What's The Purpose Of Hard Work?

If hedonism is merely relegated to sense-pleasures , without taking into account intellectual and spiritual pleasures, then work is obviously a means to an end, that is economic freedom to pursue pleasure.

But then one lives at the plane of the animals and birds. They too work to get good food , and the more delicious the better.

But if you give the choice of a telescope or a plate of delicious food to a man and a pig, the pig will go for the food while the man will go for the telescope.

The lower the level of civilization the greater the interest in sense-pleasures. And the greater the degree of civilization the greater the interest in subtler pleasures of the intellect. The highest degree of civilization finds expression in spiritual pleasures and bliss.

 

So India is higher than England?

Hedonists can pursue intellectual things btw.

 

Just like they can massively enjoy working so hard they have the sweat on their backs.

Who would be the real hedonist: the person merely doing what he likes, enjoys and derives pleasure from (including some hard work occasionally) or the person who's busy thinking what makes him/her a proper hedonist and who would not do certain things solely to meet that criteria?

 

I think I work to avoid pain; the pain of losing my house, starving, being poor when I retire, etc... Is the avoidance of pain the same as pleasure?

 

So it depends on the kind of work. It doesn't count for every kind of work, clearly not a lot of obligatory duties in general (but it could be). Duh.

 

I would say that avoidance behavior and seeking behavior are a fair bit different. We fear pain, such that we avoid it; we desire pleasure such that we seek it.

 

But there seems to be a relation between the two. I seek a place to live, food, a comfortable retirement and so on.

 

I sincerely pity the people who are unaware of and in denial about the gratification and pleasure hard work can get you.

 

There's a kind of justifiable satisfaction or pleasure in achievement I've experienced with some kinds of work I've done in the past. Mainly when I worked in sound recording and as a mature student, and later as part of a festival venue. Also doing the garden and things like that can give a sense of satisfaction. These days even things like getting all the laundry done can give me a good feeling.
On the other hand I've also done work that I found very dissatisfying and dull. Assembling components for air conditioning systems would be right down there, as mostly I just drilled holes and put in rivets. Not much pleasure from that. Fortunately I was able to move on, but I can sympathize with people stuck in rote and boring jobs, although some people seem to thrive even on that kind of work.

I think perhaps there's something hard wired into our brains from way back when we were hunter gatherers that gives us a feeling of satisfaction when we can sit back at the end of the day and feel we achieved something. One can imagine early people sitting around a camp fire after a successful day's hunting and feeling like celebrating the fact.

 

actually it does need a full essay, for the simple reason that we don't have standardized units and measures of happiness.

work yes; the 'work' of creating and exploring. because these are what gratify.

its the 'hard' part, i don't see as possessing any particular virtue.

 

I think hard work can be pleasurable if it produces a decent means of making money for financial stability (which is also a source of pleasure) or leisure activities. But work for the sake of working is silly.

 

To enhance the flavour of beer of course.

Can't beat a bit of hard work. Laziness is the arse of the devil.

 

I agree 100% with what you say..I worked 20 years in a dusty dangerous coalmine...
and now i'm harvesting the positive points about that==a decent state pension...financial stability..
I use my money to travel mostly...i fully enjoy my life and the way i live it...
i agree what the Samantha says==work for the sake of working==workoholics...not my piece of cake..
i always point people to my left arm tattoo wich says==

 

Yet it should be satisfying in at least some manner, I'm not for the traditional way of what is essentially "righteous slavery."



I feel it's an exchange, for instance most of my family circle and such work incredibly hard for little or no return on their part. There has to be something in it for the individual as well.