Why work?

Tancred

I have an old school friend who has never had a proper job, despite getting AAB in his A levels. He is now 47 and has simply sponged off his parents for nearly 30 years. Now his parents are old and will not live for too much longer, meaning that he will be homeless once his brother and sister receive their inheritance. Then the bed of roses will turn into a bed of thorns.

Seabee42

1982 is that not around the time of Rab C Nesbitt.

If we have a society where people have nothing to gain by working is it any suprise that some choose not to?

System

I sometimes think about this. I always conclude that for me the overriding factor wouldn't be whether I work or not but rather whether I need to work or not. If finances allowed me to have the option, I would probably continue to work but take comfort from the fact I no longer need to work.

I can't imagine being healthy and not working though. I would at least do something.

Prothet_of_Doom

ihatemyhouse wrote: »

that's London, a well paid job down here is £7 an hour, most is NMW

Based on your post, I've just applied for a job, and the agency asked me what hourly rate I was looking for, so I added £7 an hour to my current rate. :beer: Here's hoping I get it.

I could have an extra 4 weeks off in the summer if I get an extra £7 an hour.

System

Yes, would still work if I won the lottery. I wouldn't continue where I currently work but I would definitely do something.

There might be a whole world out there but I doubt I would want to be there 365 days a year.

Gwhiz

The issue I have with the article is nicely summed up in these sentence about Bob, an accounts assistant. It states:

Article wrote:

"For six years he has worked faithfully for his employer, and for what?

The commuting is exhausting and he's already overdrawn at the bank. To live up to the image a young working man is required to present, he is forced to live beyond his means...

So why does he do it? He's not a fool, he's only like all the others on that morning train; he's a coward. The consequences of being a non-worker terrify him."

Firstly no-one is forced to live beyond their means. Some may choose to, but the age old adage of 'cutting your coat according to your cloth' comes to mind. But, if someone chooses to live 'outside' the system then fine BUT don't expect to then benefit from that system to the same extent as those contributing.

That system, let's call it 'society' is one of the reasons we work. Other reasons are self worth, satisfaction, material gain, the ability to help others, to name but a few.

The other issue is with the statement 'the consequences of being a non-worker would terrify'. I would argue that the person who is terrified is the one making this statement - terrified of actually having to do a hard days work.

I feel sorry for those that believe that their 'alternative' lifestyle is, in some way, honourable. They only lie to themselves in that they can never fully appreciate the reward for hard toil or the ability to contribute to society in some way.

As I said, let them feel free to walk in the sun but they should not expect me to protect them from the rain. And when it does rain, it will be they who are terrified.

lessonlearned

I know a couple of ex city bankers.

Both worked their socks off and by the time they were in their early 30's they were burnt out - a common phenomenon for city types. Neither of them knows the other.

Anyway they both chucked in their jobs and adopted frugal almost self-sufficient (as far as possible) lifestyles.

One remained in the UK, living in a modest suburban house, the other moved to Spain where he bought a ramshackle small holding. Neither have taken a penny from the State but survive on what they can make, swap or earn.

They do both work, often for free. They both make a little money from their hobbies. They both also operate a kind of barter system swapping their produce and skills for the skills or products of other similar like minded people.

Both of them are as busy as the day is long.

It works we'll for them but only because they had earned a large enough pile first, which they then invested in a home which was mortgage/rent free.

I think it is possible to live outside the margins of society and not claim from the State but you do need that little "nest egg" in the first place to get you started.

The options of acquiring that nest egg are limited, earning, winning, inheriting, marrying, stealing……..

For most of us it has to be the daily grind to pay the mortgage or rent, at least until we retire.

I am now officially retired but I "work" just as much as I ever did, only now I work at things I enjoy. I also get to chose my own hours - well I do have to fit work around my siestas….:rotfl:

Why do I continue to work - simple - I enjoy it - but only because I now have the luxury of being able to pick and choose what I do. In the past I had to do jobs which I loathed, thankfully those days are now over.

System

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

Fair enough. I wonder though how many London commuters, salesmen, manual workers etc would stick with the job. I should think the majority would want out.

Take Kittikatkat's recent babyboomer thread - there's a girl who would like a different lifestyle but knows she would have to make massive sacrifice to get it. The system has its trappings.

May be for some. But on the other hand plenty of rich people continue to work despite having more money than they would ever need. The owner of the company I work for was 72 yesterday and despite being embarrassingly rich, he still works.

sonastin

So what is the alternative to the trappings of the system we call society? When I boil it down, the only other option seems to be a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Pretty certain that involves a whole load of work. After all, there's 2 job-types in the name. do you want to be a hunter or a gatherer or both. Any other way means you are building on the work of others so unless you're totally selfish, you ought to be putting your share of the work back in.

If I acquired enough money to give up paid employment, I would do so in a heartbeat. But I would keep putting my bit back in - giving my time to others, spending my money where it keeps people employed. I wouldn't be taking out of the system because it would only be an option if I'd already acquired enough wealth to chose that option.

hazyjo

lessonlearned wrote: »

I know a couple of ex city bankers.

Both worked their socks off and by the time they were in their early 30's they were burnt out - a common phenomenon for city types. Neither of them knows the other.

Anyway they both chucked in their jobs and adopted frugal almost self-sufficient (as far as possible) lifestyles.

One remained in the UK, living in a modest suburban house, the other moved to Spain where he bought a ramshackle small holding. Neither have taken a penny from the State but survive on what they can make, swap or earn.

They do both work, often for free. They both make a little money from their hobbies. They both also operate a kind of barter system swapping their produce and skills for the skills or products of other similar like minded people.

Both of them are as busy as the day is long.

It works we'll for them but only because they had earned a large enough pile first, which they then invested in a home which was mortgage/rent free.

I think it is possible to live outside the margins of society and not claim from the State but you do need that little "nest egg" in the first place to get you started.

The options of acquiring that nest egg are limited, earning, winning, inheriting, marrying, stealing……..

For most of us it has to be the daily grind to pay the mortgage or rent, at least until we retire.

I am now officially retired but I "work" just as much as I ever did, only now I work at things I enjoy. I also get to chose my own hours - well I do have to fit work around my siestas….:rotfl:

Why do I continue to work - simple - I enjoy it - but only because I now have the luxury of being able to pick and choose what I do. In the past I had to do jobs which I loathed, thankfully those days are now over.

My BF was in that boat. Insurance broker in the City. Total breakdown. Won't go into the ins and outs, but he's now looking for part time work, just locally, probably shop-work. The thought of being in an office again terrifies him. He's quite creative, so I'm hoping he might find something he loves like customising vintage clothing or upcycling furniture (just the lack of room indoors that hinders that one!).

He's lost years of his life, and everything it contained. He's only just now starting to think positively. Right now, he's at mine (more 'our home' now) and doing EVERYTHING indoors. My house-husband. Weirdly, it's working very well and we're questioning if we need/want him to work at all. Do we need both of us out all day every day, leaving an empty house, both having to do chores and cook after flogging out guts out in jobs we probably both don't like, all for more money...

It's a very happy environment right now. He's 'dangerous' with money (he's bipolar). We are very content and very settled. Most of the house has been decorated, he's painted and wallpapered, was there for the builders every day when my kitchen was recently replaced, the cats get company all day and he does everything for them (feeds/litter/acts as personal slave), he cooks from scratch, the hoovering and dusting gets done, all the washing and ironing, everything in the garden, he makes my lunches and breakfast and a cuppa when I'm in the bath, he's there for deliveries. All I do is the shopping. It's made my life a whole lot easier. He never sits on his !!!! all day, he's always busy with something or other indoors. Today he's ironing all day with the TV on, but it's usually off 'til about 5pm. A rare treat for him.

You only get one shot at this life. Who's to say what's right or wrong for some people. At the moment it's working for us, but I think he's been 'healing' for the last 8 months or so since I bought the house. Bit of normality back in his life after many years of hell (some of his own doing, but that was as a result of breaking down and bipolar - all of which has been recognised but never really pointed out to him or treated/sorted properly).

I wish there was an option to claim £40 a week and never work. I do appreciate those people still expect to use libraries, hospitals, public services, etc, but maybe if they made it that you have to have earned X amount over X amount of years and paid tax, you're entitled to it at say 50 or so. My BF worked ridiculously hard for 25 years or so and paid a fortune in tax.

I'm sure it'd save money in the long run if some people could be 'written off' the system and just get a set amount per week.

Please don't shoot me lol!

Jx