Can't say I miss the negatives -- alarm clock, monotony, workplace politics -- but there is value in the structure, discipline, social interaction, variety, and satisfaction of accomplishment in work.
Would we value what we have if it was bestowed without effort? Would we ever feel independent or secure? Would we become lazy, complacent, dissatisfied, greedy, anxious, neurotic?
an interesting thread on remote working
@giovanni that was an interesting read. I feel sorry for commercial real estate peeps.
People want to be able to follow their calling, not necessarily not "work." @elsa mentioned studying. Is this not an emotionally and mentally enriching pastime? If a horrible job is sucking away all your time and energy and you can't even make ends meet, how are you meant to pursue your calling as well?
I still believe in doing meaningful work, but there are lots of horrible jobs out there which our society demands exists (call centers, factory workers, etc). People were able to take a break from it when the pandemic hit. It doesn't surprise me that they don't want to do it anymore, when it doesn't even give them a good quality of life.
On average I talk to one client a day, facing the possibility of losing their job if they don't comply. These are people medical or teaching professions, in most cases.
People with these skills will be able to work on the black market.
I also see people who want to drop health insurance since they can't utilize it.
Wow, so much to say on this. Death of work - maybe death of types of work too. How we work. What we work for - types of currency. (Kind of rambling my thoughts there.)
I'll speak for my husband - we're losing money right now, and 10th house Virgo that he is, he's not taking that lying down. He has worked slowly, steadily and precisely to get to where he is and the possibility of losing it, and the security it provides, is really upsetting.
He just earned himself $25, and when I commented that he seemed to be working awfully hard for that amount, he said "when you're losing $x/month, you'll take it where you can get it." Testament to his willingness to work hard in whatever way, whatever the circumstances.
I see the wheels turning in his head all day everyday. How will we get what we need? How will we feed our children? Keep the roof over our head? It might take a different kind of work. For example, he's constantly on the lookout for certain items we need that people give away because they're inconvenient to dispose of. So he goes and picks them up, and we utilize them. I count that as work, but it's different from the usual. It saves us an awful lot of money.
Going forward I have to wonder if he's being led somewhere else, to a different line of work. We'll see. He hasn't had to hustle like this since I've known him.
As for me, I hate work unless it's something that I feel truly provides value so hopefully I'll be able to continue the line of "work" I find myself in right now all the way to it's conclusion. Luckily I married a very practical man or I'd not have this hope!
Many people have done extremely well in salvage and resale. Old houses being demolished or rehabbed can yield vintage doors, windows, mantels, beams, hardware, fixtures, woodwork, etc. sought after by others who are restoring their old houses.
Running an add for attic and garage cleanouts can earn a fee and/or antiques, collectibles, scrap iron. Most local landfills have a section for reusable items. Thrift shops often give away old unsold stock. Used and vintage books, magazines, movies, records, cds, games, toys, repair manuals, auto and appliance parts can be sold online.
Being able to repair or restore found treasures maximizes profit. Go for it!