Why Do We Work? - Don't Be A Wage Slave

The concept of work has taken on a pejorative meaning in contemporary society. It evokes pain, suffering, and drudgery. (1) Yet everyone knows, at least implicitly, that without work or effort, little to nothing can actually be achieved. But is this true? There is a curious disconnect between the idea of work and the reality of it. In modern thinking, work is unnecessary while reward and pleasure are treated as our birthright — something enjoyable, even fantastical, and seemingly achieved without effort. One might reasonably ask how this schism ever came about.

If we look back in history, most people were farmers, and they had virtually no concept of what we now call “work.” A farm was an endless series of tasks, stretching from sunrise to sunset. One would awaken early, feed and water the animals, prepare breakfast for the family, and then the men would head into the fields. Meanwhile, household responsibilities — laundry, cooking, and cleaning — continued without pause. At midday, meals had to be prepared and brought out to those toiling in the fields. In the evening, the animals were brought in and fed again. I recall my own grandmother’s farm: during the summer, she would rise before 5:00 a.m., often in brilliant sunlight, and wash all the floors in the house before the day had truly begun. This was not “work” as a separate concept — it was simply life, and it was hard.

All of this changed with the Industrial Revolution. (2) Rumors reached the farms that one could become free economically by moving to the city and getting a job. Many fled, especially in England, but the cities were utterly unprepared for the influx. Streets were muddy, sewage systems inadequate or nonexistent, and living conditions deplorable. There was no adequate understanding of birth control, no public schooling, and no reliable healthcare. Families grew quickly, and many could not feed their children. The result was virtual social collapse. (3)

This reality remained largely unseen until the mid-19th century, when writers like Charles Dickens began to expose the plight of the poor. Even then, the middle and upper classes often found his portrayals too horrid to believe. (4) Later, figures such as Bismarck (5) reshaped the structure of work. He formalized the working day — often 12 to 14 hours — and introduced the promise of retirement at around 65, with benefits. Yet this was hardly altruistic. Most workers did not live much beyond that age, and the policy also served to reduce revolutionary pressures. As workers aged, they became more politically aware and discontented. The revolutions of 1848 (6) had demonstrated this unrest, though they achieved limited success, aside from the emancipation of the serfs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The social tensions only intensified as peasants and laborers continued to flood into cities. Eventually, events such as the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 shifted the balance of power in Europe, elevating Germany and its work ethic as the dominant model — one that persisted until the First World War, with devastating consequences for all classes.

Today, we face a different but equally profound shift. Young people, largely because of the Internet, do not see traditional work as the path of the future. They observe vloggers and bloggers who appear to succeed — many times producing little of substance — and ask why they should engage in conventional employment. This raises a serious question: What is the purpose of education? A new concept must be put forward: “to learn how to learn.” Then all work will be considered educational and advance us to a higher level of accomplishment. Thomas Jefferson (7) leaves with a thought: I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

A closing thought: At present, schools are failing to teach imagination. (8) The purpose of education is not to train people simply to work, especially when many jobs will soon be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). We can already envisage bus drivers, bank clerks, and even government officials replaced by machines. Instead, education should teach individuals how to learn intelligently. That is the essential skill for navigating the future. There is, in fact, a tremendous opportunity in the subsequent years for thinkers. The potential for innovation today is beyond what previous generations could have imagined.

Old impediments — age, background, wealth, even intelligence — are less determinative than ever before. Almost anything is possible, but only for those who have learned creatively. In this sense, we can glimpse the direction of the future. As Confucius is often paraphrased: “Do what you love, and you will never work again.” The challenge is not to escape work, but recapture its dignity. Work, rightly understood, is not opposed to pleasure — it is what defines us.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about the concept of work and how it must be redefined.

To be noted: From Sophocles (9) — without labor nothing prospers

Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGnAXSrSrls&list=RDLGnAXSrSrls&start_radio=1

For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHRGxITDC0Q&t=40s

This week, on your sturdy walk, please ponder what your efforts mean to you.

Every day, look for something magical and beautiful.

Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!