# So begbert2 what is actually worthy of being called a service? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301 "2018-11-30T00:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/1 "2018-11-30T00:09:34Z")
\*\*This is the exchange in [Have you served in, or are you still serving in, the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=865940) thread. \*\* > [@Have you served in the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/132): > > I have never been part of the military; I never had an interest, nobody in my life has ever at any point suggested that I _should_ have an interest, and I very easily found other ways to spend my time and make money. > > (I also don’t consider working for the military to be “service”; it’s a paid position after all.) > [@Have you served in the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/133): > > Sorry bullshit, we made less than minimum wage. We were told joining was a service to our country. We took a oath. Etc. Etc. Etc. So bullshit. > [@Have you served in the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/134): > > You are completely wrong, and I suspect that you’re trying to get a rise out of people. Any work for a government entity is considered service to your country. Yes, including the presidency. > [@Have you served in the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/136): > > Calling it service gets a rise out of _me_, but whichever. I agree that it’s off-topic. > [@Have you served in the military?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-served-in-the-military/824888/137): > > So what is worthy of being called a service in your mind? > As I said, we didn’t come close to minimum wage, those in the time of the draft were often not even volunteers. In time of war and “police actions” they were put in danger. > > The hours are long and grueling. The living conditions were usually so crappy in the Navy that it was not suitable for prisoners. The army & marines in the field had it so bad so often that the Navy had it good by comparison. > > I know I personally spent 121 consecutive days at sea on a West Pac. That is 4 freaking months without a port. 20 hour days were common at sea. > > So what the fuck is actually worthy of being called a service? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/2 "2018-11-30T00:18:10Z")
It’s paid. It’s not service. It’s a fine arbitrary criteria that I’ll happily hew to as long as you wish to discuss the subject, since it makes it impossible for me to ‘lose’. Of course, the intended sense of the term is that in doing it, you’re automatically doing something wonderful for the benefit of others. Which is, in my opinion, _far_ from a reliable assumption about military jobs. (Or for politicians, for that matter.) When it comes to the military I think that calling military employment “service” is a propaganda move intended to attract people to work for the military both cheaply and without them questioning the properties and morality of the job. _And it works._ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/3 "2018-11-30T00:22:22Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > It’s paid. It’s not service. It’s a fine arbitrary criteria that I’ll happily hew to as long as you wish to discuss the subject, since it makes it impossible for me to ‘lose’. What endeavors out there _would_ qualify as “service” under your definition? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/4 "2018-11-30T00:24:22Z")
So Police and Firemen are also not serving? They’re actually paid well and I sure as hell don’t begrudge them the word service? You still what actually does qualify for the word service? You have a uniquely strange definition of service it seems. I also wish you didn’t drop a turd in the other thread. Maybe in the future you could think a little more about such. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/5 "2018-11-30T00:25:38Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > It’s paid. There’s a whole sector of the economy called the service sector. Those folks get paid…I think you’re defining the word in an atypical way, or at least so narrowly that it pretty much only covers religious activity. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/6 "2018-11-30T00:26:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What endeavors out there _would_ qualify as “service” under your definition? Helping people for free, obviously. An example that leaps to mind is mowing an invalid’s lawn for them. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/7 "2018-11-30T00:29:57Z")
My company gives out _service awards_ for ten years employment, twenty years, etc. We certainly get paid. I don’t think the word implies voluntary or unpaid work in the least. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/8 "2018-11-30T00:30:05Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > You have a uniquely strange definition of service it seems. I also wish you didn’t drop a turd in the other thread. Maybe in the future you could think a little more about such. Justifying the military by calling it “service” galls me enough that, after deliberating on it, I felt that I needed to vent that pressure. The pressure is vented now, so we can stop whenever. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/9 "2018-11-30T00:32:22Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > My company gives out _service awards_ for ten years employment, twenty years, etc. We certainly get paid. I don’t think the word implies voluntary or unpaid work in the least. Now this is interesting - I’m presuming that you don’t work for the government? Perhaps a more interesting question is, what would _not_ count as service? I sit at a desk writing software for a private company, both for its profit and mine. Am I _serving_ my company? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/10 "2018-11-30T00:34:11Z")
I know you said “we can stop whenever” but could you explain a little more? I wasn’t under the impression that the military needed to be “justified” ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/11 "2018-11-30T00:35:32Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Now this is interesting - I’m presuming that you don’t work for the government? > > Perhaps a more interesting question is, what would _not_ count as service? I sit at a desk writing software for a private company, both for its profit and mine. Am I _serving_ my company? Yes, of course you are serving your company. Why would you think any different? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/12 "2018-11-30T00:36:41Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Now this is interesting - I’m presuming that you don’t work for the government? > > Perhaps a more interesting question is, what would _not_ count as service? I sit at a desk writing software for a private company, both for its profit and mine. Am I _serving_ my company? Actually, yes, you are. You seem to have a very narrow definition of service. I usually reward the server the provides good service at a restaurant a tip for her service. I consider the sacrifices people make to serve the military, or as police or firemen and also teachers to be major examples of public service. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/13 "2018-11-30T00:39:53Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Justifying the military by calling it “service” galls me enough that, after deliberating on it, I felt that I needed to vent that pressure. > > The pressure is vented now, so we can stop whenever. The definition of “service” is “the action of helping or doing work for someone”, but nowhere does any definition of the word say that it must be done for _free_. Your definition of the word “service” is your own, and therefore of no use to me. Next time, try to find a word that fits what you are trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/14 "2018-11-30T00:47:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Actually, yes, you are. > > You seem to have a very narrow definition of service. > > I usually reward the server the provides good service at a restaurant a tip for her service. I consider the sacrifices people make to serve the military, or as police or firemen and also teachers to be major examples of public service. “Service” is a word with several definitions, actually. The one your server at your restaurant is called by hearkens to the fact they deliver you stuff. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Your definition of the word “service” is your own, and therefore of no use to me. Next time, try to find a word that fits what you are trying to say. You do realize this is monumentally silly, right? If you’re going to grant me permission to have my own definitions of words, then obviously those words are going to fit what I’m trying to say. Unless you mean that I have to psychically intuit _your_ weird personal definitions and use _them_, such as if you decided that “glory” means “a nice knock-down argument” I’d be expected to know and use it that way. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/15 "2018-11-30T00:52:09Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > … > You do realize this is monumentally silly, right? If you’re going to grant me permission to have my own definitions of words, then obviously those words are going to fit what I’m trying to say. … I just came by to say I do not grant you permission to have your own definitions of words. Unless your intention is to piss people off and obstruct communication. In which case I shake my head at you but still do not grant permission. Your definition is wrong. Some “service” is done for free and some is paid. Period. I’m outta here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/16 "2018-11-30T00:53:25Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > “Service” is a word with several definitions, actually. The one your server at your restaurant is called by hearkens to the fact they deliver you stuff. > > You do realize this is monumentally silly, right? If you’re going to grant me permission to have my own definitions of words, then obviously those words are going to fit what I’m trying to say. Unless you mean that I have to psychically intuit _your_ weird personal definitions and use _them_, such as if you decided that “glory” means “a nice knock-down argument” I’d be expected to know and use it that way. I have found _no_ definition of “service” that says that it must be done for free. Please find another word for whatever it is you are trying to say, because “service” isn’t it. If the purpose of your posting is to communicate, then you are fucking up royally by inventing definitions of common words then chastising others for not accepting your definitions. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/17 "2018-11-30T00:54:12Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I just came by to say I do not grant you permission to have your own definitions of words. Unless your intention is to piss people off and obstruct communication. In which case I shake my head at you but still do not grant permission. > > Your definition is wrong. Some “service” is done for free and some is paid. Period. I’m outta here. But not all forms of work are “service”, in common usage. I simply do not agree with the common propagandized notion that military work is a type of work that can fairly be characterized as service. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/18 "2018-11-30T00:54:19Z")
I’m trying to get you to understand at this point, you just insulted a lot of vets and active \*service \*people over what is an abnormal definition of service. You have a right to your opinion **but dropping it in that thread was pretty damn inappropriate.** ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/19 "2018-11-30T00:56:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I have found _no_ definition of “service” that says that it must be done for free. Please find another word for whatever it is you are trying to say, because “service” isn’t it. If the purpose of your posting is to communicate, then you are fucking up royally by inventing definitions of common words then chastising others for not accepting your definitions. I **haven’t** chastised people for not ‘following my definitions’. Hell, I haven’t even chastized people for not agreeing with me that military shouldn’t be considered service. What’s happening here is, I’m not immediately folding when people chastise _me_. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301/20 "2018-11-30T00:58:58Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m trying to get you to understand at this point, you just insulted a lot of vets and active \*service \*people over what is an abnormal definition of service. > > You have a right to your opinion **but dropping it in that thread was pretty damn inappropriate.** Why is it an insult if I fail to praise somebody for their military “service”? Why should anybody care what _I_ think? And barring…something, it presumably would have sunk beneath the surface without a ripple. (…and lest the fun end, it’s now time for me to head home for the day.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-begbert2-what-is-actually-worthy-of-being-called-a-service/825301.md?page=2)