Assignment 07 – Terkel, “Working”
When it comes to the idea of work ethic, some may question the value of work and its relationship to ones’ self. I believe that when one thinks of what work ethic should consist of, one should entertain the elements of human life and the fulfillment of work from their own personal values. In other words, the meaning you put behind your work should be one that helps you feel accomplished with the personal values in your life. In Terkel’s piece, I believe this is the point that he makes. No matter how industrious, physical or mundane one’s job can be, Terkel argues that one should look into the idea of how work is meaningful to ones’ self. Once a person finds meaning behind one’s work, Terkel believes that one finds their touch with reality.
He also brings argues the point that once one accepts the idea that work is meaningful, people connect to the “human matters” of jobs. Through various stories and experiences he uses in his writing, he captures the back and forth struggle workers have with their jobs by accomplishing mundane tasks. He continues to argue that while these tasks embody what work contains, the way humans connect to them bring a reality to the work. One quote he uses that I enjoyed and best describes his argument is one that summarizes the overall idea of how work connects to human matters. “Most of us…have jobs that are too small for our spirit. Jobs are not big enough for people.” (1972 xxix) I believe this quote captures the meaning that jobs can never satisfy the human spirit, but it is the human spirit that turns jobs into meaningful work.
In my own experience, I try to distinguish the same principles discussed in the article in my own philosophy of work and life. I believe work is based off one’s core principles and values. In my definition, work embodies the effort one makes in order to fulfill what is required to live and feel accomplished. Jobs are just the medium to find meaningful work. One finds various jobs that are filled with tasks that assist in finding that connection to one’s human reality of feeling fulfillment in their work. From the point they find fulfillment, then the work becomes meaningful and substantive in more ways than a paycheck. That is what brings the human reality into it. When work transforms itself from jobs and into careers that develop human life for one’s self and others.
