Workaholics

In the article “ The Busy Trap” Kreider tries to convince readers to chose time over money. He makes numerous points including how boasting about busyness takes the form of a complaint. He insults those who voluntarily take on obligations by remarking that they are obsessed with always being occupied. However, the basis for such a conclusion is founded on only a few examples of individuals who were negatively affected by the burden of work. In Kreider’s opinion it is wasteful to be busy all the time because life is too short to work more than 5 hours per day and not spend enough time in one’s happy place. What is your happy place? Picture it and stay there for a while letting your thoughts flow. Notice that your thinking becomes more positive and somewhat out of reach. Next, imagine a life with minimal stress that includes little to no work and much enjoyment; now you 're floating back to reality because that type of life is not in the grasps of most. Similarly, Kreider writes his article as if most people have plenty of time to waste, and to enjoy themselves, as he has. Kreider’s overall point that people keep themselves busy to escape the feelings of emptiness is both ignorant and a reflection of his narrow perspective of the world. His opinion that people feel apprehensive when not working, along with the fact that most people wouldn’t be content living the lifestyle Kreider is promoting, plus his support towards the propositions of full unemployment and a

This essay presents the argument that instead of keeping a busy life, we should live a carefree and relaxed life instead. The busyness that overtakes our lives often comes subconsciously, which we submit to, without even realizing it ourselves. This supports Kreider’s claims that busyness is a “trap”. He also points out that once it has begun to overtake our lives, we begin to accept it and are led to believe that there is no way to avoid it. Once we start to believe that busyness is an unavoidable part of life, then we fall into the “busy trap.” The author also encourages the audience to avoid a busy lifestyle giving several reasons why a relaxed lifestyle is more ideal. The author also challenges the audience to avoid busyness and to strive towards a less stressful lifestyle.

Sooner or later, the addictions will destroy the person within, like alcohol destroys an alcoholic over time. A work addict can use work much like an alcoholic uses liquor to self-medicate, manage control and avoid feelings. Denial is an essential problem for alcoholics and workaholics. Such people deny ever doing anything wrong. An alcoholic can be sneaky by hiding liquor bottles, as a workaholic is sneaky by working late at night while everyone else is sleeping. A workaholic gets high off the adrenaline from doing three or four things at one time, they will go through withdrawal as they come off their work, even crash and sleep in their clothes like an alcoholic coming off a drunk. They will find themselves asking a question three times, getting in the car and forgetting where they are going, being absent-minded. When you look at the trajectory, workaholism follows a similar path as alcoholism. Both alcoholics and workaholics have a way to run away when times get tough, either through the bottle or to the job. The difference between alcoholics and workaholics is the meaning of each. Alcoholic is someone who is addicted to drinking and workaholics is someone who is addicted to working. Although, alcoholics usually have a harder time paying bills and keeping money because they spend most of their money by buying liquor or beer, while workaholics usually have a great deal of money.

If someone has a set schedule, for example nine to five Monday through Friday, and they have to be there, even when they don’t have anything to do because, they have finished all tasks, and met all goals assigned to them. They should ask their supervisor if there is something they need them to do, or if they have something they can help them with. It is very important to be clear when informing their boss of their lack of work. If their boss says they don’t have anything right then for them, then they have taken the correct steps to inform their supervisor that they have nothing to fill their time. There really shouldn’t be very many of these situations in a business setting though, and if there is, then I believe there is a deeper issue at the company than employees playing on their

Workaholism is a disorder that has ruined the lives of many individuals. The need to work can over shadow and dominate a person. Workaholism is a disorders that is driven by the person themselves. Shifron (1999) writes that the disorder itself not only dramatically affects the person but “also negatively affects the individual’s entire family system and society. This disorder dramatically takes a toll on the person’s mental and physical ability to deal with everyday reality. A workaholic may even fantasize about work during leisure time and family events (Snir, 2008). To a workaholic their drive to work is viewed as a gift or luxury to their loved ones. But in reality working is an escape from the problems, hardships, and insecurities a workaholic has. In this article workaholism is shown as a disorder that can easily ruin lives ranging from the workaholic to those in close proximity. Workaholism can easily be noticed and employers should take the necessary steps to help a workaholic out of their habits. Plotrowski and Vondanovich (2008) suggest that employers “encourage workaholics to participate in counseling.”

Americans that work too many long shifts affect the lives of the people around them too. For instance, one statistic from a Family Matters Survey done by The National Partnership for Women & Families in 1998 found that, “70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children”.Another statistic from this survey reported that over 80% of Americans found it diffcult to balance their work life and their personal life. In fact, it is estimated that around 11 million children age 5 and under spend time in a form child care facility every week(Child Care Aware of America). It is also estimated that children whose

Etzioni uses 3-4 statistics all showing reasoning that working does more bad than good when its comes to developing into a conscientious and abounding adult. From proving it distracts from school, impedes social development and creates an unhealthy consumeristic mindset that drops kids into a mindset of instant gratification which is hazardous to their internal locus of control.

In “The Abolition of Work” by Bob Black, work is depicted as the cause of all problems of the world today. Bob argues that the only way the world’s problems will end is when people realize that they need to stop working. He proposes the adoption of playful ways of doing things in life rather than having to work. While “Summertime Dues” Walter Kirn uses his experience in a summer job to question the integrity and usefulness of such jobs to the youth. While summer jobs are supposed to instill responsibility and character in youths, both Bob Black have a similar voice on why working and can cause misery and not really teach anyone, anything.

In “Doing Nothing Is Something” by Anna Quindlen, she explains that the children need leisure time during summer because it can be beneficial for them to use their imagination and ability to think for themselves. From her own experience, Quindlen points out that this leisure time was essential to become the person who she is (82). Although Quindlen’s argument for children to have leisure time is reasonable in scope, she fails to recognize the essence of the problem; the lack of leisure time is the result of today’s inflexible work culture which pressures families and children. In every culture, there should be a moderate balance between work and family.

Some people may not get to see their family as often as they want to because of the struggle to balance both family and work. These articles, “Double Daddy” by Penny Parkers, “Diary of a Mad Blender: A Week of Managing Every Spare Minute” by Sue Shellenbarger, and “The Child’s view of Working Parents” by Cora Daniels and Ellen Galinksy, are all based on facts about balancing work and family. Balancing responsibilities, goals, and a personal life is a struggle for many people, but the most important priorities in life, such as family, should not be neglected. Work time can get in the way of family time. In Penny Parkers article, “Double Daddy”, she writes, “These men are saying, ‘I’m working my tail off to get ahead, for the most

In modern day society, people fill up their busy lives, trying to balance work, family, and social life, trying to achieve their idea of a “perfect life”. However, some cannot manage to do everything and focus all of their life under one aspect leaving their lives seemingly empty and unaccomplished when they die. Ellen Goodman writes a eulogy to a man, Phil, to satirize the “workaholic” lifestyle. Goodman employees rhetorical strategies to convey her attitude towards Phil, that such a workaholic archetypes have unfulfilled lives, defined by their work.

II. What consequences do workaholics suffer? a. In the article “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action” by Mayo Clinic on 2012 it is said that overworking can cause excessive stress, depression, anxiety, heart disease, insomnia, obesity and other threatening health issues. b. Another important fact that needs to be stated is that not only are workaholics affecting their health but the ones on their family circle.

There has always been a common misconception that we must work hard to find success. In some cases this is true. However according to Ellen Goodman in her article “The Company Man” success is not measured through how many hours a person works a week, but how we choose to live our life. Goodman’s article targets the atypical hard working middle class who tend to dedicate their entire lives to their job; in this case a 51 year old workaholic man named Phil who worked himself to death. She explains how the life’s of these type of people slowly deteriorates. She describes Phil as an overweight man who has no hobbies nor is involved with anything out side of work including his family. We must evaluate what is important in life and not have our whole lives revolve around work. It is important we prioritize family, have hobbies, and realize that we are just an employee nothing else.

Nobody can tell exactly how but there is a theory that workaholism starts at really early stages of life. Marilyn Machlowitz says in her book Workaholics supports this theory and says that this whole process starts when children play games that are connected with real time jobs or they play games connected with getting money such as selling lemonade or old magazines. She also says that children of workaholics are about to become ones in their later life development. The addiction to the child of a workaholic is not passed actively. The workaholics don’t tell their children to work or not to work a lot. The reason is that children often want to be as successful as their parents. Machlowitz later on in her book also says that some children think if they don’t show the best results in school their parents will not love them and therefore start working more than they should. But however it is not only the childhood that makes people workaholics. Although it might be the best period to make person think like a workaholic, the adult phase of life is the most important. The most common target of workaholism is people that have high responsibility jobs. Their motivation is fear. Workaholics on high positions just hate to fail and feel inferior to all other workers that are bellow them. Therefore they are double-checking all possibilities that are

"Work" is a positive thing for many people. To some people, it may be described as a place to escape from the kids, or even a time consumption thing for a single or retired person, but most importantly it is what we do in order to provide for our families and ourselves. Work is something that we all will experience at one time or another during our lives.