The Importance of Work

I grew up in a working class family. I was raised primarily by a single mother who always worked outside of the home. My grandfather was a blue-collar worker and my grandmother worked part-time outside of the home and full-time taking care of the home. As soon as I was old enough to push a mower, I was expected to help around the house and encouraged to look for work around the neighborhood. Work was part of who we were.

As I got older, I started to meet those who didn’t work outside of the home and a few who didn’t do much around the home either. I remember thinking, “how can people live like this”? I was shocked and even a little intrigued by the idea. The more I encountered people outside of my neighborhood and social circles, the more variety in values and lifestyles I observed. I didn’t fully realize it at the time but looking back it’s pretty clear that people with some type of purpose were in general, happier than those without.

I realize how obviously simple that sounds but sometimes the obvious can be overlooked.  For me and most of the people I associate with, work is a top priority. Probably not the top priority but a priority nonetheless. I think it’s easy to assume that others value productive activity as much as we do.

Most of my clients are referred by the criminal justice system and some simply don’t value work the same way I do. Those who do tend to have better success in recovery. I don’t have any hard statistics to support that statement, just an observation of hundreds of cases throughout the years.

Aristotle wrote that happiness is an activity of the soul that corresponds with virtuous behavior. For me, the most important part of that statement is that happiness is an activity. Happiness is not achieved in a static state but requires that something be done. When people are engaged in productive activity and find some value in that activity, happiness occurs. While being paid for that activity provides other benefits, it seems the activity itself is beneficial.

So what is it about productive activity that appears to facilitate happiness? Is work important or am I simply viewing the world through my own cultural bias? What about those who are legitimately disabled? Are there alternatives to work that will accomplish the same goal?