| Why do you work so hard? | |
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| Apr 1, 2008 02:57 |   |
 | Have you ever thought about this carefully? Everyday we get up early, work hard in the office and get back very late. Why do we work so hard, just for survival of living? Are there any factors that urge you to work hard? For a certain amount of people, they don't think about this seriously, just working, working and working. Many people around work very hard. However, they feel lonely and at a loss when getting back. Strange? Yes. But why?As Studs Terkel, Chicago-based writer, said:" Work is about a daily search for meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash . . . for a sort of life, rather than a Monday-to-Friday sort of dying." I guess this is the reason. They are Monday-to-Friday sorts of dying. My friends, why do you work so hard? If you don't know the reason, now it is time for you to think about this question seriously. |
| Apr 1, 2008 10:31 | #1 |
| Probably because I was raised to be a work-a-holic. At least I have a good spot to work from. ...and I hope I have enough money to take care of a wife.  |
| Apr 2, 2008 21:51 | #2 |
| Practical reasons: The money that I use to buy the food that I eat, to buy the clothes that I wear, to pay for the house that I am living in is from my own sweat and blood. No parent subsidy, no sugar daddy, no inheritance, no welfare, no freebies. On the other hand, I work hard but it doesn’t feel like it because I enjoy my work and I don’t work 12 hours a day. I liken it to my trips. I walk all day, I am tired and my feet hurt at the end of the day, but I am happy. ^_^ Maybe I work hard, but I play hard as well. ^_^ |
| Apr 3, 2008 08:58 | #3 |
| Why do I work so hard? I dont, who told you I did? Actually all joking aside I have just been made redundant this week and will need to look for another job. My last day of work is the day before I fly to China for my next trip, not ideal. But it will give me a chance to look for something different in my life. |
| Apr 3, 2008 14:43 | #4 |
| Jimmy. I too wonder why some people work so hard. Personally, I only work to get as much money as I need to support the lifestyle I desire. Luckily I am not a materialistic person, so I can live a fairly modest life, and be content. However, I know many people who have enough money to retire tomorrow (even though they are still fairly young), but they continue to work, often moaning about it. Some people need to work hard just to support a basic living, especially of they have dependents. What I think most people don't even consider, is the value of their time. Sure it is nice to have a new car/tv/house/computer/etc, but how many people consider the time they will have to work to earn the money to pay for it? Take a new car costing 150,000 Yuan - if a person earned 15,000 per month, then it is easy to do tha maths. However, if this same person spends 4000 Yuan per month on rent, 2000 on food, 1000 on clothes and other necessities, and 500 on transport, then their disposible income is only 7,500 Yuan per month. To buy the car now means working for almost 2 years. If someone offered you a "free" car but said you had to work hard for 2 years to qualify to get it, then it doesn't seem so appealing does it? Personally, I value my time far more than I value money. Each of us only has a limited time on this tiny planet, so why waste more than you need to working? When you die, you can't take money with you, so there's really not much point in having huge excesses of it. Of course, some people love their jobs, but I think most people who say this, only love elements of their jobs. They still have bad days, and still hate getting out of bed some mornings to go to work. I think that if you ever get to the stage where you don't want to jump out of bed to go to work, it is time to look for a new one. Unfortunately, some people don't have the luxury of this option, and that is another debate. I know many people who work hard every day, doing jobs they really don't enjoy (although they may have done at one time). They commute to work and home again on crowded busses or trains, and work in bad environments. The only reward they receive is money, and they say they are saving for their retirement. However, to me it seems really stupid to sacrifice the happiness of your working years in the hope that you will live long enough and be healthy enough to enjoy a happy retirement. Surely it makes more sense to enjoy your more youthful years? Then there is the element of competition. People love to compete with each other (especially friends and family), and prove to everyone how successful they have been. But why do these people measure success by wealth? Shouldn't we measure success by happiness? I'd rather die a happy man than a rich man. Money doesn't buy happiness, it merely pays for the search. |
| Apr 4, 2008 01:11 | #5 |
| Actually all joking aside I have just been made redundant this week and will need to look for another job. My last day of work is the day before I fly to China for my next trip, not ideal. But it will give me a chance to look for something different in my life. Hi Dave, sorry to hear that mate, not too much to worry about while you are in China then, I hope you find something soon. As for why I work so hard, well I wouldn't call it hard work in the first place, although I do 12 hours shifts it's not what I would call hard labour, I have done some of that on building sites where you can get your hands blistered etc, so compared to my working day now I have it quite cushy. Alan |
| Apr 5, 2008 04:21 | #6 |
| Baron, can't agree with you any more. I am also that kind of person who isn't materialistic. As long as my earning can support my family and meet my life style, that is ok. There are some people who often compare themselves with other people. Take this for example, if his neighbour gets a new car, he will feel uncomfortable and decide that he must have a car too. Really sad for these people. They should understand "you live for youself not for others". BTW, it reminds me of a conversation between a fisherman and a rich man. A fisherman enjoys the sunshine, lying on the beach. Then a millionaire comes by and asks:" why are you wasting your time on the beach? You should go fishing in the sea." The fisherman says:" Why should I go fishing in the sea?" The millionaire says:" If you can net more and more fishes in the sea and sell them out, then you will earn a huge amount of money. Thus, you can buy you a car and have your house." The fisherman says:" Why should I work hard to make money?" The millionaire says:" With much money, you can do whatever you want, for example, flying to Hawaii and enjoy the sunshine there." The fisherman says:" What am I doing now?" Then the millionaire leaves without saying a word. Have you learnt something for the story? |
| Apr 6, 2008 20:09 | #7 |
| As a Chinese saying goes, content is happiness (知足常乐). Learn to be content. Don't be a slave to life. Jimmyb, the story is very meaningful. |
| Apr 8, 2008 20:09 | #8 |
| Why do I work so hard? Competition in today's world is very fierce. If I don't work hard, I will be fired. "Work is about a daily search for meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash . . . for a sort of life, rather than a Monday-to-Friday sort of dying." There are still a large amount of people who work to make their living. If people can't have their basic needs satisfied, how can they search for recognition and meaning of life? |
| Apr 16, 2008 21:45 | #9 |
| I work for a living and I work hard for pursuing self-achievement despite that it’s nothing in others’ eyes. In my previous job, a female boss as a mentor lead me enter the door and a male boss gave me a thorough exam on if I was qualified. It was an unforgettable experience and has been a key chapter in my life book. Currently, I work with a small firm. Although the pay is not that high compared with the previous one, it further broadens my mind and deepens knowledge and besides my boss is certified professional and sets up a model I can follow. Working for materials is fundamental and working for sense of self-achievement is in higher spiritual level. The combination is the reason why I am working hard. |
| Jun 9, 2008 18:43 | #10 |
| I work hard because I make a quality product that I am proud to be associated with. My co-workers are nice and we can have conversations while we work. My pay is not very high but average for the kind of work I do. I work indoors and it is climate controlled - comfortable in the Summer or Winter. If my boss needs a favor, I would be glad to do what I can to help out. Payday is Thursday and on that day my boss hands me my paycheck. If I wanted I could have direct deposit - where my salary is automatically deposited into a bank account for me. I have several hobbies and a wonderful daughter to come home to. I have a wood frame 3-bedroom house with trees and a pond with fish and frogs in my back yard. I am one mile from a shopping center and the highway that takes me to work which is a 1/2 hour drive. I have worked hard ever since college and have no regrets. |
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