Yes! People that have gobs of money are not necessarily happy, because spending money brings but momentary pleasure. But the ability to earn the money you spend helps you take ownership of spending choices and pride in what you buy.
Additionally, I find it very satisfying to get paid. But I find it equally satisfying to add value in the workplace. It is very rewarding to see a project end, and know that, without me, the outcome may have been different, even wrong. I get excited when I add value. The idea of punching in and punching out never made sense to me, yet many employed people do little more than clock-watch all day.
We had layoffs this past week, and while I feel for those "who will continue their careers outside of the firm," as the man put it, these people cared little for the value of work.
While there are plenty of CEOs to blame, tis true that many people trusted them for no other reason that they were invested in their product and had to likewise peddle it to sustain the bubble of easy street earnings. I think we would all do well to remember that nothing in life is free, contrary to what the MLM gigs of the world would have you believe.
My church often talks about work being an eternal principle. The very idea of eating bon bons on a cloud in the eternities is simply incorrect. We believe we will be working, having families, creating worlds, managing said worlds, etc. The prerequisites to do the above will require a deep understanding of science, management, and other soft skills. I certainly am not qualified for the above, but I'm willing to learn it when the time comes. I wonder how many will effectively opt out because the road is too hard?
![[Comments]](/nb//themes/Default/comments.png "5 comments")
(5) Thu Apr 02 2009 11:22 EST the anti-hijack:
Rather than hijack a very lengthy comment on Sumana's blog, my response is thus: "But [Jon] Stewart is saying that our wealth, the prize that we've earned, isn't money, but our ability to earn money. Our asset is the ability to create assets."