|
Achieving happiness and total fulfillment is a coveted but
elusive state that requires more than just a balance between work and play, as
the traditional ideal put forward to young people has suggested. While mankind
has a built-in instinct for work, there are other equally powerful instincts in
the human makeup that contribute to a fulfilling life. These include the desire
to form life-long emotional attachments, the instinct to start a family, the
making of friendships, and the search for a fulfilling occupation.
Even in countries where a privileged few are born into possessions, money, and
position, it is noticeable that these people generally find some worthwhile
occupation. This indicates that to follow some kind of occupation, whether
useful or not, is a genuine instinct. History supports this view, and literature
has produced many sayings expressing the value, and perhaps the necessity of
work.
For most of us, work is both a necessity and a source of fulfillment. We need a
regular income, just as our country needs part of the wealth we create and claim
through taxation. The fulfillment of the instincts mentioned above cannot be
achieved without money. The right use of money is of course important, and to
live below one's income is more likely to lead to happiness than living above
it.
The definition of work is wide, ranging from manual labor to the highest forms
of intellectual activity. Not all of us are suited to every kind of work.
However, the worthwhile student spends their early years developing the skills
which will lead to gainful employment, not to amass money for its own sake, but
for what money can do. As life goes on, money becomes less important, though it
only assumes importance when one has too little of it.
During the current worldwide trade recession, the sad problem many people have
to face is unemployment or redundancy. The fact that lack of work is so
frustrating highlights the motivations for work already mentioned. Some
countries have training and re-training schemes to prepare their workforces for
the end of the recession.
It is essential not to overlook the dangers of work. It is possible to be so
obsessed with work that other highly important human considerations are
neglected, with disastrous results. The 'workaholic' neglects their family,
which may lead to separation, divorce, and problems with growing children, not
to mention damage to human relations generally. Therefore, it is crucial to
handle the expression of the human instinct to work wisely.
In conclusion, work is an essential aspect of life that contributes to
fulfilling our human instincts. However, it is essential to strike a balance and
not neglect other vital human considerations, such as emotional attachment and
the making of friendships. Only then can we achieve true fulfillment and
happiness in life. |
