We’re all going to leave this place. There’s nobody getting out alive, therefore, we have no option if we are to be happy in our work or any place else. So get into it, put the head down and the blinkers on…
The Daily Article
Welcome to The Daily Article archive. Here's where you'll find previous issues of The Daily Article where I share my thoughts on life, work and the pursuit of happiness. Topics I regularly write on include the psychology of creativity and human behaviour, the nature of work, small business and society & culture. If you enjoy Sunday Letters you'll enjoy these short daily writings.
Chomsky on Controlling Your Own Work
I listen and read Noam Chomsky regularly. I find his commentary on the structure of social order, economics, and politics right on point. The political establishment in the 60s and 70s didn’t like him very much, but these days they largely ignore him. The mainstream media no longer report his work. I listened to an audio clip of him talking about work. In it, he addresses the idea that people have the right to control their own work.
Enjoying Work For Its Own Sake
What stood out for me in this book was the constant reference to doing work for its own sake. The value in the detail of the work and its contribution towards happiness seemed immeasurable, and in fact, imperative in the achievement of success. Success appeared to be a by product for the people he interviewed. The never set out to be successful, they just enjoyed the challenge of the work.
The Making of Machines
This survival of the fittest, throw-away capitalist consumerist culture of ours insists our work must have commercial value. It’s killing the creative spirit and makes machines of people. Don’t sacrifice your humanity. Don’t become a machine.
To Be A Mule
Once we accept the concept of work is something meaningful, not just the source of a buck, you don’t have to worry about finding enough jobs. There’s no excuse for mules any more. Society doesn’t need them.
The Pursuit of The Eternally Elusive
What is it you want to say? How do you want to say it? Why bother? I don’t know. It’s a compulsion, a curiosity. I want to know what’s under the surface. It’s a means of expression, an exploration of self, although I understand I can never find whatever it is I am looking for.
There Are No Shortcuts
Now, with all this discussion on my part recently about the nature and value of work, and our relationship with it, it may have brought about a particular question. How can I find work that makes me happy?