Originally Posted by Primula (Post 10029429)

^What kind of music do you make?

Originally Posted by Uncle Ebenezer (Post 10029431)

Originally Posted by Primula (Post 10029434)

^Is one of those guys Sultan of Swing?

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 10029436)

I'm the bald one.

Originally Posted by Primula (Post 10029439)

You should have said I'm the cute one!

:)

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing (Post 10029447)

All the music is played by me.

Originally Posted by Primula (Post 10029449)

Good stuff!

Originally Posted by elop (Post 10027820)

After reading many of the threads over the past couple of months I've seen many people compare the work ethics of UK/US in terms of living to work and working to live so I thought the topic deserved its own thread.
In most (all?) cases people seem to favour working to live. Am I the only one who prefers to live to work?

Maybe my understanding is different from others:

work to live:
don't particularly want to work but are forced to to "stay alive"
if suddenly won the lottery would not be working, or doing anything similar to work.
very clear business/pleasure divide.

live to work:
Most would still need the money, but is not the main incentive.
Enjoys job - would volunteer for extra work etc...
If suddenly won the lottery would probably still be doing the same thing (but perhaps slightly less)

Have I completely missed the point somewhere?

Originally Posted by Mr Weeze (Post 10029474)

I'll do a 12 hour day, work a weekend, get to the heliport & stay up 48 hours when I thought it was just going to be another day when I need to. But it has to be worth it - I won't do it because it is expected or I need to.

Originally Posted by Mr Weeze (Post 10029474)

I would say that is drive as opposed to an addiction, and that is the bit you miss out.

Originally Posted by Mr Weeze (Post 10029474)

People are driven to do all sorts of things - play instruments well, improve their golf game, play footy. Living for it is an entirely different thing

Originally Posted by Mr Weeze (Post 10029474)

- change the word work for alcohol or cocaine or gambling and see what you think of. I wouldn't call any of that positive.

Originally Posted by elop (Post 10029820)

Yes I agree, but doesn't that apply to everyone? If you don't enjoy the work, or the money then there is no incentive - there has to be at least one of those, in whichever category - preferably both, but I understand that it is not always the case


I get the impression you're describing mainly office jobs. I could see it as an addition if someone were working in the most depressive of offices with no natural light and somehow they still wanted to work extra even without money incentives. Addiction is where you're doing something you hate, but you think you like it and need it. I recently discovered that I don't actually like smoking and yet I do it anyway and quite frequently...that's addiction. So personally I would say that work to live would be closer to addition as its not really something you want to do.

If a mechanic tinkered with cars outside his core hours, people wouldn't call him driven or addicted, but his activities would probably be seen as a hobby - therefore given his job involves the same it is also his hobby. Why would this concept not apply if the tinkering happens in an office, rather than a garage - that's just geography.




I don't really understand the difference. No matter what people do it won't be the only thing that they do. Perhaps its a 21st century thing where life is only considered things that don't involve sitting in front of a screen. Damn, I'm starting to sound old, I'm only 30, I swear :)
I also do things outside work but I see living as both.


Let me give that a try.....
I went into the office today to do some cocaine, but there was no one there due to the weekend so I went home and I as able to do at least 4 hours of cocaine without interruption which I then emailed to my cocaine manager ready for a full day of cocaine on Monday.....oh dear....


One last thought.... if you met someone for the first time and they asked you to describe your life....would you start to describing the golf that you do every other Sunday, or the work that you do everyday? If the latter, wouldn't that imply that work is the main part of your life?

Originally Posted by Beaverstate (Post 10029838)

you don't need to enjoy the work or the money for an incentive to work. How about living expenses? Or were you born with the silver spoon in your mouth?

Originally Posted by elop (Post 10029820)

One last thought.... if you met someone for the first time and they asked you to describe your life....would you start to describing the golf that you do every other Sunday, or the work that you do everyday? If the latter, wouldn't that imply that work is the main part of your life?

Originally Posted by Noorah101 (Post 10030110)

"Describe your life" is too vague. If someone asked me to "describe your life", I would say "my life is really great, I'm very happy, I have very few worries and stresses, and I feel my life is very well-balanced." I wouldn't offhand mention either work nor hobbies in answer to that question. The question would have to be more specific, actually asking about one or the other, in order to provoke a response describing my work vs my hobbies.

Rene