4 ms·

I just went into the hardware store last week. The cashier at the store was talking to someone he knew. He actually took the job there because he had retired, a

I just went into the hardware store last week. The cashier at the store was talking to someone he knew. He actually took the job there because he had retired, and had nothing to do. So he works there for 20/hrs a week. So for him, he needed work. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all... but I do that kind of interesting. I like to think that if I had unlimited free time, there's no way I'd ever be bored, I have so many things that I love doing... No way I'd give up 20 hours of my week just to go work as a cashier when I don't need to. That said... things might change when I get older.

ravitation 5y ago
I mean... I think there's a couple things here... First, as I said in my comment, the man in your example is likely not working in order to "stretch [his] abilities" as was the context of my comment... Second, I'm not sure that doing something out of boredom is equivalent to a "need," regardless of how one might describe it. Third, it seems to me that many people's only source of purpose is work (partially because they must work exhaustively to survive), so, when the need or ability to work is removed, they have nothing else; the idea that "work" is either a necessity or a noble pursuit in of itself only serves to reinforce this outlook and the resulting behavior (i.e. deriving all purpose from work). I don't want to push too hard, but it should be somewhat self-evident who might benefit from a culture that perpetuates a myth of work as necessity.
what_is_orcas 5y ago
> he had retired, and had nothing to do. Or: having a public-facing job is something to do that also served as a social outlet for him (especially if it's related to his hobbies) that was free (how many social activities (the kind where you meet people, not the kind where you spend time with folks you already know) are free these days?). Every time I go to a nursery I think about how much fun it would be to "work" there, if I didn't have to consider the pay, because I love plants and talking about plants and making chit-chat with strangers.

ravitation 5y ago

I mean... I think there's a couple things here... First, as I said in my comment, the man in your example is likely not working in order to "stretch [his] abilities" as was the context of my comment... Second, I'm not sure that doing something out of boredom is equivalent to a "need," regardless of how one might describe it. Third, it seems to me that many people's only source of purpose is work (partially because they must work exhaustively to survive), so, when the need or ability to work is removed, they have nothing else; the idea that "work" is either a necessity or a noble pursuit in of itself only serves to reinforce this outlook and the resulting behavior (i.e. deriving all purpose from work). I don't want to push too hard, but it should be somewhat self-evident who might benefit from a culture that perpetuates a myth of work as necessity.

what_is_orcas 5y ago

> he had retired, and had nothing to do. Or: having a public-facing job is something to do that also served as a social outlet for him (especially if it's related to his hobbies) that was free (how many social activities (the kind where you meet people, not the kind where you spend time with folks you already know) are free these days?). Every time I go to a nursery I think about how much fun it would be to "work" there, if I didn't have to consider the pay, because I love plants and talking about plants and making chit-chat with strangers.