Every profession or trade has its benefits and its hazards. We have to weigh that against our own aptitudes and desires, and find what fits us. So imagine if there was a job which paid reasonably well...not rich, but a good living, but carried with it a hazard to one's health. It involved work with a certain compound that would shorten one's life such that most people in this line of work died 20 or so years before the average life expectancy. That compound had no other side effects than to make one very content and happy until their body simply shuts down.
So the question is, would you take the job? You could look forward to a reasonable lifestyle without huge excesses or wants, and you'd be one of the happiest people regardless of circumstance, simply because of constant exposure to this compound. But you'd be shortening your life significantly. Is it worth the contentment to give up the long life, or is the longer life worth the decades of frustration and worry of day to day life?
This is not so far fetched. People mine coal, even though they know it will corrode their lungs. People do all kinds of drugs from caffeine to heroin with varying side effects on their health for the pleasures it provides. And it seems to be a common fact, that those with less responsibility seem to be generally happier than most everyone else. Hatters were known for being mad, painters too, because of the chemicals they used. Chimney sweeps were known for being happy-go-lucky, even though they breathed toxic ash all their lives and died very young. But all of these have negatives that outweigh the benefits for most people. The diseases they cause are painful, the drugs ruin ability to function, etc. But if there was a compound that simply made people happy, the work was sufficiently funded, and the only side effect was that you'd suddenly drop dead early...it's a hard question.
I think I might take that job. What about you?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
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Although I'm not applying this to a career, it did make me think of choices I have made. It made me wonder if I had chosen things out of a sense of ease or out of a desire to simplify so that I could amplify other aspects of life. For instance, some would say that losing the car was a shunning of responsibility. I've wondered that at times. However, I also looked at it another way. First off, I had to count the cost before making the change. I knew I would have to make certain sacrifices in order to not own the car. So, in some sense you could say I calculated and accepted inconvenience. And that is true. However, I feel I gained some other things I like because of what I was willing to lose. Instead of feeling that I was shunning responsibility I feel instead that I just trimmed the fat. I found myself able to get rid of some obligations that were not inherent in the kind of life I wanted to live. It would be different if I had a family, but I am fairly sure that I will remain single. If someone comes along and I anticipate children then I would make a whole new set of life decisions. In the meantime, not having a car is an unburdening that I see as responsible in light of where I want my life to go. Thanks for letting me ponder this.
ReplyDeleteTwo things your post makes me think:
ReplyDelete1. I am starting to see some responsibilities as necessary foe me, since I naturally lean so far toward the ascetic and nihilistic that I would likely be dead already if not for certain unavoidable responsibilties like family. My love for whom, makes me willing to bear things that are very heavy for me (though perhaps not for most people). Otherwise, I would easily do away with everything in attempt to be rid of what I hate so much about myself, like the compulsive scrubbing away skin to get rid of the germs. I wouldn't be a reasonable simplifier like you without that responsibility, not in this.
2. I very much respect your attitude that all opinions are based on current circumstances and subject to change. I always reserve the right to change my mind too. As a mentor of mine says, "Of course, I could be wrong."