Can Our Jobs Make Us Happy?

Contrary to the claims of Bertrand Russell, life is not just about being, but also doing

Bertrand Russell famously argued in defence of idleness, depicting work as a necessary evil. It had no intrinsic value. Instead, we should look at what we produce for its own sake: literature, art and philosophy. The value of these achievements is revealed in their very uselessness and it is only when we have adequate leisure that we can turn to their creation (Russell, In Praise of Idleness, 1935).

But Russell’s view can be resisted. There is value, too, in what Russell dismissed as mere useful work. Russell’s argument reveals an aristocratic view of what counts as work and unreasonably relegates the value of certain forms of human activity to worthlessness.

Work is a necessity, Russell argues, only because nature is unkind to us, failing to provide easily all that we need in order to survive, bringing the occasional famine too. Even so, it is still up to us what social arrangements are put in place to ensure such work as is necessary is properly conducted and rationally apportioned.

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killer smile 2 September 2021

I really enjoyed reading your article. I found this as an informative and interesting post, so I think it is very useful and knowledgeable.
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kai collin 11 August 2021

Indeed, an increasing body of research shows that work and employment are not only drivers of people's happiness, but that happiness can itself help to shape job market outcomes, productivity, and even firm performance. Being happy at work thus isn't just a personal matter; it's also an economic one.
My job is very tough but I am very happy with my job. Because I got a massage from https://www.zarifausa.com/products/eye-massager. After getting eye massage my eyes are completely relaxed. So I am very happy with my job.