We do not enjoy our work, only our leisure. How far do you agree?
Man leads a complex life. He works to support himself and his family. During his non-working hours, he rests and spends the time with his family and friends, or with his hobbies. People look forward to weekends and holidays. 1 have also heard people say that if they were rich or if they won the lottery, they would not work anomer. It may seem as if we do not enjoy our work, we only want leisure time.
I do not agree with this. Many people may feel that they want only leisure, but if they really get their wish, I do not think they will enjoy it for very long. There is an old saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. I think, in a similar way, we can say that “All play and no work makes Jack a bored boy.” It is important for us to have balance in our lives. Work makes us feel that we are doing something worthwhile with ourselves, while our leisure enables us to have time to relax. Recently, I read a story about a man in the United States who became a millionaire after winning the lottery. He left his job and enjoyed his leisure time, which included his hobby of fishing for a couple of years. Then he went back to work. He told the reporter, “You can fish only for so long.
Work makes us independent. We are able to support ourselves. I think work is also good for our self-esteem. Everyone needs to find out where his interest and talents lie. Work also makes us strive hard, and our ancestors have always stressed that diligence is a virtue. People also enjoy work because it makes them feel that they are using their time constructively. Many wealthy people who do not have to work for a living still work for these reasons. Many people also enjoy work because it gives them an opportunity to get to know and meet other people. One of my uncles, a school teacher, chose to retire early. But after two years, he decided to go back to work. He missed the interaction with his colleagues and students.
Of course, we cannot spend all our hours working, so leisure is equally important to us. During our leisure hours, we are free to make our own choices whether to pursue hobbies or to spend time with people whose company we enjoy. We can choose to pursue a lively activity or just choose to late around reading or listening to music. Also, unlike the office or workplace, we do not have to face people with whom we do not get along with. I think this freedom makes some of us feel that we enjoy only our leisure and not our work. Leisure breaks the monotony of the working week, and because we have fewer non-working days than days of work, we cherish our leisure more.
I think people need both the discipline of work and the freedom of leisure. It is quite natural to feel that we only enjoy our leisure time because, during our free time, we are our own boss. But I think if each of us suddenly becomes rich and we are given a choice between “all leisure” or “work and leisure”, we would choose to enjoy the joys of both work and leisure.
