My parents’ generation had “It’s a Wonderful Life.” My generation is more the “Office Space” crowd. A long time ago Frank Capra captured how our lives intersected in meaningful ways while Mike Judge tapped into our collective desire to “do nothing.” What would you do with a million dollars? Nothing. Sounds kinda nice, right? But maybe that’s because we’ve misunderstood work this whole time. The Greeks saw the physical world as something that merely weighed down the soul. The way to avoid suffering and live a good life was to spend as much time as possible disengaged from worldly affairs. Pull back, meditate and spout some philosophical nonsense and you’re enlightened my friend! Aristotle actually said that unemployment (the ability to not have to work) was a primary requirement for a worthwhile life. The earliest iteration of free your mind, man. Early reliable accounts also verify that he had the munchies about the time he said this and was looking for a bag of Funions.
Although Aristotle is generally held as a pretty smart cookie, I’m going to have to humbly disagree with him here. Go ahead and test me out on this. Spend a couple weeks unemployed. It sounds great for the first few days and then the stir crazy sets in. We need to do something. We have a deep seated need to contribute in some small way. We all want to not have to work, but given the chance it never lives up to its’ billing. We all share this planet and intrinsically we want to leave it better than we found it. We want to build community and help others. Benefiting others is what we are wired for. That one time you helped out at Habitat for Humanity during college doesn’t cut it. The world didn’t get fixed in that one afternoon. Tack onto that the fact that one of the main causes of depression (and thus suicide) is a lack of purpose so apparently we still need something more out of work than a paycheck. We need to make a difference no matter how small. We are hard wired for work – which is why on those days when you know you have nothing left because you worked your butt off and you collapse into bed - deep down you know that was a day well spent. You groan as you hit the pillow but deep inside there is a satisfaction that is undeniable. The most delicious beer will always be the one you’ve earned. At the end of a tough project or a long day, swing in here and we’ll be proud to serve you one. Cheers.
Although Aristotle is generally held as a pretty smart cookie, I’m going to have to humbly disagree with him here. Go ahead and test me out on this. Spend a couple weeks unemployed. It sounds great for the first few days and then the stir crazy sets in. We need to do something. We have a deep seated need to contribute in some small way. We all want to not have to work, but given the chance it never lives up to its’ billing. We all share this planet and intrinsically we want to leave it better than we found it. We want to build community and help others. Benefiting others is what we are wired for. That one time you helped out at Habitat for Humanity during college doesn’t cut it. The world didn’t get fixed in that one afternoon. Tack onto that the fact that one of the main causes of depression (and thus suicide) is a lack of purpose so apparently we still need something more out of work than a paycheck. We need to make a difference no matter how small. We are hard wired for work – which is why on those days when you know you have nothing left because you worked your butt off and you collapse into bed - deep down you know that was a day well spent. You groan as you hit the pillow but deep inside there is a satisfaction that is undeniable. The most delicious beer will always be the one you’ve earned. At the end of a tough project or a long day, swing in here and we’ll be proud to serve you one. Cheers.
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