Our Weird Obsession with Work

I bet you’ve seen it. Buddy the Elf arrives in New York City and lands a job in the children’s department at Gimbel’s. He’s overly enthusiastic and the grumpy boss asks, “Why are you smiling?”

“I like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” 

“Make work your favorite, okay? Work is your new favorite.”

In this simple exchange, Buddy is introduced to the American work ethos. He knows about hard work. At the North Pole, he couldn’t keep up the pace building etch-a-sketches. But here, work overshadows all facets of life, even smiling. 

It’s no secret that employee engagement here is dismal. In Gallup’s annual survey engaged employees rarely add up to more than thirty percent of the workforce. With tens of thousands of different occupations to choose from, that statistic depresses me. 

As Mike Rowe demonstrated for nine seasons, there are some dirty jobs out there. And yet, most of the people he showcased never seem unhappy. I work mostly with people who pursued indoor jobs. They tend to have high levels of education, have often achieved financial success, and had lots of opportunities to move up the ladder. In spite of that, my experience says that the Gallup stats hold true for this demographic as well. 

Derek Thompson recently wrote an article entitled, “Workism is Making Americans Miserable.” He says the problem is not the work itself. Our problem is what he calls “workism, “…the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work.” Thompson’s research showed that Americans work longer hours, take shorter vacations, get less in unemployment, disability, and retirement benefits, and retire later, than people in other comparably rich societies. 

At Second Rodeo, we aren’t here to find you a better job. We’re here to guide you toward a better life. Our clients have typically put in their time on the hamster wheel. They’ve achieved success, now they’re ready for something different, something better. 

We think it’s not only possible, but desirable. Join us in this movement, to create a sustainable, enjoyable, meaningful life so that collectively, we change the world.