Working

Happy Thursday.

Just stumbled across a website called Quora the other day and it's pretty nifty. 

You ask questions and then give all these different sorts of people the opportunity to answer.  There's a point system or something but I don't care about all that.  I've just been playing with it.  Today I came across this question someone posed:

Why are so many people content with just earning a salary and working 9-6 their entire adult life?

I think it's a great question that, obviously, more people should be asking and debating.
394 others felt obligated to answer here:

https://www.quora.com/Why-are-so-many-people-content-with-just-earning-a-salary-and-working-9-6-their-entire-adult-life

I've read through a bunch of the answers and many good points are made.

It is certainly your choice how you want to live your life, that is true.  And all people have different desires, needs, and aptitudes for all the different career choices out there.  I have no problem with people doing what they see fit with their life.

But interestingly, the questioner hit a nerve here.  Many answers are angry or even indignant.  People who were offended by this question must have some sort of inner conflict, or else they would not have felt offended or compelled by anger to respond.


Here's my take:

Most people are generally lazy.  It's a fact.  And that includes myself.  I don't mean physically lazy, I mean mentally.  And if you do some research and reading about our culture you will quickly deduce, if you can be objective in your analysis, that culture is largely designed to keep our minds simple and ill-informed.

We are conditioned from birth to THINK INSIDE THE BOX.  Finding this out, of course, can be a tough pill to swallow.  It was for me in the beginning, but I've accepted the fact and I've moved on to constructive action regarding my lazy, indoctrinated mind.  I've studied and worked and explored and re-read and researched.  I know a lot about my mind now.  In many ways I'm a completely new person.  It's hard work.  And almost no one does it.

And I'm no better than anyone else.

So, what I have to tell you is good news.  There are alternatives to the status quo.  And YES we do need more people to seek out these alternatives.

Surely, there's nothing wrong with having the same job your whole life, nothing wrong with it at all, provided you're honest with yourself when you say you 'enjoy' it and you’re 'passionate' about it.

The point is: Your work IS the end and not simply the means to one.

Throughout my 38 years of life experience, seeing it from many sides, and many different types of employment, I think this question is about authenticity more than it is about your job. 

Are you honestly excited to do your work?  Are you passionate?  Or are you simply afraid.  It's okay if you’re afraid.  But to go through life pretending you're brave helps nothing and no one.

To be honest takes courage.  Courage takes heart.  

And if that answer upsets you, that's good.  It means it's working.