How is it that jobs take away compassion and empathy?

Question

This is exactly why I never want a job. "Be here by this hour" "do this by that hour"
Money money money money
Then they start treating their loved ones (Wife, husband, friends, etc) like they were nothing but things, this is especially a big problem with husbands towards wifes.
Even the nicest people worry more about their money, cars, etc.

Who invented this way of life? And why?
Howcome we can't just cooperate with eachother rather than letting a higher order control our lives?
Why dont we value inner peace instead of materialistic possessions? Hasn't a lack of inner peace destroyed a large portion of the world?
I know darwanism talks about how all humans are savages with no feelings. If all humans are like that, then why was anarchism and communism invented?
Howcome very few of us humans, especially young ones are capable of living peacefully without authority, and why are these few people frowned apon?

For those of you that think I'm 55, I'm not. I'm actually 17.

Answer 1

Most people wouldn't think that you're 55 -- because older people have already adapted to the lack of compassion -- younger people often have trouble dealing with it, though.

It's possible to value inner peace instead of material possessions, but it's important, too -- to be able to meet the basic necessities of life -- like housing, food, water . . . transportation to and from work so that those needs can be met -- and social interaction.

Just because we have to work doesn't mean that we have to neglect those who are important to us, nor does it mean that we have to be money-hungry.

I am a nursing assistant -- I'm about 2 legal classes away from graduating with a degree as a paralegal. In my current job, if I'm late, people suffer -- if I'm late, there is potential that somebody will die because of my negligence. I work in the lowest paying nursing home in my town -- because it has few patients, and it's like a home.

When I go to work, I am on time, and I am diligent in my duties -- if I weren't, people would suffer, infections would spread, and people could die . . . I've seen it happen before. I am desensitized to seeing the disease processes, and watching people die -- because I've been doing it for six years . . . it's nearly impossible to take care of 2 or 3 people for a year, watch them die, and remain emotionally stable enough to be dependable for the other patients -- unless you harden yourself to that reality.

I leave that at work, though. When I go home, I am loving and compassionate. My partner often comments to that affect. I spend as much time with my family as I possibly can -- and I make what time I have with them quality time -- because I'm a busy person . . . between school, family, and work.

Still, I'm a peaceful person. I am content with my life, I'm happy to be in school, I'm happy with my career path -- where I will eventually work as a therapist / independent social worker . . . I'm happy with the steps I'm taking to get there . . . and I'm happy with the time I'm able to spend with my patients, my family, and myself.

To be so inexperienced in the working world, and so bitter toward it -- it makes me wonder what kind of environment you've grown up in.

To be happy, healthy, adults -- we have to find a compromise between our wants and our needs. We need groceries, water, and a house . . . we need social interaction -- having a job provides all of those things for us.

If there is a more symbiotic relationship than that . . . a more peaceful one . . . I've not found it.

Answer 2

Quite the contrary. Working gives compassion and empathy.

How can you possibly feel compassion and empathy (knowledge of what others are going through) if you don't experience what they do!? A lot of adults work 40+ hours a week. How can you possibly have empathy towards them if you've never worked? People treating others like possesions is NOT a result of working, rather it is a result of insecurity or desire for power. They wish to own people so they won't do what they don't want them to do, or to make them help you incase you get in trouble.

No ONE invented this way of life. Rather it evolved from time. If you knew ANYTHING about history and economy, you would know how it was brought about. From the nomads, to farming, to specialists, to money, to mass production.

Having "bosses" or w/e is a sort of co-operation.

Inner peace is something to be obtained, materialistic possessions are things to be obtained. They are no different, they are things that can be obtained. Why do you think you are right? Do you even HAVE inner peace? If you do, well there must be atleast some disturbance (you can tell by your question), which means you don't. And if you don't, how can you EVER say if it is more or less valuably than ANY OTHER THING? That is like me saying that the water in the Pacific Ocean feels better (texture wise) than the Atlantic.... Even thoiugh i've never BEEN in the Pacific Ocean. Also to value inner peace is to no obtain inner peace. How can you obtain inner peace by striving for it? Inner peace isn't an ACTIVE process which requires value and attempt in order to achieve, instead it is PASSIVE you LET it happen, you don't have to DO ANYTHING, just LET it happen.

THe world is not destroyed -.- Please, stop thinking pessimisticly. You obviously don't have peace. If you have peace, why do you think everything is destroyed and wrong? Anyone at peace would like everything the way it currently is.

No feelings? LOL! Omg, nice one. Then what are our feelings of "love, hate, sarrow, ect."? Also a savage is normaly depicted as an uncivilized person who DOES THINGS BECAUSE OF THEIR EMOTIONS/FEELINGS without regards to "logic."

-.- Lol, again more incorrect observations. Everyone has the potential to live peacefully without authority. Freedom is not freedom unless you have the freedom to restrain it. So by giving others some authority, they don't have to make all the decisions themselves.

Those people are not frowned apoun, i have no idea where you got that from. In fact, most eastern religions/philosophies ADVOCATE doing just that. How can you ADVOCATE something then frown apon it:? Please, EXPERIENCE the world before you come here and rant about it. Just because someone says something about hte world doesn't mean it's true or the whole story.

No one cares about your age -.- If anythign it just says that you havn't fully experienced reality/life.

Answer 3

Believe me, I can tell that you're 17. We can't attain inner peace without a home, food, medical care, etc., so a job is pretty much necessary, unless you want to be a dead weight on society while you go "find yourself." Most people work just to earn a paycheck, but most do it so they can care for the ones they love, too. Many do what they do because they love it. My father is a multi-millionaire (HIS money, not mine, so no cracks), and he swears he'll die at the drafting table and never retire, because it's what he's good at, and what he loves to do.

I've never heard Darwinism referred to as a theory that teaches that we are all savages, either. Maybe anarchism was invented by people who didn't want to be bound by society's rules, which sounds more like savagery to me than Darwinism. And I don't think we are all savages--we work best in groups, whether we're talking about huge societies or small families. And that requires some ability to function in groups, no matter what.

Answer 4

The work world as we know it is a spin-off of the capitalist mentality where money is everything and a person's worth is judged by how much money they have. This in turn breeds unbridled competition to aquire ever more goods and money. In turn this results in the sort of cut throat attitudes you find in industrialized societies throughout the world. In the capitalist system, having enough is never enough.
Historically, this is a fairly recent development. It wasn't always like it is.
However, there are jobs you can do where comapassion and empathy are still very much valued. Like social work and other types of human services professions - like psychologist for example. Then, there is also jobs in ministry if you are relgiously oriented - compassion and empathy are valued there too.

Answer 5

If one reasons, then one could conclude that the laws of nature uphold the design of all creatures to sustain the life of their species and also maintain the environment from which they take life.

Humans are not subjected to the laws of nature. We stand alone from all other genuses in our ability to consciously rebel against any law we so choose. We have, because of our corruption, chosen to not be as other creatures, and have come to live contrary to the laws of nature. A human infant cannot survive because it isn't instinctually motivated. There are two simple differences that set the human species apart from the rest of the animal kingdom--self-awareness and the ability to reason. This self-awareness and the ability to reason can appropriately be call "selfishness." Humans are the only purely selfish creatures in nature. Material possessions become a distinction of class and prestige. Distinctions of accumulation of knowledge set other individuals apart from their conterparts. Adornments of jewelery, clothing, and styles of hair etc. also set individuals against the whole.

What you are experiencing, Thorn, is that the value of our "self" has been compromised, and there is no longer balance. Balance is happiness, imbalance is unhappiness. A book I've read recently, and one that can be downloaded for free, is 666 The Mark of America, Seat of the Beast. It describes how our monetary system has made us slaves to an illusion of freedom. I think the freedom your soul is looking for is the freedom that would set you free rather than enslave you to the traditions of man to this point in time.

Good luck in your searching, you've asked some heartfelt questions that this book can answer for you if you have the courage to read it. There is another site that shows how we as a world could give everyone the basic life sustaining needs and would end poverty and inequality. Please visit these sites.

Answer 6

ALL (every one) of your questions and concerns are Answered in a book titled 666 The Mark of America Seat of the Beast.

You are Not Alone, even at your young age, in these thoughts and the TRUTH is available to you to help you find the peace and balance you seek, it is truly what all people seek and cannot find in the world as it is.

It is not a book of religion as the title might suggest, but in fact a book to help you make COMMON SENSE of your existence here on earth.

You can read excerpts from the book for free at:

http://666america.com

then visit and learn of the peaceable plan for our Worldwide at:

http://wwunited.org

My best to you young friend :-)

Answer 7

of course. more teenagers are worried about this than adults do, reason being

1. adults are used to this lifestyle

2. teenagers have less responsibility and more free time to worry about stuff like this

once you get used to society you would stop asking this sort of questions and treat it like a matter-of-fact thing. think about this in a more fantasy way, and you can imagine we are slaves to a demon called government. We have no way of freeing ourselves except to wait for someone to rescue us, which will not happen as heros like such do not exist in reality. We work hard for this 'demon' so that we get more benifits out of it. Perhaps you have seen it in comics or fiction novels, that higher ranking devils have lesser humanity in them..

Answer 8

I think it also comes from any kind of service. I used to wait tables and make people their coffee and not Im a social worker and its all the same "Next!!!" mentality.
It stems from treating people like numbers, it is dehumanizing not only to them but your concept of love, self, and family. (For not only do you start treating others like this, but you yourself get treated like this in public constantly.)
I dont know who proposed the "ants in the ant farm" mentality, but it is very very draining.
I understand your angst.

Answer 9

jobs persuade us to make an excuse rather than tell the truth, because the truth will get us fired. I'm with you brotha, here's to another day without work to do.

Answer 10

Its business not personal....Jobs/ Careers, should never have empathy or compassion...its all about the bottom line..

Now If own my own game, I would have compassion and I would treat my employees better than their spouses...Why?
I believe that the beet you treat your people the better they will work fo you....