On Working

A reader requested I address this subject and so I shall.

Here is what Genesis 3:17-19 has to say:

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.

In brief, Adam's curse promises work will be a bloody hassle. Lest there be any doubt, personal experience assures me the curse is still in full force.

Why do I work? Is it because I find it to be enjoyable? Do I wake up in the mornings and commence dancing about and bursting into song at the prospect? Certainly not! Be assured there is a reason workers have to be enticed by compensation, whether it is a grade, certificate, degree or, most commonly, money. If I am to spend time working, I wish to be compensated adequately for it. After all, there are opportunity costs I pay by showing up to work. This is simple economics.

Even among the people who say they "love" their jobs still seem to have no shortage of negative experiences to share. Is this at all surprising?

Can one's experiences "on the job" be occasionally positive? Yes, but I would argue it is despite the nature of the work, not a result. Although I generally find my retail employment to be very frustrating, I can still find some ways to amuse myself. Having agreeable, especially amusing, coworkers can help make a job bearable, but that is only one part of the equation. The other part is the clientele, who are more often than not disagreeable. Of course, one's superiors can provide consternation, but I have been fortunate in that regard. I only recall one job where I had a superior I was on less than friendly terms with.

My philosophy is to work to live, not live to work. The pursuit of riches and prestige is not on my agenda. In an upcoming article, I will address the subject of money.