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Naturally, there's a threshold for work that humans naturally have. One person can only accomplish up to x before his time is simply over-run, and he can accomplish no more work.
Sadly, this isn't such a rarity in society. It's, instead, not only a common-place occurrence, but a mark of respect. A notch on the entrepreneur's belt, to keep himself constantly scrambling to keep up with a heavy load of work. It's an incredibly bizarre sight, especially, because while it's so revered, it's also so destructive. Running at 100%, while perfect for an efficiency engineer, means there's no margin for relaxation. That much tension, be it on a steel cable, a rivet, a guitar string, tennis racket, or any number of other oddities, and the wire/band/nut/bolt/screw will explode or snap, and it all comes crashing down in a cacophony of disassembled parts, and sometimes broken dreams.
So, what about our time, and our lives, makes us think that we should continue to propel ourselves headfirst into the world at large? As well as self-imposed standards, it has gotten to the point of society expecting that unless you aren't operating at capacity, then you aren't fulfilling the expectations. Which is to say that you are contributing as a dead-weight. Not only on your work force, but on your society, yourself, and your standards.
Howeer, what happened to the concept of the individual? Man Thinking is still as distant now as in the days of Emerson, but not by education. Instead, by societal standards. The problem lies in success being less about ability and more about perseverance. So, at the absolute base, "success" is synonymous with "work." Society has grasped that ideal, and run with it. "Get to Work!" has become less of a barking command, and more of a sign of goodwill. The proverbial "Do / Be well!"
http://www.healblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/busy.jpg
It is tiring, though, toiling away without respite or rest. So instead of taking initiative all of the time, why not encourage a higher capacity during work by keeping the individuals more well-rested. It's the sort of philosophy that could keep humankind relatively busy, while still maintaining a certain level of general relaxation. Escapism, as it were, is the way to counter-balance the "Get to Work" mentality with the natural inherent need to recover.
Obviously, there's a fine distinction between enough and too much escapism, though. This could be part of the problem. Which is, pointing society toward "Work always" because it's easier to regular than "work intelligently." The problem is, by emphasizing the incessant, the choice is removed. Everyone has to be charged with a "work always" schedule, because no one can really regulate who fits the "capable" and "incapable" description for "work intelligently."
So, is the societal standard good, and should it be encouraged, or are we working ourselves to the brink of oblivion? Or those of us who do embrace escapism as a philosophy, are we screwing or saving ourselves?
To be completely honest, this isn't simply a thread about the discussion of work, and the societal standards thereof. I'll admit, school now has me busy. Not irreparably, but still busy enough to make juggling it, my job, and my posting habits on The Escapist nigh-impossible. As such, I'm not leaving, nor am I seeking for people to wave over-enthusiastically at me receding into the distance. Instead, I'm just going to say I probably won't be around a lot, and most of my posts will be updates on the RPG/Book/RP. You guys are awesome, and I'll still keep an eye on threads, and I'll make sure to keep up with PMs, but I probably won't be around much. Just a heads up. Now, mind on the discussion. What did you think this thread was about? Get to work!
Naturally, there's a threshold for work that humans naturally have. One person can only accomplish up to x before his time is simply over-run, and he can accomplish no more work.
Sadly, this isn't such a rarity in society. It's, instead, not only a common-place occurrence, but a mark of respect. A notch on the entrepreneur's belt, to keep himself constantly scrambling to keep up with a heavy load of work. It's an incredibly bizarre sight, especially, because while it's so revered, it's also so destructive. Running at 100%, while perfect for an efficiency engineer, means there's no margin for relaxation. That much tension, be it on a steel cable, a rivet, a guitar string, tennis racket, or any number of other oddities, and the wire/band/nut/bolt/screw will explode or snap, and it all comes crashing down in a cacophony of disassembled parts, and sometimes broken dreams.
So, what about our time, and our lives, makes us think that we should continue to propel ourselves headfirst into the world at large? As well as self-imposed standards, it has gotten to the point of society expecting that unless you aren't operating at capacity, then you aren't fulfilling the expectations. Which is to say that you are contributing as a dead-weight. Not only on your work force, but on your society, yourself, and your standards.
Howeer, what happened to the concept of the individual? Man Thinking is still as distant now as in the days of Emerson, but not by education. Instead, by societal standards. The problem lies in success being less about ability and more about perseverance. So, at the absolute base, "success" is synonymous with "work." Society has grasped that ideal, and run with it. "Get to Work!" has become less of a barking command, and more of a sign of goodwill. The proverbial "Do / Be well!"
http://www.healblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/busy.jpg
It is tiring, though, toiling away without respite or rest. So instead of taking initiative all of the time, why not encourage a higher capacity during work by keeping the individuals more well-rested. It's the sort of philosophy that could keep humankind relatively busy, while still maintaining a certain level of general relaxation. Escapism, as it were, is the way to counter-balance the "Get to Work" mentality with the natural inherent need to recover.
Obviously, there's a fine distinction between enough and too much escapism, though. This could be part of the problem. Which is, pointing society toward "Work always" because it's easier to regular than "work intelligently." The problem is, by emphasizing the incessant, the choice is removed. Everyone has to be charged with a "work always" schedule, because no one can really regulate who fits the "capable" and "incapable" description for "work intelligently."
So, is the societal standard good, and should it be encouraged, or are we working ourselves to the brink of oblivion? Or those of us who do embrace escapism as a philosophy, are we screwing or saving ourselves?
To be completely honest, this isn't simply a thread about the discussion of work, and the societal standards thereof. I'll admit, school now has me busy. Not irreparably, but still busy enough to make juggling it, my job, and my posting habits on The Escapist nigh-impossible. As such, I'm not leaving, nor am I seeking for people to wave over-enthusiastically at me receding into the distance. Instead, I'm just going to say I probably won't be around a lot, and most of my posts will be updates on the RPG/Book/RP. You guys are awesome, and I'll still keep an eye on threads, and I'll make sure to keep up with PMs, but I probably won't be around much. Just a heads up. Now, mind on the discussion. What did you think this thread was about? Get to work!
