People who have followed me on this blog (or know me), know that I have recently started a new job as an English editor. This is not a post to complain about my job, not at all, it is generally some cogitations on the working world in general and how flawed our systems are, which has become painfully aware to me now that I am part of the working world.
I work 38,5 hours a week - so full-time - and I can say that when I supported six-hour-days before I started with work, as I believe that there has to be so many things beside work, I am now completely convinced that 8-hour-days are utterly unnecessary and, even worse, counter-productive. I am positive that if people only worked six hours a day (or even less), they would get as much done as in eight hours because at least two hours of the eight is spent in procrastinating, boredom and looking at the clock in a five-minute-rhythm, praying for the hand to move faster. Add the increasing lack of motivation when you realise you will be trapped for another four hours, and you might end up working more, but producing less in eight hours than six. I hate how in our world work has overtaken our lives completely. Of course, people in earlier days had to work even more, but that doesn't mean it is good as it is. Work seems to be the life content of most people, which as such wouldn't be so bad; however, the majority doesn't seem to enjoy it. I don't want to be a person who lives for the weekend, dreading Monday and another dull week of fatting up your arse in front of a computer screen. Families, friends, children are vital for our lives because relationships make us better people, but work systems actively keep people away from each other, which I think is terrible. I know this all sounds conspiratorial but that is not how I mean it, I am simply saying that people live to work and don't work to live. When I was in England, an elderly woman said something to me which rings in my ears until today, even if it was slightly conspiratorial. She said the governments make us work so hard, so we don't have the energy to think about things too much, not to say start a revolution. Admittedly, she seemed to be a lonely and slightly bitter lady; however, there seems to be some truth at least possible in her words. So far, my days are working, TV, sleeping and everything all over again and I have to admit I find myself asking "is that it? Is that what life is about?" No, I don't think it should be. I think that regularity and structure can be a bless in life, especially when one gets older; however, between structure and, as I would call it, "healthy boredom" and living for the weekend is a huge difference and I don't want to be someone who lives this way. I want to be inspired, challenged, creatively stimulated and, even when I old and wrinkly, I want to be in awe of the wonders of the world. I am partly doing what I want to do by, for instance, writing this blog. Writing is my inner motivation and will always be my favourite occupation, so I think starting off as an editor isn't too bad, is it? and I am sure I can make my path from here to where I belong. Another issue I want to address is that, despite working your ass of forty hours a week, you can barely live on a salary nowadays, which I think is unbearably unjust and idiotic. It should be possible to live from a salary even if you only work part-time, as for many people (parents for instance) this is what they can do unless they want to abandon their children to institutions and nannies. This is a mess, which ultimately stimulates so many greater problems many people seem to fail to grasp. Because people have to work so much, they're permanently strained, therefore impatient with their children which creates a stressful and strained atmosphere at home which makes the children unbalanced and "difficult". Such an intense workload leads to a weaker immune system, therefore more costs for doctors, etc. and, ultimately, probably more problems in time management for the companies, as people get burnouts, depressions, migraine, gastritis, etc. etc. which keeps them from doing their best at their job. The children are shoved off to day care and nannies, which cannot provide the warmth and support parents can, which, and here the cat bites its own tail, lead to unbalanced, sick and "difficult" children. What many people don't seem to understand is that you cannot separate the various systems including people. The school system, the work system, the health system, justice system, etc. etc. are interconnected and cannot be seen as distinct parts. They interdependent and when one of them is flawed, the others are in peril to suffer too. Children can only learn and flourish best when they are under the care of balanced, healthy and happy adults in a soothing and supporting environment. The fact that so many children achieve anything under the present conditions (and adults likewise) is a miracle to me, but not on the positive side. It is vital to overthink the systems we've been using for the past decades and centuries and make ourselves aware that the present school system as well as the work system were introduced during the Industrial Revolution, which needed people to work hard, not to question authority and exploited children and adults likewise. Neither at school nor at work we need the skills required during this episode of time, which is why we need to change and adapt the systems to our present time - and it is long overdue. As long as we have overworked, burned out adults who are slaving away for a minimum wage and children who have to labour under the flaws of an insufficient work and school system, nothing will ever change and we will be trapped in the 19th century.
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Angie
Writer. Editor. Blogger. YouTuber. Freelancer. Traveller. English fanatic. Archives
October 2023
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