"We should all aspire to work as hard as we can" - really?

[emkana]

A woman said this on Jeremy Vine today and it made me think, it seemed to find agreement with both Jeremy Vine and the other woman who was on at the time - would you agree with that statement? Why?

Why wouldn't you?

It's the "living to work" or "working to live" thing, isn't it? Back when I had a proper job, I was definately in the "working to live" camp.

I aspire to work as little as possible.

And, most importantly, not to get found out.

I think I agree with this if it means you take pride in what you do, regardless of whether you're a shit hot lawyer or a loo cleaner. I hate the "McJob" idea, where some jobs are just seen as worthless and people look down on them.

but what context was it in?

It was in a discussion about childcare vouchers.

My aspiration in life is to make my family and myself happy, but the way it was said made it sound like it was all about paid employment, and I just don't think that's the be all and end all of life.

No it's not. But when you're at work, surely you would/should work as hard as you can?

No of course it isn't emkana. Anyone who makes a decent job of parenting is working as hard as they can.

Paid employment is very much not the be all and end all.

That attitude is why we're all in such crap at the moment.

And why women / families are so badly thought of by business. Because some people think money is the route of all good, so families mustn't be allowed to get in the way.

The sooner business accepts that people have babies, the better.

I aim to work as hard as I can doing things that matter and that I enjoy.

Never would I say just 'work as hard as you can' for the sake of it. There has to be reward for work, be it monetary or emotional or social. Work has to be worthwhile.

Work should be worthwhile.

But also, when you're at work, surely you have a responsibility (to yourself as well as to your employer) to work as hard as you can?)

This is a different issue from the work/life balance, though. You can still have a good work/life balance but work as hard as you can when you're at work.

makes us all sound like ants.

I've always worked as hard as I could and tried to do the best job I possibly could in every circumstance. I work 60 hours a week, every week and have done since I graduated. My house is tidy clean and organised. Ditto car. Ditto children. But I'm not sure it's the best way to be, sometimes I'd like a more boho lifestyle, but it's just the way I am.

I think that going to work, hating it and doing as little as possible is almost the definition of not being worthwhile.

Going to work to do a job you love and working hard at it is definitley worthwhile.

I heard that and thought and tend to agree with you that there is more to life. I think those who can work should, if they need the money (as opposed to relying on benefits when they are capable of managing without) and I do think it's important to take pride in your work - as much for your own self esteem as anything else. What does annoy me is the assumption that families are better off - not only financially - if both parents work. I'm actually not too enthusiastic about the constant push to get mums back to work and devaluation of the role of a SAHM (or SAHD!) and reckon part of the reason that families are falling apart when they should be the fundamental unit of society is because of this pressure to work more, be able to buy more things which we don't need, and be materially better off. Definitely in the work to live camp. Nobody ever wished on their deathbed that they'd spent more time at the office...

Thank you twolittlemonkeys, you sum up my thoughts very nicely

I think a strong work ethic is not the same as Having Aspirations (which sounds a bit off-putting but is not necessarily a bad thing).

Hmm. Depends if the company you are working for is treating you with sufficient respect (ie paying a fair wage and not compromising health and safety). Because sometimes 'working hard' means 'shutting up and turning a blind eye to unsafe working practices/ accepting unfair working conditions such as being made to pay for your own uniform, work extra hours for no extra money etc'. Leaving a bad job, or refusing to take one, doesn't make you workshy.

Agree, SGB, absolutely.

"I aspire to work as little as possible.

And, most importantly, not to get found out."

Exactly what tehtersend said with added biscuits.

It's that old cliche, no-one says on their death-bed that they wished they had worked harder...

depends in what context.

parenting - absolutely. I will always strive as hard as I can to be the best parent that I can.
to earn money/jobs - its a government desire in order to ensure more people work for longer and pay more taxes. They absolutely want us to work hard.

However, workwise, I think that often working as hard as you can is over-rated. I worked as hard as I could prior to DD, and reached a glass ceiling, could progress no further. Went back after DD, worked significantly less hard, same glass ceiling, but less stress.

If I work 12 hours a day i get paid the same as if i i work 8 hours a day, but likely taken the piss out of more, more expected from me, no more respect, presumption i will aways be there. So i do my job, no more. No less. I am happier for it, so therefore in fact i am better at my job.

I always work as hard as I can. That doesn't mean working more hours ( though sometimes that's perhaps inevitable ) it just means doing the best you can, within your job surely? Otherwise what's the point?

I'm a writer and I try to make each book, the very best it can be. When I was a lawyer I tried to win every case and gve the clients what they needed.

Doing the minimum because you can, is soul destroying. Where's the pride?
And what a dreadful lesson to teach children.