Perhaps the last question is the most pertinent. The concept of "time" is inherently linked to the notion of quality of life. About a quarter of all Americans now have flexible schedules (known as flex time), and this is especially attractive to new mothers, parents with small children, people caring for the elderly, or those dealing with a sick relative or spouse. Obviously, the more time we have to do the things we need and want to do outside of the workplace, the more satisfied we seem to be when we are working. I know people who have taken jobs to have more time even if it means with less pay. It is a difficult thing for some, and many can't afford to do this, but those who take this option do so because their jobs do not take priority over their lives.
Can everyone go off to work whistling? I think not. In the reality of this modern world we live in, there will always be people who love their work and those who do not. The great 19th century writer John Ruskin said, “There is no wealth but Life.” This is something to ponder as we go about our daily machinations, for all the money in the world can’t buy us another breath. Herein lies hope even in desperate situations, for the concepts of “work to live” and “live to work” are subsumed by the reality of “live to live.” Ultimately, living our lives to the fullest despite the work we do is the only way to go.
Copyright Victor Lana 2005
Article comments
1 - Raymond Scott
This a lovely article that you have written.
Thank you for posting it.
Raymond Scott
Lansford, ND
2 - Victor Lana
Well, thanks, Raymond. Interesting to get my first comment four years later, but it is appreciated.
3 - roger nowosielski
Well, perhaps you should update your article, Victor. Lots has changed in four years to make your thesis less appealing or convincing to most than when you first posted.
4 - Raymond Scott
You are welcome, Victor. I agree that the timing is strange. However, I was fortunate enough to find your article while researching sources. Your topic will provide an essential citation for my paper, Challenging the Career Progression Mindset in the United States. I need to support one of my arguments that business culture is different across the globe and show the impact upon employee health, well-being, stress levels, and job satisfaction compared across those cultures.
5 - Victor Lana
Again, thanks, Raymond.
Roger, I believe that the "live to work or work to live" idea does not depend upon one thing, like the economic climate of the day. It's an individual choice or need.
Kind of like "To be or not to be" doesn't need to change with the times. People will always have to face these choices no matter what is happening in the external world.
6 - roger nowosielski
I'm aware of that, Victor. I have not been affected by these times as most because for as long as I remember, I've been subscribing to this philosophy. Perhaps because I wasn't born and raised here, thank God.
Still, this is the average American's mindset. It's all about money and success - whatever that means. You've got quite a job on your hands trying to convince our citizens that money ain't everything.
7 - roger nowosielski
Raymond,
You might check some of the postings by our STM from Australia. It's refreshing to hear some of his accounts of the business culture there. You might want to contact him on his own weblog, which he publishes independently of his BC postings.
8 - Raymond Scott
This has generated quite a flurry of activity after four years.
I wouldn't say that my paper's intention is to downgrade anyone's desire for money or for the comforts it can provide. My main argument is that it should be okay for people not to join in the constant battle for progression if they are happy where they are. It's about reflecting on the mindset in which holding the same job for ten years is considered to be stagnation by some, so the assumption is that it must be a bad thing for all. Wanting to remain is almost like a deviance and those people are often overlooked by management because they don't want to move on up in their jobs. Those people, who if treated with respect, can be more of an asset to a company than someone who leaves after a few years. It is hard to compare the contributions of both types, but I venture a guess that a happy employee who works hard at the same job for ten years has contributed much more than money to the organization.
9 - Raymond Scott
Thanks, Roger. I will have to check those postings when I get finished with this paper.
10 - Victor Lana
Guys, thanks for your insightful comments.
I do know many people, believe it or not, who have chosen to take lower paying jobs with flexible schedules in order to be able to be with family more regularly. It's the old quality over quantity situation, in this case quality time (which is priceless).
Not everyone is in that position today. My grandfather had to work to live for most of his life, starting in third grade when he dropped out of school to help support 7 little brothers and sisters. Of course, that was in the 1890s, but it was his reality and for many others as well.