Name Name

Paper #4

Individual Definition of Work

      “Put forth effort” is what an individual finds when looking up the definition of the word “work” in the dictionary; however work, cannot be judged by effort in all situations, one may have to take other variables into account. Work must be defined by the quality of results received from the amount of time and precision one puts in the situation. Work provides steps leading to achieving an accomplishment. Work is such a broad term due to the variety of settings it occurs in and different definitions of the level of effort required. Work is not one’s occupation, and it is not how long one is at his or her job in one day. Work is what a person puts into a job and the tasks that people are able to complete. Work is one factor that depicts the quality of one’s product and it varies in definition through the years. This can be seen by looking at older generations and current generations as they define work. 
      
      Older generations and younger generations differ in the way they show the amount of work they put into something. The times were different and that is why their viewpoints are different. Those from older generations often tell stories to the younger individuals to glorify the “good old days,” to glorify their perception of work. My grandparents personified this image. My grandparents would be continually active from sunrise to sundown, and if one tried to take the easy way out, that person was shamed. Pride is what continually inspired them to continue progressing in their work. A family name was something to be proud of, and if a family member let down the family, everyone in the family would be embarrassed. I do not believe that their level of work was based on a monetary value. There was more behind the underlying meaning. Older generations define work by the degree of pleasing other people, and how one appears to other people. Days were not taken off and there was not a vacation week. Resting was done on Sunday when the work for the week was all completed. I believe that this generation worked to maintain a respectable family name. I believe that my father exemplifies the definition of a hard worker for his generation. He works “24 hours a day and seven days a week,” and during this time, he is doing it to please other people. These traits were passed on to my father from his parents, and they have been passed on to his children. In some families, the passing of those characteristics is starting to dwindle away, and pride is becoming less of a priority.
      Hard work was a quality instilled in people many years ago. Years ago a person would be embarrassed if they were known as a person that did not work hard. If one was unemployed and not finding solutions to solve their problem, one was shunned by the community. Some people now who are not employed are simply reaping the benefits from the government. Additionally, I believe government assistance is essential, but some people become comfortable with the help and do not try to gain back their financial independence. An example of current generations that would refute the last statement is that my friends and I are all employed and saving money to better prepare ourselves for later in life. Now, people in our society have to be employed if they want to provide their family with a comfortable way of living. Women have to work now in order to maintain a suitable way of life.
      
      People now think work can only be done on the days Monday through Friday between the hours of nine to five. Society states that the amount of work someone does is proportional to the amount of money a person makes. I do not believe an athlete works harder than a mechanic. Both work just as hard while working, but the two occupations have different skills in different areas. Another difference is that the athlete has a rare talent and it is harder to find people who can satisfy the requirements of that specific job. They may both have the same level of expertise, just in a different area. Society now puts emphasis on the number of hours one works. Eight hours as a brain surgeon is not going to be the same experience as eight hours as a janitor. This does not mean that one job is more important that the other, but there are different levels of stress involved.
      In conclusion, the definition of work has evolved vastly throughout the years. In the present day work is considered a necessity. Individuals work to find self gratification, to fill personal needs, and, most importantly for some, to pay bills. Work is not just carried out through one’s job. It can be seen by the amount of effort one puts into marriage or how much time one spends working on their house. Either way both require patience, background knowledge and time. Work takes time no matter how old one is.  Work is a way of improving results. Work is the one factor that depicts the quality of one’s product, and it varies in definition through the years. This can be seen by looking at older generations and current generations as they define work.