America seems to have been
founded on the
protestant work ethic, then
cranked it up to even
higher levels. You're
judged on your
success with
work over everything else. We
lavish attention and
money on the
successes - the
CEO, the
doctor, the
athlete, the
movie star. But only the ones that do
glamourous things. The
scientist is lucky to get her
picture in a
newspaper article tucked back on
page 5. The
teacher has to
rely on
thanks from
students and
parents.
Education is great... as long as it's in preparation for a life of work. Education for it's own sake doesn't seem to be regarded as having value. And you only should be as smart as you need to be, anything more, and you're an outcast.
I worry that if we ever have the means to change things so that work is no longer necessary to live, that we can leave the realm of scarcity behind, that people will fight it. They're so dependent on working, on providing their own living, that they wouldn't accept a place where it wasn't necessary. That this work ethic would mean anyone not working would be a freeloader, a waste.
I would love a place where the only work I do is the stuff I want to do, when I want to do it. I must be the exception.