Dissecting the Rudiments of Work and the Individual: Do You Live to Work or Work to Live?

ANTO COMETA

Work and the individual have been regarded as the essential components of society and its institutions. The formation, growth and development of the state together with the rest of its machinery are derived from the collective functioning of individuals for the sole purpose of survival. Without the individual working, continued existence would not be possible. Dissecting the essentials of work and the values obtained and given by the individual provides a basic understanding on the worth of both work and individual to one another. But does an individual exist to provide and execute work or does the individual toils to survive?

Work has been defined in the general sense of the concept as the individual’s effort or activity performed for the purpose of providing goods or services which are of value to others. It is the creation of material commodities as well as services in which the individual may directly consume or vend to others. This provides remuneration which may be in any form whichever considered being part of the undertaking of paid or unpaid labor. Conversely, it could also be the cause of one’s disappointment and dissatisfaction. Whether the value could be seen to have minimal worth or of vast significance, how the individual perceive that particular value and how it affects his or her well being is of substance and of utmost importance.

The view of an individual functioning and existing to perform occupational activities could be deemed as somewhat fatal to one’s being. This particular discernment of an individual existing merely to provide and execute occupational tasks and functions is of less meaning or no meaning at all when carefully examined. The premise does not have any bearing on the individual’s existence as it does not provide any rationale in the individual’s life.

Work could not be estranged from the individual as work provides several indispensable values ranging from subsistence to its socio-psychological importance. These values are deemed necessary as they are needed in order for the individual to continue and provide worth to one’s self whatever that is. At the most, with respect to one’s existence, the individual whether compelled or not works to live and not the opposite.