Philosophy on Working

First, lets take a look at how 'working' is generally viewed and how it fits into the lives of people today. For one thing, work is a fact of life. For everyone except for a select few, we must do work so that we can make money and sustain ourselves. To pay the mortgage. Most people work for an employer, and some find ways to create something themselves that they can profit from. In today's material world, we work so that we can pay the bills and buy ourselves things. Some jobs pay very well; others do not. Some people make incredible sums of money for relatively little effort, whereas others work long hours for less than a livable wage. 'White collar" work is supposedly better then "Blue collar" work. In fact, income is such a pivotal point on our lives that nothing separates society into different levels more then how much money we make. Lets be honest - money is the sole reason that most people work, and everyone always wants more money. This brings up an unfortunate paradox in the way work is generally conceived and carried out today. Work is a necessary evil. Work is not what you want to be doing, it is not where you want to be. Yet many are working longer and longer hours to get more done and make more money. According to a 1991 survey, "free time" had decreased by 40% since 1973. Productivity has doubled since the 60's. A means to what end?

Does it make sense that something that dominates such a large percentage of life is seen so negatively? Why should one's occupational niche define his or her placement on society's scale of success? Does it make sense that working to make an income has become such a selfish endeavor? Though it is essential to make money in this life, we must never forget that 'money' is a modern invention. Before work had monetary value, it still had value.

We must take a step back from our preconceptions and redefine how working fits into and affects our lives. The inspiration for this philosophy on working comes from my own search for purpose, and has been justified and shaped by Scott and Helen Nearing, as well as Bill Coperthwaite. The Nearings were homesteaders who left the noise and bustle of New York City amidst the Great Depression to live out their lives through their own ideals on a homestead in rural Vermont, and later Maine. They are the authors of the 'Good Life' book series. Bill Coperthwaite is a builder, educator, and philosopher, and is the author of "A Handmade Life; In Search of Simplicity."

"Re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss what insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem."
-Walt Whitman

Sometimes I wonder where I would be if I had taken some time off after high school. I do not regret entering directly into engineering school, because it has led me to where I am today and I enjoy many aspects of it, however looking back I can see that I was a drone trapped in the system. It is common thought that successful high school graduates go to college in September directly following graduation. Those who will not go to college simply enter the work force. Education is over - time to earn a living. Decisions are to be made and responsibilities shouldered. Those teenagers who truly know themselves are a lucky few. The rest of us are ushered in one direction or another and, fingers crossed, point ourselves in one of life's many root directions. For many, college is simply an expensive extension of high school. It is hard to say if college is always the best choice. I promise that much more can be learned outside of a classroom then in one of disinterest. This just may be the pivotal point in the lives of the thousands who dislike their occupations. As Mark Twain put it best, "Never let schooling get in the way of your children's education." On the other hand, for those who have a genuine interest that can be nourished through higher education, college will be a very sound investment of time and money. For others, it takes time, thought, experimentation, and a unique path.

"Who would have advanced the most at the end of a month - the boy who had made his own jack-knife from the ore which he had dug and smelted, reading as much as would be necessary for this - or the boy who had attended the lectures on metallurgy at the Institute in the meanwhile, and had recieved a Roger's penknife from his father? Which would be most likely to cut his fingers?" -Henry David Thoreau, 'Walden'

It can also be said that money is the primary reason that most people go to college. We know from the start that a degree in something will mean a higher salary in almost any field. A higher income is a legitimate reason to seek higher education in today's world, and often the acquisition of higher knowledge is viewed only as a secondary benefit. Education may sometimes be uncomfortable, but it is the single most valuable use of one's time and energy - for the purpose of becoming smarter! The world needs educated people in each and every field of employment - from medical doctors to street sweepers. Everyone has the ability to teach. We should never stop being students. Read books; seek mentors; ask questions. If each and every person were to seek continual education in their field of interest and assume their natural niche, our society would operate more functionally and positively. When work is nothing more then renting our bodies and our minds out to fulfill self-meaningless tasks, it might as well be considered prostitution. Lastly, be creative! Creativity is often undervalued, but it is the driving force behind change.

So what about the guy who pumps port-a-potties, or the gas station cleaner? Surely there would be no-one to fill these positions if we were truly able to choose our profession. I have gathered a few thoughts on this from a couple different sources. Gandhi believed that in order to break down class prejudice, the most well-off and smartest people should be willing to undertake the most unwanted jobs. "This would remove class prejudice and raise work to being celebrated instead of despised. Somehow we must find a way to develop a society of people who refuse to live at the expense of others" (Coperthwaite). Bill Coperthwaite also believes that, since many of today's jobs require little experience, many may find interest in specializing in many different fields. Surely some would be willing to clean a gas station for the good of society if one month later they were doing something more favorable. The lesson here is that nobody should be above the greater good of society. We must work together, and find pleasure in helping others.

I was recently asked by my boss how I would define work. I have met few people who work as hard as he does (physically and otherwise), and until this conversation I suppose I assumed that he worked hard primarily to make money. Money is, after all, today's evil driving factor. I thought for a moment about the work that I had done over the past year. It turns out that I was putting words into his mouth when I concluded, proudly, that 'work is anything that one does for the ultimate betterment of others.' Work truly is anything other then blind entertainment. With this definition in mind, one soon realizes that money has little to do with work. The term "bread labor" refers to the simple bare bones labor that must be done for survival. The purpose of bread labor is to keep one's self healthy and fit so that we may go fourth to make society a better place. Work may be what you do for 40 hours a week to pay the mortgage, but work is also taking your kids to school. Work is cooking a nourishing dinner or taking the time to recycle. Work is absolutely everything that you do that has a direct roll in helping others. Clearly, work is anything BUT a selfish endeavor. If you made only $7,793.46 last year like I did, but spent a large amount of your time 'doing work' to help others like I did, you can feel good about your year! I helped my dad put an addition onto my parents' house. I spent the summer learning how to build sustainably and responsibly, and even taught others to do the same. I did very little for income, but I also did comparatively very little for my own selfish entertainment. True work should be celebrated, not assigned a false monetary value.

With all of this in mind, the following is Bill Coperthwaite's checklist for worth-while work:

Your work must:

-be physically and intellectually challenging,
-encourage creative thinking,
-advance the cause of a better world, and
-provide for basic needs.

If you can assign each of these values to your work, then you have achieved success in your chosen profession. Your mission is simply to continue to follow your desire to learn, to teach others as you go, and to continue to advance society in your own small but powerful way. If not, do not be afraid to seek change. Remember that the work that you do is so much more then how you earn an income. You do not need to be hired by an employer to do the work that you were meant to. Your wellbeing is everyone's wellbeing. Your success will be society's success. Your failure to live and work as happily as you deserve to will be everyone's loss.