In this thread, the discussion was about sci-fi inventions that we’re better off without. Diceman renders his contribution:
Not to dis his post in any way, but WTF?!? I’ve heard this attitude from a number of people over the years. “If I won the lottery, I’d still work, because otherwise I’d be bored.” This is something I cannot in a million years understand. I now have so many hobbies that even if I didn’t have to work, days would still be too short. I have no problem finding things to occupy my mind and hands.
So what about you? Without work are you bored stiff? Or do you buy lottery tickets just so you can spend more time doing things you really love?
But my ‘work’ would be those things I do now as hobbies, that are fun, educational, and/or social, but that in this society connot pay their way.
If you mean ‘work’ in the sense of ‘something I do reluctantly, only because they pay me, and I need the money to live on’, I’d be out of there so fast the door wouldn’t have time to hit me on the ass.
I’d be outta there so fast, I’d leave skid marks. Once the check cleared, of course, and assuming I get enough return on investments & savings to guarantee a comfortable income for life. No way in hell would I work for money if I didn’t have to. I might end up doing volunteer work, but for the foreseeable future, I have way more than enough hobbies sitting on the back burner to keep me busy.
Maybe I’m an unusual case, but I have the job I always wanted, and there is very, very little of what could be described as work at it. So I’d stay. Maybe I’d have my status changed to part time. Even though the lottery would help me puruse my hobbies, there is only so much of that stuff you can do. Everyone needs a purpose. I spent a lot of time unemployed in the past, so I am intimately familiar with boredom. I’d much rather be doing what I do now, and have a pile of cash in the bank, too.
(I think we need another "what would you do if you won the lottery thread).
No, I sure wouldn’t work. I would be a full-time student, and constantly take fun and interesting classes, make degree-collecting a hobby. That would be my work. I’d also volunteer to interesting causes.
But I have so many hobbies that I wouldn’t be bored.
I’d say I’d continue to work, and I would continue for a while, but the first time I got pissed off, I’d be gone. I could say, “Fuck it. I don’t need this,” and really have it be true.
I could find things to do. Travel, take classes, run my own charity, etc. I don’t need my job to help define me.
What I think he means is, if you’re at a job where you’re working for someone else, is that your purpose or the company’s? I see your point, but I also see that as long as I am working for someone else my chief goal is to line their pockets* and not my own.
If I did feel like working, I would probably open my own business, as that would mean I was giving myself a purpose.
*I work for a not-for-profit, so not technically true. I’m here to save babies.
Persanally, my first couple of years would be spent as a Playboy; Inddulging in hedonistic pleasures at my every whim.
After that I’d spend the next few years studying history and/or Philosophy. I’ve always wanted to do that.
Next, I’d spend a few years traveling to all the places I had been studying about. Which would be really cool because I’d truely be able to appreciate them with my new found education.
And if I STILL get bored after all that (I can’t imagine I would) I guess I’d start up a small business like a restraunt or something like that.
It is intresting though. I saw a show once on the learning chanel that basicaly covers the reason why self made “super rich” people continue to work when clearly they don’t have to. They conclude that it was pretty much the reason implied in the OP.
These people spend their whole lives setting goals for themselves and if they were to stop they would become very depressed, feeling that their life serves no purpose.
[QUOTE=Anaamika]
What I think he means is, QUOTE]
Pretty much, yeah. I can find things that give my life purpose and meaning, so I don’t need a boss to define what’s important to me.
Oh, OK then. Well, I work for a non-profit as well. I’ve wanted to work in radio since my voice changed, and now I do, in an environment with no stress, or pressure to make money for the company. I’m not a drone, and I’m not a shill. I don’t help to line anyone’s pockets. I get paid to come in and do a few things, and read the Dope. One upgrade of status and I have a job for life, unless I start killing the staff or something. I don’t have to worry about the bottom line, or whether I have a job tomorrow because they’ve changed the call letters and format and fired the staff.
My comment about everyone needing a purpose was in regard to the need to work and produce something of value. Travelling the world and collecting pottery or cameras or amassing the world’s largest porn library may be lots of fun, but it’d be incredibly self-indulgent if that’s all you ever did. I think most people need to do something of value, and feel like they have contributed something. Am I wrong about this?
Sure, but it probably depends from person to person. Some people might get a great deal of satisfaction from travel and porn. Myself, I’m an artist and musician, so I produce something of value. Oh, and porn.
I would not work a job for pay (at least not THIS one), but I would certainly find worthwhile ways to spend my time. Actually, I would probably start an animal rescue organization (most likely horses), and do that every day.
I would also continue the job I’m in for at least six months to a year for several reasons. First of all, I really enjoy my job and don’t daydream about leaving it. Also, I am a big fan of “the process” as much as the end result. I probably would work less hours and move very close to work (right now I’m way too far away and live in a ghetto-fabulous mobile home so that would definitely change right away), but just being able to flat out spend money doesn’t appeal to me as much as still doing something useful but making my time off much more fun ;). I would probably stay here in Vegas for that year, and meanwhile I could take long weekends off and start shopping for my new ranch and planning super nice European vacations. Once my year of working/planning is over, I might move into my new ranch with several hobby related (stockdog & horsey stuff) goals that would keep me busy as well.
I’d keep working for a while. I’d want to be certain that my winnings were enough to live on, and I’d want to be contributing. I think that having no fear of what would happen if I were fired would make it easier to manage my stress levels at work, and I’d have no shame about using the money to make my work life easier. “Okay, I’m putting in a decent break room in this place. And you, dude- I’ll pay you twenty bucks a week to not talk to me.”
