Work & Meaning

For the most part, work has been traditionally regarded as a “separate” sphere of life (work/life balance) however work is only one aspect of life and only part of a much greater context within which we reside. Therefore, we cannot understand work separate from our existential self; that work must be viewed in terms of its relationship to the formation of who we are. Most scholars agree that a meaningful life is determined by how the individual subjectively experiences his or her “puzzle of life,” and therefore makes sense of his or her life. It is clear there are no absolute answers when it comes to the meaningful life, and that there is more confusion than ever with what is considered a meaningful life. For many people, work is a major, if not the most important, piece of that puzzle. Ultimately, the pieces that make up our lives, especially our work life, must fit coherently together in order for us to feel that life is meaningful.   

Death

From an existential point of view, how we view death is of paramount importance to how we view life. If we do not face death we may put off new choices believing that it is not the “right time” for change. We may live an inauthentic life and console ourselves with the belief that “someday” I will live a different life and thus, live authentically. For example, despite engaging in a type of work that we know is not what we want to be doing and knowing we are in a state of inauthenticity, we may stay in this circumstance for many years. This is especially true of those who want to deny their freedom, those who live as if they will live forever, not realizing there is a time limit on their existence. Without facing the fact that we are mortal and will eventually die, we may not make the difficult choices towards living authentically but instead opt for the path of least resistance. Maybe the most important aspect of life is how we die. Do we die with contentment for the life we have lived or do we die with many regrets for experiences not lived? Perhaps it is easier to accept death if we feel that we have experienced life, even briefly, the way we had pictured it for ourselves when we were young, and we did not live a state of continuous desire for something more or different. 

What is the purpose of a university education?

There is currently a dilemma within higher education. What is the purpose of a university education? Is it the pursuit of knowledge or is to prepare people for jobs? Historically, universities were for the elite and the purpose was the pursuit of higher knowledge. But times have fortunately changed, and now a university education is within the grasp of many people. Students today view a university degree as a necessary requirement to finding valued employment. For them, it's about job preparation, what formerly was the domain of trade schools and community colleges. On the other hand, most academics would still argue that the purpose is the pursuit of higher knowledge, not job preparation. I suggest that we need to do both but this means changing the current system. We need to figure out a way to combine the pursuit of knowledge with the development of the skills required for work. To do this we have to revamp the current curriculum so that the degree program includes the development of the skills the work world requires. We need to review the core objectives of each degree program. Then we need to ensure that the individual courses within the program align with the objectives of the degree. This is a challenging task and will involve much thought. Most importantly, it will take a new attitude from the people involved at all levels in higher education. The reward is that we will end up with a university program that has regained its relevance, one that encompasses both the pursuit of knowledge and the development of the key skills needed for the work world.

Work-Life Balance?

"Reflecting on the meaning of life may be spurred by psychological crisis but it may also arise from an acute awareness that Henry David Thoreau was correct: most people do lead lives of quiet desperation" (Belliotti, 2001: 10).

Albert Camus’ legendary Myth of Sisyphus demonstrated what could arguably be the predicament of the human condition, in relation to work but also to life in general. Sisyphus is condemned by the Gods to push a stone up a hill only to have it roll back down, and this continues forever (Camus, 1967). Although some people love their work and their life, this picture of the futile life is undoubtedly the case for many others whether they would choose to admit it or not. For a significant number of people, life and work, can be mostly daily drudgery, a treadmill of existence from which they cannot get off, and from which they gradually watch time and their life pass by. As has been frequently pointed out life is an unpredictable journey, and we are not given a set of rules to help us make choices and ultimately, live our lives. A life is made up of various parts and work is only one of potentially many “places” where meaning is created or found. The challenge for all of us is to make sense of the puzzle of life, choose the pieces of our lives and determine how they fit together.

References:

Belliotti, R. A. (2001). What is the meaning of human life? Amsterdam: Editions Rodopi B.V.

Camus, A. (1967). The myth of Sisyphus (J. O'Brien, Trans.). In A. Camus (Ed.), The myth of Sisyphus and other essays (pp. 1-138). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Jack Layton

Like most people, I have been affected by the recent death of Jack Layton, the federal leader of the NDP party. I didn't follow the details of his career that closely however as I read more about him, I am very impressed by his life and the humanity he demonstrated throughout. He lived a principled life and sought to make a better world for all, one that provides equal opportunity for all people. It is easy to lose ourselves in our own daily problems and immerse ourselves in our lives. Jack Layton cared deeply about others and the future of Canada and the world. Even on his deathbed he was thinking about others and how the battle for social justice would be continued. He left us with a simple but powerful message.

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." - Jack Layton

It is a great message for all of us.

Life is not a spectator sport

The fear of failure is very powerful. It holds us back throughout life and is the greatest obstacle to reaching our full potential. It prevents us from applying for that new job position, going back to university, taking that trip alone, or entering that 10 km run. The victory in life is in taking part, not the outcome. The only “win” in life is to live a meaningful and hopefully happy life, to be able to look back on the life you’ve lived with few regrets. To do this, you have to have the experiences that you truly desire and take part in the things that are important to you. One of the problems in life is the belief that everything’s about “winning or losing.” It’s not. You don’t win the game of life, nor do you lose it. The only question is, do you live it the way you want to or not? It’s not about being the best student or the best athlete, or making the most money. There will always be someone better at something than you are, no matter who you are. New inventions will be designed better than the old. Athletic records are sure to be broken with time. What matters, is that you show up for the fight and take part. The goal is to be engaged, to not sit on the sidelines and watch, but instead to play the game of life and do the best that you can. The only real failure is when we let our fears keep us on the sidelines watching the race, instead of taking part.

The Need for Critical Thinking

In a world that continually pressures us to conform, it can be difficult living up to the things wwe truly believe in. We are are bombarded with huge amounts of information daily and constantly pressured to go along with the opinions of the majority. However, the majority can be wrong and each of us must come to our own conclusions in this life. This means we need to be good critical thinkers which research shows we're not. Critical thinking is the ability to gather information and as objectively we can, come to our own conclusion. Unfortunately critical thinking is hard work and we often take the path of least resistance. For example, it's easy to criticize our political leaders for spending cuts to education and healthcare. But what would you do if you were in their place? The economic situation means that choices must be made. Either we cut here or we cut there or perhaps we raise taxes. None of these options are attractive but choices must still be made. The challenge is to learn as much as you can about issues, think deeply about them and then make a decision. And, always recognize that you may be wrong.