Philosophy #1

“Working”

        So first off, one usually grows up with the idea that you get educated, so you can master a talent, and work the rest of your days doing that, right? The typical order of life: school, work, death, and somewhere in between the atrocities of love,marriage, and children. Well. Then in this equation there are many variables:

Variable A = You do not have a “specialization” and wander endlessly from a temp job to another.

Variable B = You have a specialization, thrive in it, and ultimately become master in this specialization.

Variable C =You absolutely hate what you do, but you teach yourself to accept the circumstances.

Yet, for all of these variables, my question is still the same.
What is the point of this so-called “rat race”?

Variable A, you ultimately end up either finding Variable B, or just continuing to live the improvisational way of life, and indulging in risk and insecurity.

Variable B, brings you happiness, you accomplish what you desire, and are respected by peers, considered the master of your “art”, but after all that, what comes next? Does happiness not become dull after a while? Are we not humans after all? Never do we truly appreciate something when we have it in full.

Variable C, brings routine, the force of learning to “just live with it”, and doesn’t bring happiness, nor misery. It is the insipid of the variables.

Yet, all of them come to this end. This end of life.
Where you are either content, or discontent.

Respected or not.

Loved or hated.

Remembered or forgotten.

Many times one can see that old mythological stories describe the desire of achieving immortality and everlasting glory.

To me, this process still goes on.
There is only a certain amount of things that we can do for ourselves and our own happiness, until we seek the respect of others around us also.

This desire to be accepted in the past century has been outdated, and the mentality of “not caring what others say” has been instilled in many.

Yet, I beg to differ.

I believe we all truly have this need in us.
No matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that we don’t care.
We do.
There is always one person who’s admiration/respect we seek.
Whether it be a parent, spouse, or hopeful acquaintance.

And to this I pose my question.
If after all, we say that our work is for ourselves, yet when wanting to satisfy ourselves, we actually satisfy our needs to be accepted, are we not working to achieve the ancient desire of everlasting respect and glory?