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There is a common expression that Europeans work to live, while Americans live to work. Europeans always feel a little smug about this, since work is surely not the purpose of existence!
But I think there is a much better way to frame the question. Think about it instead as whether we care about the present or the future. Do we invest in the future – at the cost of the present? We might call that “live to work.”
Or do we maximize our enjoyment of the present – at the cost of the future? Isn’t that more or less the same as working to live? Which is also Europe writ large – a continent of childless people who plan to die before it all goes bad?
Those of us who invest in the future settle down, get married, and have children, investing considerable resources into the next generation, because that generation is the future. The long-term gains are wonderful, but the short-term costs are undeniable.
So the next time someone quotes "work to live" at me, I'll turn it around and ask if they have mortgaged their futures, like Aesop's Grasshopper, in return for fun today.
Discussion (14)
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My work in ministry helps others to live. The work of others does the same. Where does that fit in this paradigm?
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You are investing in the long term, right?
And your service is to enable others - that is the very epitome of society that takes the long view, instead of the selfish hedonistic path.
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I just read your profile. Working in hospice is incredible work. Your impact on the living makes a huge difference to their perspectives and futures.
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There's something that's so absurd about the "work to live" or "live to work". Many people pursue work that is meaningful in itself and contributes to the lives of others.
They are living their best life as they work.
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That is very consistent with my point.
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