• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The value of work

Styleman

In Time Out
Timed Out
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
362
Reaction score
0
I wanted to let Ambulance Chaser take the credit for the improved poll, but it seems that he is not going to make the poll, so I guess I will just say it, this poll is the work of AC, for I question I wished to ask. From the old poll: For thoses who don't have a clue what I am on about see this thread:HERE Lets try and keep things cool this time though - if someone says something you do not agree with, just live with it, that is what the above poll is for.
 

faustian bargain

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
2,444
Reaction score
2
it's a toughie, for me. if i were independently wealthy, i would definitely say that work would be solely something i do because of its intrinsic value.

however i *have* to work for a living, so i have made compromises that i struggle with all the time, in my mind.

in my view it takes no small amount of courage to work without significant regard to the money being paid, especially if you have a family counting on you to help support them.

sadly, i wish i knew more people who love their work.

/andrew - hasn't decided yet which choice to take in this poll
 

Styleman

In Time Out
Timed Out
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
362
Reaction score
0
it's a toughie, for me. if i were independently wealthy, i would definitely say that work would be solely something i do because of its intrinsic value.

however i *have* to work for a living, so i have made compromises that i struggle with all the time, in my mind.

in my view it takes no small amount of courage to work without significant regard to the money being paid, especially if you have a family counting on you to help support them.

sadly, i wish i knew more people who love their work.

/andrew - hasn't decided yet which choice to take in this poll
Well that is a good point, it is very hard to decide on one over another, because it could be a combination of both.

In truth, I agree with neither, I feel that it is always wrong to be not working, and be on the dole, but I would put money as the most important factor.
 

drizzt3117

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
13,040
Reaction score
14
I think there are other things to consider besides those two points but would lean towards position 2, if I had to make a choice, as I work despite not really having to do so for monetary purposes, but do things that I believe in and are interesting to me.
 

Kai

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
3,137
Reaction score
806
Personally, I would take the meanest nastiest job rather than rely on the largesse of the Government or some other person to take care of me and my family. A guy I know sits at home, unemployed, because he won't take a job that is "beneath him." He's been doing this for about 2 years now, because he can't find a job in his field. His wife works part time, and goes to the blood bank and sells her blood for money so she can support their family. I find it unbelievable that a man could allow such a thing. I would shovel sewage in a toxic waste dump before I allowed such a thing to happen to my family.

My mother got me my very first job when I was in 2nd grade. I worked in a Florsheim shoe store on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sweeping, cleaning, polishing, etc. I've had some sort of job (paper routes, retail, etc.) almost continuously ever since.

I've had some really bad jobs in my life. Some of the worst were:

Installing insulation in commercial buildings in the Arizona heat;
Cleaning unbelievably foul restrooms and showers and collecting garbage at a state park;
Working on a landscaping crew;
Laying asphalt and surfacing tennis courts and tracks;
Putting up miles and miles of barbed wire fence.
Dismantling old airplane hangers in the middle of a swamp.

All of these jobs paid very little. However, they gave me money, a sense of self-reliance, confidence, and a strong desire to go to school and get a job that was more rewarding.

The ability and willingness to work is, in my opinion, important whether you need the money or not. Even though I now have the ability to give my children everything they want, I make them get jobs and pay for things themselves. I want them to have pride in their accomplishments, and it means more if you have earned something yourself, rather than having it given to you.
However, I also see nothing wrong with working your way into a job you enjoy, and then taking a well-deserved retirement. I hope to retire early. However, I would also like to have a second career as a teacher or perhaps a prosecutor. These are both honorable professions that I chose not to pursue because of financial reasons. I haven't given up on them entirely, however.

One recent anecdote regarding work:

My son and I drove by a crew of men, trying to repair a broken water line. They were knee deep in mud, digging, sweating, clearly not having fun. My son said, "They must be getting paid lots and lots of money because the work they do is so hard." I let him in on the truth that the more fun your job is, the more money you make, and that the nastiest and least fun jobs get paid the least.
 

Kai

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
3,137
Reaction score
806
Dismantling old airplane hangers in the middle of a swamp.
Middle of a swamp? Quite. I have a distinct penchant for obscure abandoned buildings.
Yes. Big metal girder framed hangers. We would climb up, unscrew (or chisel, if they were fused) the fasteners apart, dismantling it from the top down, and then drag the metal onto a truck for salvage. In about a foot of stagnant, standing water. Think mosquitos, think Virginia in the Summer time, think 90 degrees, sun, and high humidity. I was 15 years old, and was getting paid about $30 per day.
 

vero_group

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2003
Messages
471
Reaction score
0
Kai, I have nothing but respect for all the hard work you've done.

That is another thing one can get from work: respect. Your friend who is sitting around making excuses for himself and allowing his wife to sell her body fluids for money needs to get over himself, act like a real man, and get to work.
 

Steve B.

Go Spurs Go
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
10,286
Reaction score
134
Nice to know the ruling class has completely brainwashed the proletariat...
 

vero_group

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2003
Messages
471
Reaction score
0
Steve, you live in San Antonio??? I didn't think there were any liberals in San Antonio, TX.
 

Mike C.

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
1,518
Reaction score
7
Steve, you live in San Antonio??? I didn't think there were any liberals in San Antonio, TX.
I'm sure Steve moved to TX to follow in the footsteps of his idol... George Dubya.
 

Steve B.

Go Spurs Go
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
10,286
Reaction score
134
Logan: Yeah- they're a few and I'm starting a movement to import more from Austin. Mike: Was thinking of hiking out to Crawford and chaining myself to the gates of the ranch, but I don't think my kids would like bailing me out of jail. I have a conservative(?&#33
wink.gif
client from the Bay Area who thinks I'll meet with vigilante justice, so I'm trying to keep a low profile.
 

jharrison

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2002
Messages
103
Reaction score
1
Kai, I have nothing but respect for all the hard work you've done. That is another thing one can get from work: respect. Your friend who is sitting around making excuses for himself and allowing his wife to sell her body fluids for money needs to get over himself, act like a real man, and get to work.
Ditto. Now Steve, I would sincerely appreciate it if you would clarify and expand upon what you said. Certainly you can't support the bum that Kai described, but what do you suggest? Please understand that I'm really trying to understand here, I don't want to flame or troll. Thanks
 

Steve B.

Go Spurs Go
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
10,286
Reaction score
134
Mr Harrison:

To which comment of mine are you referring?
 

Alias

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
1,661
Reaction score
319
I actually like the bookkeeping work I'm doing now, even though it takes a lot of mental stamina (especially near the ends of the months.)

If it wasn't gratifying, I wouldn't be doing it. I worked jobs that I grew to hate and I'm the kind of person who has a very low b.s. tolerance. All the money in the world wouldn't be enough to make me do something I view as worthless.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,172
Messages
10,579,191
Members
223,888
Latest member
RoseBenif
Top