BraveSpeaking: YOLA 11: The Great Work Myth

Adjective belonging to the essential nature of a thing

intrinsic
Ultimately, our goal must be to begin seeing work as an intrinsic part of our life, rather than an adjunct to it.

manifesto

Noun a written statement that describes the policies, goals, and opinions of a person or group

manifesto
Theodore Zeldin, an Oxford don, has the right manifesto for the future of work: its abolition. But not in the way anti-work campaigners have in mind.

abolish

Verb to officially end or stop something

abolish
Zeldin says 'We should abolish... the distinction between work and leisure, one of the greatest mistakes of the last century, one that enables employers to keep workers in lousy jobs by granting them some leisure time.'

down payment

Noun an initial or partial payment one makes to reduce a debt or to show gratitude

down payment
‘We should strive to be employed in such a way that we don't realize what we are doing is work.' Zeldin throws down the challenge for work in the 21st century. It's time to abandon the idea of work as a down payment on life.

stereotype

Noun an unfair and untrue belief that many people have about a category of people or things

stereotype
However, before we can do so, all the modern myths about work will have to be exposed: the ones that continue to stereotype work as intrinsically sapping, demeaning, and corrosive. It is time to give work a break.

YOLA 11: The Great Work Myth - p3