In popular discussions and academic literature, work is seen as a way to make money. We work to earn a living. In economics, it gives disutility but helps to generate income for consumption. Sociologists and Marxists focussed on alienation in work. These are important insights.
However, in post-industrial societies or where higher education is acquired by a significant section of society and they engage in the provision of services (including management, research, creation of innovative products, those which provide information and entertainment, etc.), there is a possibility that the work can be a source of direct joy (in addition to its role as a source of income) for many people. There is not much deliberation on this role of work.
My sense is that almost everybody who flourishes through work gets some joy directly (and not only incomes). Even those billionaires, who make a lot of money, may be spending a lot of time on work and that is driven not only by the intention to make more money. Almost all good teachers and academics get a lot of joy from their work. This can be true for good carpenters, electricians, nurses, or such professionals.
It is the work which can give sustainable joy for a longer duration in one person’s life and not romance, sex, family or even travel. Though all these latter aspects are important, there will be frequent periods of dull and disinterest. We should contribute to family but not attempt to take too much joy from other members. Grown-up children should be left to pursue their own joy and should not be seen as a source of joy for parents.
There are people around us who enjoy their work. Rather than seeing this as an outcome of certain personality traits, this can be viewed as something that can be cultivated in society, especially among youngsters. However universities are not going a good job in this regard. Liberal education programs create a disinterest in work among youngsters through behavioural and ideological conditioning.
To make work as a direct source of joy, we should have a deep interest in the work that we do. Youngsters may take time to develop such an interest but they should be seriously exploring what interests them. Everything that dissuades them from taking up jobs will work against getting joy from work. An aversion to discipline, a lack of focus, toxic relationships which discourage them from being serious in work, excessive emotional concerns of parents, and too much money and comfort at home which make them very choosy in terms of desirable work, a false sense of autonomy, strong ideological preferences on what is a good work, and all these can be harmful. Some of these may encourage them to pursue higher and higher levels of education, and this too may not help them much.
There is a need to build capability or expertise from the scratch. Work may have an increasing rate of returns (both in terms of money and joy) which means that the returns could be significantly lesser for a beginner. This may discourage many youngsters from pursuing anything seriously. However that will affect the building up of expertise and the realisation of work as a direct source of joy.
It is obvious that human beings have multiple sources of joy, and all these are important. However an appropriate allocation of time – the most important resource of people – is needed to see that work gives sustainable joy. People may allocate more time to certain activities and this may work against acquiring adequate capability to derive sustainable joy from work. Then such people may experience certain deprivation of joy over time.
A notion of marriage that is shaped by restrictive gender norms works against the participation of females in paid employment in India and this is disabling their empowerment. There is a need to change such gender norms. It looks that such a notion of marriage continues to discourage both men and women from focussing enough on the quality of work and that may reduce its role as a source of direct joy.
It is important to have certain openness to understand emerging trends and probable ways of expanding one’s scope of work. However such an openness is missing among many people and they are more likely to reach dead-ends in careers faster. Then they may have to continue to work without deriving much joy.
Work may not give much joy if there is no intrinsic motivation. If people see themselves doing work merely for the income, they may not see the possibility of (and acquire the capability to get) joy from work. I have seen many people even in academics who don’t seek and hence derive joy from work. When money or power becomes the sole motivation for work for people, it is not only that they may miss the joy from work but may also deny such joy to others. They may not see that others can enjoy their work.
However the fact that work can give joy directly should not encourage youngsters to be choosy in terms of work at the beginning. Taking up work is important. Even those who focus on money initially through work may have greater options to seek joy later on. Those who do not take up work may not have the joy (from work) and self-earned money, and that may limit their pursuit of joy through work in the long-run.
We may hope that the world of organisations would evolve to make work happier to all people. That may not happen. Moreover the developments in technology may create newer challenges to work. However there will be work not only for the economy but for the welfare of individuals. It is important not only for money but as a source of direct happiness. Certain attitudinal and behavioural changes are needed to make most out of our work.