On the Subject of Working Hard in Life

When older people look back at their lives, I think one of the things that they cherish is the good times they had……… but what exactly defines a good time?  Good times can be measured to determine to what extent actual pleasure was experienced, but the variables that determine this change as the years pass.  What was once fun yesterday, isn’t fun today because it is not exciting and novel. Sometimes fun isn’t even legitimately moral, and involves things that benefit from the demise of others, whether they know it or not.  This is really only temporarily fun, and is not real pleasure in itself, and if it is, it probably shouldn’t be, because you are probably contributing to a social problem.                

 I think that one thing that older people do take pride in is the work that they have done.   If they commit to a job for a long period of time, they wish (or wished) to achieve something.  People who have not worked hard in their life and have gotten to somewhat middle age, frequently bullshit them-selves or other people to make up for a lack of interest, pride, power, or whatever else they are missing in their lives.  One of the reasons they must do this is because they are slaves of the “quick fix”, such as drugs, too much entertainment, alcohol, smoking, food…….and the list goes on.  When one doesn’t work enough, it is easier to fall into these destructive habits, and waste time and money, while building a foundation out of styrofoam.  It takes a lot to work hard and sacrifice some enjoyment for a career. And when habits are formed that involve hard work, they do stick, as is evident with some amazing over achievers.  Is it really all worth it?  In the famous painting by Hans Holbein, The Ambassadors, 1533, there is a skull in the midst of all the beautiful articles of wealth. This skull is put there for a metaphysical purpose, and painted in perfect context with the situation, so says Berger, in Ways of Seeing.  The skull is a Memento mori, symbolizing the ever closer presence of death.  It seems that many people forget this.  I think that working hard is genuinely satisfying, and does pay off in the end, when one looks back on a period of one’s life.  It brings satisfaction that is going to come in handy dandy when you are lying on your death bed, that’s for sure!