
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They're scared of who they really are, and what reality is for, believing they are meat robots only...
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You are right on the money on this one. Work is just a diversion to keep us preoccupied at all times until the day we you-know-what.
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I think that people over-prioritize their professional occupations, and lose track of what really matters, but I'd like to know what exactly causes this.
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Are you sure this is universal? Where are you from? USA? Most people I know that have office jobs will stop working if they could. People who do manual labor even more. The only people who I know will continue working the same are artists. End even they I have already noticed stop doing things that they don't like once they have enough security to actually do things they do like.
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People are people, and I don't think that the "social consensus" will be that much different across "the West".
I'm based in the Netherlands.
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Well... I kind of think that in your surrounding people don't work that much because they are really addicted to working, but they are afraid others will see them as lazy. And career development makes them appear higher in some kind of social hierarchy. What do you think?
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Yeah, people fearing to be seen as "lazy" is certainly a fair point, what a shame that "fear" doesn't apply to me anymore... 😉😄
And career development makes them appear higher in some kind of social hierarchy.
And this.
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Because I am a man, and I must build
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I recommend the book Burnout Society
The author makes a case that we are living in an achievement society where the individual becomes both master and slave in the endless pursuit of doing more. We have eliminated the thoughtful solitude of boredom. We have become obsessed with doing and no longer know how to not-do for fear of falling behind.
A good insight from the book raises the point that in the Christian mythology god makes the day of rest the holiest of days.
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Yeah, added that book to my list a while ago, had heard about it first on a philosophy channel on YouTube!
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Just finished it. It’s a very heady read but full of valuable insight. Maybe 80ish pages in total.
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Oh wow, it's only 60 pages!
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