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    The Futility of Work: Volume I: Motivators
    The Futility of Work: Volume I: Motivators
    The Futility of Work: Volume I: Motivators
    Ebook74 pages1 hour

    The Futility of Work: Volume I: Motivators

    By Charles P. Patterson

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    About this ebook

    Every creature the world-over works to survive, yet all humans seem to possess a penchant for working that surpasses the needs of survival alone. So, what are we working for? From where do we derive our desire to work? The Futility of Work attempts to tackle the fundamental questions of our desires – and the efforts we are willing to put forth in achieving them. In Volume I: a distinction is made concerning what it means to be human (as opposed to just another animal), work is clearly defined along with its cause, and the universal motivators that inspire all human kind to work are covered.

    With the current state of world affairs and recent changes in the meaning of “The American Dream”, it is more important than ever to understand the genuine value of work, the forces that motivate us, and how to apply them for real-world results. A call to quit chasing dreams and start living the life that we have been given, The Futility of Work is one of a kind in its realistic and unabashed viewpoints on all that makes us human – our work.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCharles P. Patterson
    Release dateJul 20, 2014
    ISBN9781310529443
    The Futility of Work: Volume I: Motivators
    Author

    Charles P. Patterson

    Charles P. Patterson centers much of his life around his wife Tanya, and their six children: Ally, Nathan, Mathew, Katie, Brandon, and Abby. Author of The Futility of Work, when Charles is not writing you can usually find him spending time with the family or engaging in some manner of learning (whether direct, or through hobby). Over the years, Charles has held positions from hard-wood hauling to hardware engineering -- from door-to-door salesman to national trainer for a Fortune 500 company. While Charles has resided or engaged in extended travel to cities across the US, he considers St. Louis, Seattle, and Dallas to be his hometowns. Just as various places, occupations, and events have shaped Charles' life, they continue to be a driving force that shapes his work.

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      Book preview

      The Futility of Work - Charles P. Patterson

      The Futility of Work

      Volume I: Motivators

      Charles P. Patterson

      Copyright 2014 Charles P. Patterson

      Smashwords Edition

      1st Ed. – 07/19/2014

      Dedication

      Dedicated to my loving wife Tanya, and our six amazing children: Alicia, Nathaniel, Mathew, Katherine, Brandon, and Abagail.

      Special thanks to Charles L. and Cynthia M. Patterson, the late Randall P. Scott, Eugene Adams, the late James Binion Sr., and James Binion the younger.

      From these thirteen people, I have learned most of what I know about life.

      Disclaimer

      In the pages that follow, a large number of stories and illustrations are shared. Though this book may be a catalog of stories, there is only one story contained herein that matters – and it is told as a common thread across the breadth of all pages.

      Given that only the greater story holds genuine value, and the impositions associated with speaking openly about people, places, and events, all of the short-stories are fabrications. The only exceptions to the rule, are the stories told explicitly of myself. Each story is intended to reflect real-world scenarios, with genuine human emotion and sentiments, to aid the reader in relating to the concepts under discussion.

      Though this book is non-fiction (factual) in the larger discussion on the utility of work, and the futility of the large majority of its perceived rewards, it is in no way my intention to mislead you into believing in the letter of the illustrations contained herein.

      Sincerely,

      Charles P. Patterson

      Chapter 1: Overview

      This book assumes to provide a realistic view-point, as-to the meaningfulness of our individual efforts in life. Let’s face it: we all assume that our life means something, we all assume that there is some value in life that is equivalent to the joys and sorrows that we feel and experience in it. We all think that we are building toward something greater than our expended effort (be it: fame, riches, the making of a legend…respect, a legacy, or simply providing for the ability of others to exist). We all want to believe that we will never die, that there is more to this life than how we leave it, that we are more than the sum of our parts – the sum of our endeavors, our experiences, our sentiments, or the things that we have shown. But there is a truth: we are who we are, we are that which we have come to be, and we are that which we have passed on to those around us.

      So who are we? We are not a body, we are not a physical form, and we are not a man – but instead, we are ideas and beliefs. A simple collection of ideas and beliefs define our every effort in life: how much we care, how hard we are willing to try, what rewards are deemed worthy, and even who we will work for (if not for ourselves). We live and we die, but many never (truly) do either for lack of understanding the nature of their own efforts. By acknowledging the role ideas and beliefs play in our actions and decision making process, we are able to recreate the realities in which we live.

      What does any of this have to do with work… or the futility thereof? We are possessed by the ideas of generations gone by. Not a specific generation, but the sum total of all-past generations. The ideas and beliefs passed down have become us, and we in turn become them (plus a little something for the mileage). We are born with the idea that work leads to reward. We are raised with the notion that working will enable us to have health, responsibility, a longer life, and (by its rewards) will lead to our personal happiness. We typically grow old with the idea that work has stripped us of our life, our freedom, and our dreams – assuming of-course, we never achieve the one percent (which I am betting 99 out of 100 of us. And finally, we die wondering what would have been of our life, if we had spent more time indulging in the pleasures of life itself instead of being caught up in a life of things that work had promised from so early on. In the end, these things are a needless waste of concern – as it was not work that sold us short, but rather our misconception of it.

      We are raised with the mind of the world, but we live with a mind of our own. Being privy to all manner of things and being subdued only by the thoughts of our mind. We live (and search) to answer but only a hand full of questions: what is work, what reward does our work hold, what is our life worth, and does our work hold a value equal to the life that we live. There are a few questions more… but I see no point in addressing them now. The question of intelligent design versus chaos or multiple-worlds theories, sadly, will not be answered here (nor doubtfully anywhere). The question of work versus worth extends beyond any certain framework of religious belief; and is a question that, if answered satisfactorily, will benefit all who understand.

      In the pages that follow, worth is evaluated and the meaning of work is called into question. If I buy a four bedroom, three bathroom, three car garage home in the Mokena suburb of Chicago before I die, what is that worth when I am gone? And, if I fill it full of knick-knacks first? What if work provides me with a high level of culture? How long will my possessions live? How long will

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