Why do we waste nearly all our lives at work when life is short?

Question

Why do the majority waste nearly all their lives doing work they dont enjoy at the behest of the state just to generate small amounts of revenue, when we could find other ways of being self sufficient, freeing up more social time to help bond communities, instead of perpetuating social isolation and cliques as a result of demanding working hours.

Answer 1

Well um, it takes money to feed and clothe and house ourselves. You need money for healthcare and medications and even for schooling. If we didnt work to generate money to support our needs we would all just be wastelands.

Answer 2

Because the days of the 60's where people used to go to shops and get free clothes and people handing out food and acid is over.
It takes two peoples income in order to survive now. Whether you live in the projects, or in a upper middle class family home and no matter how much you make there never seems to be enough.

If all you want to do is eat and have a place to sleep and wash up, sure! You could do it on a 10-20hr week job. but trends change and in the US, everything is commercial. Have to get this, have to drive that, must wear this, if you don't, you get looks, or worse, sneers. So peer pressure from the media and advertising marches us along cause your kids will be ridiculed if he/she doesn't have the $150.00 pair of P.O.S. shoes, or the L.L.Bean Jacket and matching backpack. If you wont follow the trend, the kids will and after a while, you will surcumb (sp) to its pressure. Marketing depends on it. Do you really need a Hummer? Hell no. But yet when you see someone driving one you say "they've got bucks to burn" and whether you are disgusted or jealous, you long to have the luxury of being able to maybe someday do that. Thus thats why people max out their credit cards.... Any way its the media, marketing, advertising, meat market that makes us go to work besides the bare essentials: Shelter, Food, Health.

Oh and status as well

Answer 3

I wouldn't say we wast nearly all our lives at work. Figure it out: 40 hour week, 48 weeks a year (taking away public holidays and annual leave), for 47 years (18 to 65). That's about 12.9% of your lifetime at work.

Sleep on the other hand, works out to about 30% of your life. So from that point of view, you sleep more than twice the amount of time you spend at work.

What you do with the remaining 57.1% of your time is up to you. Ok, so there's the little issue of school and stuff.

You could just work for yourself and be self sufficient, but you might just find that is more time consuming. Ask a farmer, how many hours a week does he spend working?

Answer 4

There is no reason to do work you don't enjoy. You have two choices:

1) Find work you enjoy.
2) Enjoy the work you are doing.

People who don't enjoy their work don't know how to live. They don't understand what life is really about. They do not realize that they are the ones who determine what their life is and how it will be. They think the world is something that exists outside of them and determines who they are. Once they realize that the world is inside their own mind, then their problems are over.

Answer 5

Hello? Utopia exists only in certain twisted optimistic minds. If you don't like your job, find or create another one that you do like. I happen to look forward to going to work as many, if not most, do. To get paid to do it is icing on the cake. Would I work for free? Probably not as I need food and shelter just like anybody else.... 'nuff said?

Wow! Hey Dr. Hand... did you read Dr Burns' "The Feeling Good Handbook" also? You are very well informed... I'm duly impressed!

Answer 6

You know I ask myself this question at least once a week. I have serious existensial (sp ) issues. I still cannot answer. I am totally baffled by the world sometimes and fiind the whole idea of live to workl work to live totally ridiculous..but still do it. This frustrates me.. I dont have the answer..all I know is that parents, society and the media conspire together to perpetuate the myth that is consumerism and society

Answer 7

Man we think along the same lines. I wish I knew. I would be happy though if we don't have to work anymore and live in a utopian world. But, things are as they are. We got to work because there aint nobody there whos gonna do it fer us. No robots or stuff. Mind you, they still haven't figured out A.I. Once they have, they may be able to make robots to do our work for us. But THEN - the robots would rebel. Or, they may be just to expensive. THEN the human race would be subjugated by robots.

Answer 8

I have been asking this question since I was five.

Unfortunately, those other ways of being self-sufficient require just as much effort as working in an organized, institutional environment.

Answer 9

Here is my solution to this problem..

Let everyone that wants to work work. Those that do not want to work, do not have to work. They can sleep where ever they can and eat what ever they can find. They are not to be given any medical, food, shelter, transportation... NOTHING..

Course, right now, this is somewhat true if you are of the right
ethnic background.. You can get your food stamps, ssi, and housing.. This person does not have to work.. Oh well.

Have a good day.

Answer 10

Same reason we spend hours answering questions in total physical isolation from each other.

naaaaaaaaa

Actually, it's because Adam and Eve sinned, and God told Adam that from then on, the soil would be difficult to work with little return.

God is no liar.

Answer 11

simple, life is for enjoying and maintaing a healthy living. But u need money 2 do that and so u need to work to gain that money, unless u want 2 turn to crime and drugs