Work and Life
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
17 Oct 2004
Do we live to work, or work to live? It’s an old question, one we tend to answer in different ways depending on the job we have at a particular time.
But if we want to measure a healthy attitude to work it is probably the wrong question to ask. Work should be more than just a way of making money. But it should never become a substitute for a rich and varied life.
It doesn’t always turn out like this, of course. People with limited skills do not have much choice when it comes to work and have to take what they can.
An uninteresting job can lead on to other opportunities, especially if an individual finds he has a talent for the work and has the discipline and initiative to take it further. But the limited choices that unskilled workers face are a sobering reminder of the importance of young people being encouraged—and in some cases enabled—to finish school and take up vocational training.
Some people in part-time work, including students and women with young children, are happy to take a job just for the money. The preference is generally for work that is not too demanding—physically or intellectually—with enjoyment coming from the interaction with co-workers and clients.
But even if there is not much enjoyment or interest, the fact that it is only part-time and helps to support a more important purpose makes it easier to put up with. For people with limited opportunities however, a full-time job that is not personally satisfying can be a source of great discouragement.
Working just for money means the work we do often matters less to us. This can lead to job dissatisfaction, boredom, possibly being more prone to illness or taking time off. Money motivates, but it is not a strong enough motivator to keep a whole career alive over months and years.
This is true even for successful professionals on large salaries. They have to find their work interesting to give their best, and generally they do. The danger for these people is that work becomes so engrossing that is consumes time that properly belongs to other important parts of life, such as family and recreation.
Many important relationships, such as those with one’s spouse and children, can be sacrificed to the demands of work. No amount of money can make this good. The satisfaction we take from our work can be very great indeed, but if it becomes more satisfying than our most important personal relationships then something is wrong.
Discussion of the work-life or work-family balance has a long way to go. An examination of working structures is part of this, but we also have to look at the personal choices or habits that govern how we allocate our time and energy.
