Working, a virtue or a curse?

[Debaser82]

I'd be interested to hear ET members their opinion on this.

Obviously the dream of all traders is to hit the jackpot and make it bigtime so you can go to Hawai and retire op Pina Colada's at the age of 25...

So from that perspective I guess working ranks as a curse.

Also, working hard can put serious strains on your personal life, your health...

But then again working really hard can be emotionally and physically rewarding just as well I guess.

There is something about it that feeds your self esteem sort to speak.

So what's it going to be?

 

[nutmeg]

To each his own BUT did you every carry on a conversation with someone who doesn't work? Ding Dong.

There's only so many stories you can listen to about sand in between your toes or enough ice in your drink.

 

[Ricter]

Quote from nutmeg:

To each his own BUT did you every carry on a conversation with someone who doesn't work? Ding Dong.

There's only so many stories you can listen to about sand in between your toes or enough ice in your drink.

Lol, so true.

I know a man, now in his 60s, who made himself independently wealthy in his 20s and quit working. Not long ago a group of us were casually chatting about "how was your day" kind of stuff, and he told us about the terrible day he had yesterday.

Seems the waiter at a fancy restaurant he frequents "completely blew the wine presentation". I am not kidding, this man was genuinely unhappy and told us that the event "ruined his day".

 

[Misthos]

It's all relative. My father is semi-retired, and still works at 79 and is self-employed.

And then you have to define "work."

This is work:

And so is this:

Most of us are somewhere in between of course...

 

[bugscoe]

I have a relative who prides herself on the fact she has only worked 6 years in her life.

She's in her early 50's.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Quote from Misthos:

It's all relative. My father is semi-retired, and still works at 79 and is self-employed.

And then you have to define "work."

This is work:

And so is this:

Most of us are somewhere in between of course...

Not so! The football player and Ref are working. The coal miner has a job. Big difference, and that makes all the difference in how long you'll want to do your work, or your job.

 

[Misthos]

Quote from CaptainObvious:

Not so! The football player and Ref are working. The coal miner has a job. Big difference, and that makes all the difference in how long you'll want to do your work, or your job.

Well said.

But hey, somebody has to pick up the trash and mop the floors. Ever been in a big city when the trash worker's union is on strike? Not a good sight. Or smell.

 

[peilthetraveler]

In the bible (the book of ecclesiastes) King Solomon, the wisest man ever,wrote about this. He was a wealthy man earning 400 tons of gold per year which at todays prices is about 14 billion dollars(but that was when 14 billion dollars was actually worth something!) Solomon wrote about how he thought life was meaningless. As a wealthy man, he had everyone to do everything for him, but it was meaningless. So he tried to be a poor fool and not so wise, but he found that too was meaningless. Everything he tried he saw there was no meaning to it.

In the end what he discovered that even though there is no meaning, all a man can do is find happiness and satisfaction in his work.

So is working a virtue or a curse? It all depends on if you find happiness in it.

 

[Mav88]

I can't imagine a life without intellectual challenge, I'd go bonkers not to mention rot my mind. I agree with the above, you have to do something or you become butt cheese.

On the other hand I can't imagine a life doing mindless hard labor.

 

[omegapoint]

The most loaded word in the language. The phrase, "doing what American workers won't do" as it relates to the usefulness of
illegal immigrants didn't find formulation from nothing. Noone ever said life was fair ...the Forbes boy started on third base. Then theres that whole argument about America no longer making THINGS and a whole lot of people earning their livings with their mouths; experts. We all want something better for our kids than the pick and shovel ...so teach them well.