I agree. The Covid pandemic brought about more acceptance of working from home and and an awareness of a hitherto lack of a proper work-life balance. We now enjoy "work-from-home Wednesdays" and what a great boost to morale that is. A mid-week break from all the office bullshit. ;)
Agreed. I'm fortunate to work from home as much as I want, and just having a couch nearby and not commuting has been a godsend. But then there's a small guilt feeling around logging on promptly, and responding faster to queries/pings/alerts... mixed in with more zoom meetings etc
This is a huge question and it'll be interesting to see how people try to answer it in this tiny space. My own first attempt: Americans---and emulators around the world---have not examined their lives and thus are susceptible to the blandishments of consumerism, which simply increases their living costs, and these manipulations are the necessary operations of capitalism. Many, many details flow from these basic assertions.... We work so hard to pay for stuff we don't really need and to replace that stuff when it proves unfulfilling. Social pressures manipulated by people with stuff to sell and a work ethic promoted by employers. This is bigger than it sounds here.
Good thoughts... there's definitely a correlation between lifestyle (as promoted, idealised through products, and FoMO) and the necessity of working to pay for it all. 'Oh, so you're stressed out from working too hard? These products will make you feel better for a bit.' It's like we're locked in a work-derived depression: one of our few pleasures is buying things we don't need, for a momentary hit that doesn't last (and creates more waste, and cravings for other junk). These problems are all interrelated...
I have worked at home much of my life, mostly for myself! Unfortunately this often meant I worked all day and after dinner too, but at least I was free to go for a walk whenever I felt the need. I agree that we work too much. The problem is that the bar for survival gets higher all the time, despite what any one person might wish. The question is how to lower that bar, especially now when the price of everything is so high.
This is exactly where I think the problem lies: our cost of living is way too high. Everything's becoming more expensive, the number of expenses increases, and it's harder to live simply and effectively... that's why I feel the question of work (and work value) ties in with all the other problems of modern life.... they tether eachother.
I agree. The Covid pandemic brought about more acceptance of working from home and and an awareness of a hitherto lack of a proper work-life balance. We now enjoy "work-from-home Wednesdays" and what a great boost to morale that is. A mid-week break from all the office bullshit. ;)
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I'm fortunate to work from home as much as I want, and just having a couch nearby and not commuting has been a godsend. But then there's a small guilt feeling around logging on promptly, and responding faster to queries/pings/alerts... mixed in with more zoom meetings etc
DeleteThis is a huge question and it'll be interesting to see how people try to answer it in this tiny space. My own first attempt: Americans---and emulators around the world---have not examined their lives and thus are susceptible to the blandishments of consumerism, which simply increases their living costs, and these manipulations are the necessary operations of capitalism. Many, many details flow from these basic assertions.... We work so hard to pay for stuff we don't really need and to replace that stuff when it proves unfulfilling. Social pressures manipulated by people with stuff to sell and a work ethic promoted by employers. This is bigger than it sounds here.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts... there's definitely a correlation between lifestyle (as promoted, idealised through products, and FoMO) and the necessity of working to pay for it all. 'Oh, so you're stressed out from working too hard? These products will make you feel better for a bit.' It's like we're locked in a work-derived depression: one of our few pleasures is buying things we don't need, for a momentary hit that doesn't last (and creates more waste, and cravings for other junk). These problems are all interrelated...
DeleteI have worked at home much of my life, mostly for myself! Unfortunately this often meant I worked all day and after dinner too, but at least I was free to go for a walk whenever I felt the need. I agree that we work too much. The problem is that the bar for survival gets higher all the time, despite what any one person might wish. The question is how to lower that bar, especially now when the price of everything is so high.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly where I think the problem lies: our cost of living is way too high. Everything's becoming more expensive, the number of expenses increases, and it's harder to live simply and effectively... that's why I feel the question of work (and work value) ties in with all the other problems of modern life.... they tether eachother.
Delete