My Endless Complaining about Vocation
A few weeks ago, I started a new job and, surprise, surprise, the job is rather boring and not that fulfilling. I come home exhausted after a day of doing jack shit just like every other job I’ve ever had in my life and just like everyone else in the country it seems. Are the unhappy workers of the world missing something? Are we in the wrong field? Will anything satisfy us? Even presidents, actors and porn stars seem unhappy with their professions.
Red from That 70’s Show would say "That's why they call it WORK! If it was enjoyable, it would be called Happy Fun Time!” Though the hack writer who came up with Red’s dialog (and who doesn’t seem to know what the subjunctive is) has a point, the point is a little simplistic. “Work”, for the most part, is not actually work. It is a whole lot of sitting around doing nothing pretending you are doing work. The universally loved Office Space is certainly a better portrayal of what “work” actually is.
Now, some people claim that their days are busy and I believe them to some extent. They fill their days with meetings, reviews and discussions about work. Again, though, this is not really work. It is just being busy, which is merely a better guise for work than surfing the net all day.
Some claim that they do produce things (figures, reports, etc.) yet often these figures are not used. Others, with their free time, research things and go to training sessions that will never be used towards their job. Again, this is not work in the strictest sense of the word. Work is Force times Distance. One can put in effort, but unless actual progress is made, no work has been done. If I dig a whole and then fill it in, I have done zero work even though my back is sore.
Many think the unhappy worker complains too much. They suggest the unhappy worker either stop complaining or stop working. I know from being unemployed that not working stinks as much as working. One becomes bored, lethargic and feels guilty about not working. Working is superior to not working, fore when one works, one has money.
Others say that the unhappy worker should switch jobs. Though, working stinks, I recognize my job is pretty good in the grand scheme of things and I certainly would not want many of my friends’ jobs. Just as there is good pizza (or sex) and bad pizza (or sex), but it’s all pizza (or sex) which is pretty good, there are good jobs and there are sucky jobs, but they are all jobs and that sucks.
So why does work suck so much and how can one make it better? First, I think people like to see results for work which is less and less possible in a world of abstract services. I’m a bloody analyst. What can I hold in my hands and say I created? Zilch. Building sand castles, on the other hand, is quite rewarding even though they get washed away. A focus on “producing” something rather than just “doing” something will probably improve life. Second, change is important. Most jobs are repetitive. Here’s a good Angel quote from the Host:
"It's like a song. Now, I can hold a note for a long time- actually I can hold a note forever, but eventually that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after, and the one after that. That's what makes it music."
Red from That 70’s Show would say "That's why they call it WORK! If it was enjoyable, it would be called Happy Fun Time!” Though the hack writer who came up with Red’s dialog (and who doesn’t seem to know what the subjunctive is) has a point, the point is a little simplistic. “Work”, for the most part, is not actually work. It is a whole lot of sitting around doing nothing pretending you are doing work. The universally loved Office Space is certainly a better portrayal of what “work” actually is.
Now, some people claim that their days are busy and I believe them to some extent. They fill their days with meetings, reviews and discussions about work. Again, though, this is not really work. It is just being busy, which is merely a better guise for work than surfing the net all day.
Some claim that they do produce things (figures, reports, etc.) yet often these figures are not used. Others, with their free time, research things and go to training sessions that will never be used towards their job. Again, this is not work in the strictest sense of the word. Work is Force times Distance. One can put in effort, but unless actual progress is made, no work has been done. If I dig a whole and then fill it in, I have done zero work even though my back is sore.
Many think the unhappy worker complains too much. They suggest the unhappy worker either stop complaining or stop working. I know from being unemployed that not working stinks as much as working. One becomes bored, lethargic and feels guilty about not working. Working is superior to not working, fore when one works, one has money.
Others say that the unhappy worker should switch jobs. Though, working stinks, I recognize my job is pretty good in the grand scheme of things and I certainly would not want many of my friends’ jobs. Just as there is good pizza (or sex) and bad pizza (or sex), but it’s all pizza (or sex) which is pretty good, there are good jobs and there are sucky jobs, but they are all jobs and that sucks.
So why does work suck so much and how can one make it better? First, I think people like to see results for work which is less and less possible in a world of abstract services. I’m a bloody analyst. What can I hold in my hands and say I created? Zilch. Building sand castles, on the other hand, is quite rewarding even though they get washed away. A focus on “producing” something rather than just “doing” something will probably improve life. Second, change is important. Most jobs are repetitive. Here’s a good Angel quote from the Host:
"It's like a song. Now, I can hold a note for a long time- actually I can hold a note forever, but eventually that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after, and the one after that. That's what makes it music."
posted by American Dilettante at
9:45 AM
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