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area51newmexico
Goddess
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 10598
Location: East Yorkshire, England
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 Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject: Careers |
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When I was young and idealistic, I always believed that one's career was everything - it's who you are. People define others by what they do for a living. Many people we only see when they are working (e.g. actors, teachers, your work mates etc), thus it appears to define who they are.
So my question is, do people in general work for a living or live to work? After all it is an important and time consuming part of our lives but it isn't everything.
(I'm not sure if I've decided myself properly but I hope you understand my meaning)
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Lamiaceae
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:35 am Post subject: |
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I've never considered your career to be 'who you are' - well totally anyway. Defining people by what they do is merely pandering to a stereotype without getting to know the person.
When we were putting a new labelling system in at work, the guy who came to talk to me about how we were going to set it up, what we had and what we needed etc, he was very much like Erebus. He stood about 8ft 9in tall, probably weighed the same as a motorbike, had long black hair tied back in a pony tail and played WOW in his spare time, very much preferred to wear t-shirt and jeans.
Contrasted with my last boss, who was much more a suit and tie man, but like fishing and had many more out door pursuits.
You obviously take up a job because like you say, it's a big part of your life so it may as well be something you're interested in, but I want to do other jobs not just what I do now. I'd like to be a white van man, who are known to be quite aggressive and loud mouthed compared to what I am.
Living to work, sounds very depressing - the only reason why you exist is to serve someone else, make them money? - nah not a chance. I work to get money to allow me to do what I want to do.
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aalpha
Nicest Guy In The Universe/Site Admin
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 8399
Location: Where ever you need me I'll be there. Whatever you need done I'll do it. Made in the USA.
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| mintymetal wrote: | | Living to work, sounds very depressing - the only reason why you exist is to serve someone else, make them money? - nah not a chance. I work to get money to allow me to do what I want to do. |
As for serving someone else - going into your own business to get away from a boss is like joining the Army because you're tired of being told what to do and when to do it (usually by your parents). Anyone who has ever started their own business will tell you your bosses multiply like rabbits when you have customers to keep happy. And free time? -- only when you have to be hospitalized.
The best way to have the money you want and be free is to win a jackpot; if you call having relatives and mentors crawling out of the woodwork free.
Jog, eat yogurt, and die anyway.
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Lamiaceae
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| aalpha wrote: |
As for serving someone else - going into your own business to get away from a boss is like joining the Army because you're tired of being told what to do and when to do it (usually by your parents). Anyone who has ever started their own business will tell you your bosses multiply like rabbits when you have customers to keep happy. And free time? -- only when you have to be hospitalized.
The best way to have the money you want and be free is to win a jackpot; if you call having relatives and mentors crawling out of the woodwork free.
Jog, eat yogurt, and die anyway.
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That wasn't really the point I was making, though I understand what you are saying.
If you were 'living to work' that suggests the only reason why you live is to work. Which in my mind removes the image of doing other things when you're not at work.
Work to live however, conjures up the image of doing the necessary to enjoy other pursuits.
Hmm, your point that to be free you need to win the lottery may be 1 way of looking at it, you'd be free from having to work, but have you seen the film Fight Club? - (I can't really go much further as i'm going to end up talking about spoilers and stuff if you haven't)
This Mexican knows what i'm on about
An American tourist was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The tourist complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
The tourist then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."
The tourist then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."
The tourist scoffed, " I can help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you could run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
The tourist replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.
The tourist laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Or maybe I have got it wrong? - so very wrong that it would be pointless to explain it to me?
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area51newmexico
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Joined: 08 Jul 2005
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Location: East Yorkshire, England
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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I do agree with you Minty, that work isn't everything but it is rather important, you might as well try to enjoy it if you're gonna spend half of your waking life there.
Your Mexican joke reminds me of a quote I heard not long ago. (I've paraphrased it). You leave your house in the morning to pay for that very house. You go to work to pay for your car so you get to work. It's like a never ending circle of paying bills, going to work to pay those bills and creating more bills. Yes, you're right, it's like Fight Club.
Now, I'm not sure how to describe this but I was also thinking about what contact we have with other humans through their work. For example, the people who built, programmed, designed, marketed, distributed and sold this PC I'm on now, through what they produce and their work is the only contact I have with them. Thus meaning, depressingly, that all they mean to me is their job and economic output. Similarly the food I eat, my car, the clothes I wear, the services I use, the people "behind" all of this are only known for their work.
| Minty wrote: | | he was very much like Erebus. He stood about 8ft 9in tall, probably weighed the same as a motorbike, had long black hair tied back in a pony tail and played WOW in his spare time, very much preferred to wear t-shirt and jeans. |
Heheh he does sound like my kinda guy!
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Lamiaceae
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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| area51newmexico wrote: |
I do agree with you Minty, that work isn't everything but it is rather important, you might as well try to enjoy it if you're gonna spend half of your waking life there.
You leave your house in the morning to pay for that very house. You go to work to pay for your car so you get to work. It's like a never ending circle of paying bills, going to work to pay those bills and creating more bills. Yes, you're right, it's like Fight Club.
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A girl I used to work with decided she wanted to backpack round Australia, and so did for a year. Working here and there only earning enough to keep her going, she then moved on after a bit.
Another girl I know did the same for 6 months. Some other member of my family who is related but it's quite convoluted how, backpacked round the world, some of mum's friends, their children and their partners did the same. They've seen things, lived the life of travelling from place to place, never stopping seeing different things. I plan on doing something like that, perhaps in 3 or so years time, I blame watching The Littlest Hobo when I was young that style of life real appeals to me, the lyrics for the theme tune are quite good and descriptive of the lifestyle as well. I don't really have any ties here (need to pay off a debt, so i'm going to have to work for a while) but I don't have a house to pay for, I have friends and family yes, which I can stay in touch with through the net and the phone.
I would probably want to do it on my own though, last thing I want to bring along is someone who will naturally want to do their own thing, and if what they want to do and what I want to aren't going to work we'd end up being miserable and the whole thing would be slightly spoilt compared to what it could be of me just doing what I wanted to do.
Last place where I want to fall out with anyone would be in the middle of Alice Springs or somewhere as equally as desolate.
If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all who claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think everything you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told you should want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned...
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tafkao
Forum Overlord
Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Posts: 3946
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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I have no goals other than writing my books, as I can't afford to do anything else without extra income, so I'm currently living to work as well as working to live. Without that goal, I would have no future to anticipate and work toward, and even if I could face leaving my house often enough to work, no right-minded person would hire me with my history, so my options are limited.
How much living I get to do depends on how well sales do. I'm no JK Rowling, but if I can make enough to pay my bills I'll be satisfied. If I make enough to see my kids regularly, I'll be happy. If I make enough to buy non-bargain, non-essential things and travel abroad, I'll be over the moon. |
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TheBozzy
Regular Contributer
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 74
Location: Morganton, NC (USA)
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:53 am Post subject: |
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I voted work to live.
I chose it because lets say I was a cop, doesnt mean I couldnt go home and smoke a bowl of weed. (Just an example) Or because I worked for a beer company doesnt mean that I couldn't be a christian preacher. Although I'm thinking of a career in journalsm, I will still come home and write stories, ect. But that would just be my job really, when I come home, I'll give guitar lessons, or on weekends play gigs....Which playing guitar you really don't use journalist skills. Although I do like writing short articles, which is making a hobby into a carerr. Well It's like 11:00pm here and I have school tommorow and I'm tired...So I'm gonna get off here.
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I don't really know what this world is coming to, I think the world would be so much easier if we all were high, had long hair and beards, and lived in vans. That would be the life.
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area51newmexico
Goddess
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 10598
Location: East Yorkshire, England
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Ze Bozzy wrote: | | I chose it because lets say I was a cop, doesnt mean I couldnt go home and smoke a bowl of weed. |
Actually, I think with the police force, even when you're off duty you cannot use illegal drugs. UK coppers are subject to random drug & alcohol tests and will be dismissed if found to have anything in their system. (Just spoken with my dad who works for the police and he confirms this). Kinda buggers up one's social life.
Good luck with your journalism career  Please feel free to post your articles & short stories here.
Ok another related thought, would you go out a bignightout, get really really drunk if you knew you had to get up early for work/school the next day? If you say no (which I probably would too, unless it was a special occasion) that does suggest that work is controlling your life but if you yes then you're mental! Not that I'm boring of course, I used to work Sundays in a cafe and I still used to go out most Saturdays. I was absolutely knackered all day but it was fun.
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whufc88
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Joined: 22 Jul 2005
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Location: Calafell, Spain
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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i will tell you when my employer stops fucking around with my contract and actually delivers my first "overdue" paycheck which should hopefully be backdated with the other months wages that im due as well! 
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TheBozzy
Regular Contributer
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
Posts: 74
Location: Morganton, NC (USA)
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| area51newmexico wrote: |
Ok another related thought, would you go out a bignightout, get really really drunk if you knew you had to get up early for work/school the next day? If you say no (which I probably would too, unless it was a special occasion) that does suggest that work is controlling your life but if you yes then you're mental! Not that I'm boring of course, I used to work Sundays in a cafe and I still used to go out most Saturdays. I was absolutely knackered all day but it was fun. |
Nahh. Honestly, I'm not that kinda of person. Unless, it was a special occasion.
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I don't really know what this world is coming to, I think the world would be so much easier if we all were high, had long hair and beards, and lived in vans. That would be the life.
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area51newmexico
Goddess
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Posts: 10598
Location: East Yorkshire, England
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| whufc88 wrote: | | i will tell you when my employer stops fucking around with my contract and actually delivers my first "overdue" paycheck which should hopefully be backdated with the other months wages that im due as well! |
I know a good employment lawyer if you fancy suing (No seriously, I do) Did you mention to your employer that you're a Law undergraduate? What job are you doing?
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Lamiaceae
Site Administrator
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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| area51newmexico wrote: |
I know a good employment lawyer if you fancy suing (No seriously, I do) |
She does as well...
As for the big nights out with work next day. I've done this once, and once only. I felt sooooo ill at work I felt like I was going to be ill so many times. Never did it again.
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