The last few decades have been “years of plenty,” a time of unprecedented abundance. Memories of scarcity are reserved only to the oldest generations now living and we, as a nation, have grown accustomed to what seems to be limitless abundance. If history teaches us anything, it is that complacency is quick to take root in times of abundance. Our era is no exception.
The body of our nation is suffering from a potentially dangerous systemic condition. This condition is caused not by a lack of capability or potential, rather, it is due to an imbalance that has manifested so slowly over time that the change has gone largely unnoticed. The way we view hard work, particularly the “dirty jobs” and other types of trade and infrastructural work in our country, will likely cause serious trouble if left unchanged.
Our nation’s manufacturing base is shrinking and our nation’s infrastructure is in need of attention. Our focus on technology and the service sector have produced incredible gains and advances, but the core jobs relating to infrastructural development and maintenance have taken quite a hit over the last few decades.
Mike Rowe, host of the popular Discovery Channel show, “Dirty Jobs” shared an interesting perspective on hard work in this intriguing talk (his opening story is a bit graphic, but stick with it, his points are excellent):
I remember seeing the wartime and post-world war ads promoting the idea of work in our country while studying history in middle school. It was an interesting time for our country. The need to band together and to do the hard work to create a solid foundation was at the forefront of consciousness, not some distant memory as it is now.
I wonder what can be done to restore public interest and conviction about the importance of this type of work? As Mike points out those who work in tough physical situations are often the happiest people around, though fewer and fewer people are interested in those types of jobs. Do we risk sabotoging our infrastructure by placing so much emphasis on the new service-based economy? An interesting conundrum.
We need to question our assumptions about work as a nation, ask ourselves if we are on the right track or perhaps better, if we are on a sustainable path to a successful future. Hollywood, the media, schools, families and governmental agencies can all play a part in helping to restore the notion of a “good hard day’s work” and a “job well done” to their rightful place in our society.
So can you! It doesn’t matter if you lead from the front or lead from the back. What matters it that you are leading…
Gregory Hake 
The passion should be to play one’s part. That requires calibrating one’s compass beyond the usual biases so that we can see where we are most needed, be proud to assume that position, and also where we can welcome and encourage others to assume responsibility where they are most needed and able to contribute. Let them know their value! Mike Rowe has elevated the need for those to do ‘dirty jobs’ to a code red as far as the future of our nation is concerned. Some of your posts have been looking at the matter of civic responsibility recently and I would venture to say perhaps there is no greater responsibility than the points highlighted today.
LikeLike
Thanks, Mitch. I fear for our future if we don’t find a way to rekindle the pioneering work ethic that built our great nation.
LikeLike
Gregg, what Mike Rowe presented on TED and what you further expounded on here is so utterly eye opening – it is genius! The idea of following one’s ‘passion’ was completely dismantled for me, and yet what I found was a the intrinsic passion to add value to this world no matter what that requires. And that takes a truthful looking at what the need is at hand, not just the fantasy of status, fixed ideas of what my role should be, and flat out prejudices I might have about types of work and who should do them. I think his humility is huge to come to the realization that what seemed like polar opposites, or the idea of one or the other being and expendable part of the whole, are in fact two sides of the same coin – clean and dirty, innovation and imitation, risk and responsibility, peripetia and anagnorisis… As Mike says, the manual labor side of it is what makes it as equally possible as the genius that went inside of it. It puts everyone on a level playing field to experience creative fulfillment in, or a love for, what they do – in that sense I too can admit I’ve gotten a lot wrong in my views, and I’m glad to eat my piece of humble pie today and have gained some new awe and respect for the ‘dirty’ jobs.
LikeLike
It is interesting to me that all data points to the fact that we are getting father and farther away from happiness in our society, all in the name of progress. Were there a greater depth of appreciation for the complementary nature of things now seen to be opposing camps, e.g. labor/management, sales/accounting, white collar/blue collar, the world would be a more productive and happier place.
LikeLike
Your blog reminded me of one of the first lessons that I learned as I was growing up, and that lesson was the Work Ethic. It was drilled into me as a child that if you are going to do something then do it all the way, and that is regardless of the work. I was also taught that regardless of what job you had, do it to the best of your ability and take pride in it – that you would not be asked to do it unless it was important.
Those lessons were taught to me as a very young person, during World War 11 and right after the great depression, and they have stayed with me since.
And today, that appreciation of a job well done still exists with me, and that the longer that I am in business the more I appreciate a person who, regardless of their position, takes pride in what they are doing. The greatness of any company is totally dependent on all of the people in that company taking pride in what they are doing, regardless of their position. And those people need to be recognized for what they are providing, encouraged, and appreciated.
And as a manager of others, I must add that the first thing that I look for in others before I extend an offer to them is the Work Ethic, for the work ethic is really a reflection of their character. Without it one is guaranteed to fail, and with it one is assured of creating and participating in something where success is sustainable and joyful at the same time!
LikeLike
I appreciate your comment today, Chuck. A well-developed work ethic does seem to separate the men from the boys and the women from the girls. I suppose it is the natural result of a well-balanced childhood, but like so many things, balance is the exception not the rule. Most have to learn work ethic in the “school of hard knocks,” which does offer degrees of all types, particularly the third degree!
Taking pride in what you do does seem to be a key component, as you mention. It’s one thing to be “on a mission,” fanatically and desperately driving yourself to achieve an arbitrary goal, but quite another to do what you do with everything you’ve got because you take great pride in your work. True pride begets true passion. True passion begets true progress. True progress begets a state of happiness.
LikeLike
It seems that “hard work” by way of physical labor is so often looked down upon, but without which our country will fail to thrive. The most dangerous condition is one that creeps up on you without your knowledge, can we fix the infrastructure if we don’t acknowledg that it is broken? This was a great approach to taking a closer look at our responsibility today as it pertains to this dangerous condition and realizing that it even exhists in the first place. I think we can effect the outcome if we take the steps to “restore” the notion of “a good day’s hard work” to it’s rightful place. Our children will rely on this example from us as they make their decisions regarding their place in the world. Maybe the use of ani-depressants will drop with this shift as well!!!
LikeLike
Here is a passage from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book The Wisdom of the Sands, “The one thing that matters is the effort. It continues, whereas the end to be attained is but an illusion of the climber, as he fares on and on from crest to crest; and once the goal is reached it has no meaning.”
I think this quote might help to explain Rowe’s observation that he finds these workers to be very happy. These jobs usually require concentrated effort involving physical exertion, focus (as many can be hazardous) and skill. Most of our joy and fulfillment is in the journey.
According to another book we have referred to in this blog, Flow, these are the requirements for optimal experience.
It’s interesting as a country we have been chasing this goal or dream of optimal experience (happiness) and at the same time demeaning one of the principal ways of attaining it.
Great subject and Rowe’s comments on our technical school’s falling enrollment is so important to look at. The next time a parent or young person answers the question (that is invariably asked when some one graduates from high school) what their plans for the future are; how will you answer and what will your thoughts be when they say they want to be an electrician, plumber or farmer? Will you secretly hope they come to their senses and go to college or suggest to the parent they can always go to night school later; or will you genuinely congratulate them and do your part to inoculate our country and halt the advance of this “systemic condition” of ignorance.
I love your topics Gregg because a shift in our own views has an immediate effect on the situation and that is how this world can be changed.
LikeLike
Thanks and great quote. Have a great day!
LikeLike
I think Rowe is definitely on the right track here. The paradigm shift that our nation has gone through is reversible. Hopefully we will not need to learn it through the forced hard lesson of a real decay in infrastructure. We -can- change the way our nation views hard work as a whole. A great plus is that when people try their hand at working hard, they discover that almost nothing gives you a sense of well being like hard physical work. Just watch an episode of dirty jobs to see for yourself how much fun people have doing the jobs no one seems to want.
LikeLike
OMG – it’s too early to laugh that hard!, and yet it is a very interesting topic to consider.
My Grandfather inspired me to not be afraid of or feel like I was above any level of work – just do it. And he would say if you’re out of a job, go get another, it’s that simple….there is no complaining, no pity, no hand outs…there are plenty of jobs needed to be done – just find one and do it.
It represents the change in generational perspective – that mentality extinct – interesting topic to consider…..
and thanks for the laughter!
LikeLike