Work: Self-Worth In Action
I have a personal belief that every person who is capable of working should. I also believe a narrow definition of work means many people who could do meaningful work aren’t given opportunity. I also believe that those who achieve great financial success through work owe it to society to freely give of their money for the betterment of that society.
In the United States in 2022, there are 159 million people active in the workforce. There are an additional 100 million who are of working age who do not actively participate in the workforce.
For the sake of argument, let’s assume that 50 million of those not active in the workforce can’t be due to some legitimate reason. That, of course, leaves 50 million who could be but aren’t.
If 209 million people were active in the workforce, the average number of hours required to work would drop by nearly 25%: from 40.5 hours per week to 30.8.
What would you do with an extra 10 hours of discretionary time each week?
I am not ignorant to the privilege I enjoy by being among those active in the workforce who actually gets to do what I want to do. I know there are millions of people who wake up every morning to go to jobs on the spectrum of tolerable to absolutely deplorable.
There is something honorable — noble, even — about working. Even menial labor can teach us valuable lessons. I’ve worked for a company for the last few years where I’ve been asked to do and been tasked with many things I didn’t enjoy very much. Admittedly, in the moment, I complained rather loudly to just about anyone who would listen about it.
My own emotional immaturity notwithstanding, in retrospect, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons and my body got a little bit stronger because I was doing labor that I wasn’t accustomed to.
In the heat of another lecture from your arrogant, pompous boss, it can be difficult to recognize how your self-worth can increase, but there are opportunities for personal growth in even the most difficult circumstances. It does take a degree of patience and humility to recognize those opportunities, however.
Self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence are all interrelated. In part, each of these increase when we engage in activities that have value to us and that, to some degree, are recognized as valuable by others. The second part isn’t required, but does make finding value in something easier when it’s recognized by someone else.
The following example may be an oversimplification of the idea, but illustrates what I”m talking about.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. I read everything people put into my hands. My parents and my teachers told me how valuable reading was which served to reinforce what I already loved. It was validation for my young mind (even if I was in my 40s before I couched it in those terms).
As I’ve grown older, I don’t seek or need validation with respect to reading: I do it simply because I love it. In particular, I love well-written business books and escape fiction.
Some of my self-esteem is tied to the fact that I’m a pretty good reader.
The same principle extends to everything we do, even what some people may term the more mundane tasks of life: folding laundry, changing dirty diapers, cleaning up after kids, etc.
If you have a job you don’t enjoy, consider what working means for you. Until society reaches a more enlightened state, we will continue to trade our time for money which we can then trade for the goods and services we need to subsist. In a more enlightened society, all people would be enabled to trade fewer of their hours for money because it would be sufficient for their needs and some of their wants. (Topic for another day: the abhorrent greed of the top 1% and the essentially worldwide insatiable lust for consumer goods have severely blurred the line between needs and wants.)
So. . .what does work mean for you?
the freedom to afford all the basic necessities of life
the ability to provide for a family
the ability to provide support for those less fortunate than you
the freedom to pursue learning, perhaps even through “traditional” methods such as school and university
the freedom to travel
the freedom to pursue other interests
If you’re among the relatively few who amass huge stores of money, the questions might tend more toward the good you can do with that money or what you can buy with it if that’s more your speed.
Today, I invite you to pause for a moment and consider how work can really be a vehicle to put your self-worth in action.
Thanks for reading!
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