Recently I had a discussion with my friends about the “new” problem of people hating their work. The question which was raised was “have we grown soft or is hating work a new problem?
Through our discussion I now believe that people have always wanted more contentment in their work. Think about it, nothing in our biology has changed over the last 200 years and I am pretty sure we have the same wants and needs. We are designed to want things to be better than they are, no matter our position. For instance, I am pretty sure our grandparents wanted more meaning in their work even if the work environment was different than it is now. Also, who really likes hard labor?
The want for more meaning has always been there.
Now we are more connected. It is easier for us to find others who are also unhappy with their work. In addition it is easier to find people who are finding contentment in their work showing us it is possible. This makes us believe there is more discontentment in our work.
Even though I believe this has always been a concern it does not mean we should keep doing things like we always have. With this new ability to connect through technology we have more opportunity to find meaning in our work and our lives.