I don't see it that way. "Living" can work as both a noun and a verb. When I use it as a noun, I say that I'm a press operator. But when I use it as a verb, I say that I read books, I play, sing, and write music, I try to write stories, I do a little drawing, I try to get out of the apartment and unwind in a park or go to a restaurant or whatever, and so on.
I do consider my being in the printing business a substantial aspect of who and what I am as an individual -- hell, I've been in the printing business for just over one-quarter of my life, so that can't even reasonably be avoided at this point, can it? But no single aspect of me has a monopoly over all the others. Nor should any.
I know who my bosses are. And that's fine with me. It's when they start taking on a master's airs that I start taking it personally. You can yoke me, you can even whip me, and still go to bed worry-free. You try to brand me, though, those whippings you've given me will take on a whole new meaning in my mind. I won't say I'll curb stomp you, but only becaue I have absolutely no idea what I will do.
Maybe people should think about that, too...
it's a way of asking "what are you contributing to society?" and we live in a society where everyone is expected to earn their keep and we are judged and defined as "human doings."
Jim, indeed, what we do is some significant part of who we are, but the image society holds of what we do, exists in radical opposition to the complete picture of who we are as individuals.
CG: on your indirect recommendation, i am reading Debord. good stuff.
it's a way of asking "what are you contributing to society?" and we live in a society where everyone is expected to earn their keep and we are judged and defined as "human doings."
True, that.
What do I do for a living? I try to survive this mess. Don't know if I'm doing such a great job, but I try.
The only answer to "What do you do?" is "Well, Thank you, very much."
I stop by your blog on occassion...always a good read, a good thought.
Yes, what we do "for a living" most often has nada to do with who we are. Tho it is an easier question to answer than "who are you?"
Commenting by HaloScan
