Week 15 Labor of Love Myth

The Labor of Love myth, as described in Sarah Jaffe’s “Work Wont Love You Back”, is the idea that if you love your job, you wont have to work a day in your life. Jaffe brings attention to the possibiliy of unecessary sacrifices made for someone to love their job. I think that there is a lot of pressure put on those fresh out of highschool to hurry and figure out what they want to do. It is implied that a career is the most important thing for them at that time and to only prioritize that. Throughout life, jobs expect employees to put their jobs first. Personally, Ive experienced a work environemnt in which I was expected to put the part-time job above all other responsibilties, including school. I know I am not the only person to have had a manager with these expectations. If this is the criteria for a part-time job at a restuarant, I can imagine what is being said to and expected of employees who are actively trying to pursue their career. I feel that it is way too common for a person to become burnt out, especially in situations like this. Considering that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, I think we as a society should stop prioritizing the job itself and start focusing on the individual performing the job. There are so many other placing for someone to find happines and purpose. It can be found through family, friends, self-adventure, and so many other things. We should stop putting so much pressure on a person to find the perfect job for them that they love and allow people to actually live life. There is so much more to it than work.