When I was young, my father
would ridicule me for sitting in a corner and reading a book. He wanting me to get up and do something. So far as he was concerned, only physical
work counted. Mental activities were
merely an excuse for being lazy.
Nowadays, I realize that I
was never the indolent slug that he feared I might become. My wife and I, although we are both academics,
are hard workers. We not only teach, we
write books, we give talks. We even edit
a professional journal. This takes so
much time that is consumes most of our weekends.
But I am not
complaining. We do this because we love
it. When we accomplish something, it
provides us a sense of satisfaction. We
know that not everybody is capable of doing what we do; hence we take pride in
our achievements.
Nor do I wish to assert that
the kind of work we do is superior to physical labors. Many of the people who work with their hands
provide the goods and services without which life would be hollow. In fact, I mean to praise hard work—of
virtually any kind.
The Trump election has
finally put the spotlight on blue-collar workers. Their contributions to our joint welfare are,
at long last, receiving their due. These
folks deserve to be respected. What they
do is often not easy and can take considerable skill.
Life is not an endless day
at the beach. Many of the things that
need to be done require effort. When I
am writing one of my columns and the words do not come, I have to stick with it
until they do. By the same token, an
automobile mechanic who cannot locate the source of a clanging sound must
persevere until he does.
But herein lies one of the
advantages of hard work. It is not just
a matter of producing a valuable product.
There is also the benefit of doing so despite the difficulties. At the end of the day, there is the
realization that whatever we have achieved would not have been possible unless
we persisted, notwithstanding the temptations to quit.
Too many young people today
assume that if they encounter resistance, the sensible thing is to do something
else. As a college professor, I see this
when students refuse to read difficult books.
They would rather go on line to crib notes than spend hours trying to
decipher abstruse materials.
We see the same sort of
thing when we witness people lining up to get on the public dole. Whether this is for food stamps, or
disability subsidies, or a welfare check, these programs create dependency
rather than self-sufficiency. These
folks become takers rather than producers.
The idea that the government
can save us from having to take care of ourselves is one of the most pernicious
consequences of our shared affluence.
Being rich, and/or idle, are not the advantages they may seem. They can be a trap. They can deprive people of the self-respect
that comes from hard work.
And self-respect
matters. Listening to music all day is
not only boring—it is pointless. In the
end, it leads to nothing but more of the same.
This is also the case for those addicted to social media. Irrespective of how many friends we have on
line, these are not the equivalent of real friends.
Genuine work, on the other
hand, provides dignity. It also
furnishes worthwhile goals. People who
do things that make the world a better place know they are useful. They have the contentment that comes from realizing
their life makes a difference.
So here are three cheers for
hard work. It is not a burden to be
shunned. Or a sign that one has been
shanghaied into doing what others will not.
Hard work is a good in and of itself.
Yes, we require time off. Yes,
some things should be done for the fun of it.
But without hard work, what are we, either as individuals or a nation? Why would we deserve anyone’s admiration?
Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Kennesaw State University
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