Clicking These Down, Here
3 hours ago
Friday, July 24, 2015
Work crazy
This recent Slate article covered Americans' attitude towards work. Jeb Bush said Americans should work longer hours -and plenty of Americans feel the same way.
Amazing. Good brainwashing job. I know plenty of Americans working long and crazy hours. It's the only way they can get enough money to survive. That is not a good thing. I know of “retired” people who are basically working full time jobs just for the health insurance. What kind of retirement is that?
There's also the belief that the path to riches is through hard work. Funny, but did you ever notice it's not the guy working crazy hours making all the money. It's often the guy with his feet up on the desk smoking a cigar. He's the owner and it's his workers doing all the sweating.
The Wall Street financial sector is an exception as everyone there works insane hours. That's just a sickness -the pursuit of money and power beyond all reason. They don't even know what work/life balance means. These are money addicts. Like all addicts they've lost interest in everything but their addiction. They should be pitied, not praised.
Life is more than being a cog in a machine. Of course, that's pretty hard to figure out if you are working all the time and barely have to sleep, never mind time to think. Most European countries have a lot more time off than Americans. Many Americans are made to feel guilty if they take a week off. Most Europeans feel slighted if they only have a 3 week holiday. Most Americans don't realize that many parts of the world have much better life styles than they do.
Heck there are peasants in third world countries that live happier lives than Americans.
I am a bit curious about what's going to happen to all the businesses that cater to retired people. Most of the people enjoying decent retirements right now are reaping the benefits of defined retirement plans. Those plans are a thing of the past. The 401K crowd will not have the same income. For most it will be a lot worse. Florida will have to close its doors.
I'm old enough to remember when it was assumed that in the future most people would work fewer hours. That was considered a good thing and something to look forward to. So far the 21st Century has been a bit of a bust.
(not for me, of course -but I'm an exception.)
-Sixbears
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I was one of those workaholics. I was a royal SOB to be around.I made a decision to reduce what I needed in expenses to live. Now I work to enjoy living, gone are the days of LIVING TO WORK. We are taught work hard be to be happy. enjoying life and happiness has nothing to do with work. People don't have to work there life away they have to change their lifestyles! Folks like us don't make others much money.
ReplyDeleteI've met a few who've done what you did and all of them are happier people. One guy changed so much his wife could not believer it. He was a much nicer version compared to his old self.
DeleteNo, we aren't making other people rich, and our footprint on the earth is just a bit lighter too.
I was driving the RV out in West Texas and got a call from someone wanting me to do a rush design job. Of course they always farm out the rush jobs and put the pressure on another business. I told them I was on vacation, didn't have a computer, and wasn't going to do their job, in fact, I said as of right now, I AM OFFICIALLY RETIRED!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you Dizzy! I bet you wish you could have seen his face when you told him that.
DeleteI should have done it years earlier, but I have no retirement and have to exist on S.S. payments. Since I worked for myself, I had to pay into twice as much as I would if I worked for someone else. May have to go back to work. . . oh noooo!!!
DeleteI agree with you. I worked for 20 years as an accountant at an oil and gas company. I hated it, but the money was good and I had a family to support.
ReplyDeleteI drove an hour and half one way to work. I put in horrendous hours, worked for an individual who was purely evil, and was miserable.
Once I retired, life has been so much better. I don't have to take orders from some idiot who is only concerned about making more and more money. I don't have to wear a suit. I don't even own a suit or tie now. I don't have to doff my cap to anyone, or tug my forelock when the high and mighty come to the office.
But my kids work very hard, long hours in demanding jobs, and they are just getting by. They're the ones I worry about.
I could not have put up with that sort of thing for 20 years. You are made of stronger stuff than I am.
DeleteI too worry about the kids, even though they seem to be getting by. The system is a lot less forgiving now.