Among false slogans, none can beat the one wrought in ornamental iron over the gates of Auschwitz: “Work Makes You Free.” It was the first thing that slave laborers saw as they entered the death camp. Once inside, a million of them died from starvation, exhaustion, and in the furnaces.
Despite that dramatic lesson, workaholism reigns as our nation’s worst addiction. The Center for Work-Life Policy reports that 45 percent of U.S. executives not only work more than 60 hours a week but meet at least five other criteria, such as being on-call 24 hours a day, meeting changing deadlines, and responding to demands across several time zones.
In the past, such workers were known as “wage slaves.” Today, they employ euphemisms to justify their addiction to work, explaining themselves as “ambitious,” “driven,” and “energetic.”
Ironically, as addictions go, workaholism is still considered by many to be virtuous. Two-thirds of Americans claim they love their jobs. Job satisfaction rises to 76 percent world-wide.
But the costs are severe and unsustainable. Two-thirds of executives complain that they get too little sleep. They admit to overeating and drinking, and neglecting exercise.
Is it just me, or is there anyone else reading this who finds the comparison between self-inflicted overwork and a notorious slave labor camp offensive and ill-considered?
I don’t think it was a comparison, the Auschwitz statement was a “hook” to get the person into the article and then talk about the “virtue” of neglecting almost everything else for work.
I do enjoy my job. I like what I do and the people with whom I do it. However, I am also conscious of the boundries that need to exist between work and family and ministry. Work pays the bills and brings me some intellectual and emotional satisfaction. But it is not the most important thing.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
I like the bumber sticker:
Hard work never killed anyone….
but why take a chance?
er, make that “bum[b]p[/b]er sticker”. %-P
The other one I like
No one ever said on their deathbed
“I wish I’d spent more time at work.”
Philip: You’re quite correct–“comparison” wasn’t the right word. I understand the use of a hook (hey, I’m a preacher!), but this one just seemed way off base.
David,
I agree that the hook was somewhat inappropriate. However, we have a glorified vision of work among many in our society. They truly believe that works makes you better and prosperous. The problem is that they are right – to a certain extent. Work keeps me free from debt and has provided a good life for me an my family. However, overwork or money as a goal is just like any other addiction that will ruin families and relationships.
One of the movies I like is Dead Poets Society. While it shows the “good” ideas of the teacher being overplayed by the students, there is one line I like. It goes something like this: “Commerce, medicine, law – these are good and noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, love, beauty – these are what we live for.” (not a direct quote).
Working is necessary to life. It builds character and is necessary to build and maintian community. But relationship, community, family, love, faith – these are what we live for. They are what make work worth it. Working to acquire “more” is a drug that will take larger and larger doses to sate our appetite for more. Things will never make us happy. Our society tries to get us to buy things to make us happy and then it tries to get us to spend time with these things to make them make us happy. It will never work. In the long run, it will be just like alcohol’s ability to make us happy. It seems to work at first, but then it destroys us. Only God can truly make us happy.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Our greatgrandfathers worked 60 hours a week. The average workweek today is 35 hours. Consider it took all day to do a week’s laundry.
Americans overworking? Bunk. Ask a Sri Lankan fisherman how many hours a day he works.
As with the bumper stickers, we have a plaque at home that says “The best things in life aren’t things”. It helps me to try & keep this in mind.
My father spent years working long hours, travelling somtimes three weeks a month, when home he was short tempered, impatient, mentally abusive, and sometimes physically abusive. He was not that way before he began to work like that (not to put food on the table I should ad, but for advancement, he could have supported the family perfectly well had he never advanced further). When he lost his position witht he company years later he started from scratch, working even more. Leaving the house by 5:00 am not home till 10:00 pm frequently. There was a direct relationship between his over work, and his failures as a father and husband. Years later his workload dropped considerably. As he worked fewer hours everything began to change at home. By this time it was largely too late, I had long ago left, and my younger sister had run awy at age 16, unable to take it any more (She finished high school by herself, taking a bus for over two hours each way, for which she deserves unbelievable credit), I instead allowed my life to fall apart, in and out of school, in and out of work — no one’s fault but my own, we are not solely what our parents make us. When I became a father I decided that I would NEVER allow this to happen. I make enough, my wife makes enough, would we have more material comforts if we worked more.. certainly. Would I be as good a father, and as happy a man? certainly not. My time belongs to my family. I will sell as much of it as I have to to support my life with them, and not one minute more. When my son goes to preschool he is taken by me at arround 9:30. When my wife (the education directer there) gets of work at 2:30 she brings him home. I usually arrive home just as they do. Our time is togerther form then till he goes to bed, when I do what necessary paperwork, and photo processing/ digital processing is necessary. I have never regretted the lost income. I regret every minute I am not with my son, and my wife.