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It's interesting how society unanimously view 'work' as a concept that is undesirable and as something to be reduced. Is a society where where people are actua

It's interesting how society unanimously view 'work' as a concept that is undesirable and as something to be reduced. Is a society where where people are actually passionate about what they do and want to spend more time working because it increases their overall happiness too unrealistic to strive for?

toomuchtodo 12y ago
> Is a society where where people are actually passionate about what they do and want to spend more time working because it increases their overall happiness too unrealistic to strive for? Shouldn't it be? Aren't there jobs that should be automated? And if we automate all the jobs shouldn't we no longer have to "work"? Why work if you can provide resources without said work? People will still create. People will still pursue goals. What we call "work" will just become fuzzy. There is no point in work for work's sake.
staz 12y ago
It's because you (not just you but the society in general) are mixing "wage work" and "work"
- tabrischen 12y ago
  Why should there be an inherent different between the two?
a-priori 12y ago
The belief that work is an intrinsic good is a variation of the Protestant work ethic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic). Even though only certain groups of Protestants (Quakers, Mennonites, etc.) believe in the original version of the ethic, that work is a route to religious salvation, weaker versions still persists in many places where Protestantism is or was common -- including much of North America. These weaker versions manifest as the idea that work is intrinsically good; or the reverse, that not working is intrinsically bad.
sheepmullet 12y ago
"It's interesting how society unanimously view 'work' as a concept that is undesirable and as something to be reduced." Because a lot of us are only productive at work for 4-6 hours per day. But we waste the next 3-6 hours in the office trying to look busy. What a waste of our lives.

toomuchtodo 12y ago

> Is a society where where people are actually passionate about what they do and want to spend more time working because it increases their overall happiness too unrealistic to strive for? Shouldn't it be? Aren't there jobs that should be automated? And if we automate all the jobs shouldn't we no longer have to "work"? Why work if you can provide resources without said work? People will still create. People will still pursue goals. What we call "work" will just become fuzzy. There is no point in work for work's sake.

staz 12y ago

It's because you (not just you but the society in general) are mixing "wage work" and "work"

tabrischen 12y ago
Why should there be an inherent different between the two?

a-priori 12y ago

The belief that work is an intrinsic good is a variation of the Protestant work ethic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic). Even though only certain groups of Protestants (Quakers, Mennonites, etc.) believe in the original version of the ethic, that work is a route to religious salvation, weaker versions still persists in many places where Protestantism is or was common -- including much of North America. These weaker versions manifest as the idea that work is intrinsically good; or the reverse, that not working is intrinsically bad.

sheepmullet 12y ago

"It's interesting how society unanimously view 'work' as a concept that is undesirable and as something to be reduced." Because a lot of us are only productive at work for 4-6 hours per day. But we waste the next 3-6 hours in the office trying to look busy. What a waste of our lives.