MunkySpunk

Tijana Milosevic: Workaholism in America: A European's Perspective

Justin Stoneman: America: A Big, Fat, Stupid Nation

Christ almighty... Pick one already you stupid fucking world. Which is it?

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"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

10/11 - 24, Smote on Feb 13

Biggs

The US really is a 'workaholic' culture -- it's amazing to see other developed countries and how their working culture operates. In America, most people average 2 weeks of vacation a year -- sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. Regardless of the time, in most positions, it's a hassle for everyone but you, to take that time. Most cant take both weeks consecutively, and many are 'on call' so to speak during said vacation.

Other places, like France, have WAY more vacation time earned per year that is EXPECTED to be taken. In my research into MBA programs, it's fascinating to talk with other potential candidates from places such as France where they have this absolute fear of working in the states due to the lack of 'you' time you're 'allowed' to have. Coming from their working culture, I'd be horrified too.

MunkySpunk

Euros have notoriously poor work ethics in my field, while as you'd expect, Asians are the hardest workers and Americans settle somewhere in the middle. So, as a result, we get flak for being greedy and working too hard from the Euros and for not caring about our futures and being too lazy from the Asians... hence the thread. Go figure.

We gotta be the biggest bunch of conniving, shortcut seeking, sick day taking, honest, hard-working, lazy SOB's on the planet.

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"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

10/11 - 24, Smote on Feb 13

Biggs

Hahah

I was talking with some folks over an 'open house' type event at a school I was looking at and a few of the Europeans were horrified that we didn't get 6-7 weeks of vacation per year. They kept asking about good career paths in the states with a good work/life balance and when we'd list off some 45-55 hr/week jobs with 3 weeks of paid vacation that fit their 'desired income' range, they thought we were joking. They all wanted the good pay WITH the 7 weeks of paid vacation AND the 40 hour max work week. Needless to say, most of them sound as if they'll head right back across the pond upon obtaining their degree. As for your reference regarding the Asians, they tended to all want to head into the elite-income jobs where you're working 100 hour weeks. It's definitely an interesting phenomenon.

KIRKRIDER

I don't want 100 hour a week or to be rich. I want time to spend with my kids and on my board. Work to live, not the other way around.
Having time to travel, read, learn, share and be just yourself makes for a more rounded more intelligent and more savy person.

But here we grow consumers, not persons. The lazier and less informed..the better. They are easier and better..consumers.

Smell the coffee?

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nzboardlife

Sounds like an entire spectrum of individuals are being put into single label groups again, I think I've seen this before.

MunkySpunk

Ironic, as this thread is about Americans being put into two groups: lazy philistines or selfish workaholics. Funny how there's no room for the middle ground... you're either one extreme or the other.

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"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

10/11 - 24, Smote on Feb 13

nzboardlife

And aparently neither group is a great one to be in

KIRKRIDER

It all depends where you are coming from. Europe went trough battles for the working class last century. Here we all came to work, and move elsewhere to follow it. Good for opportunities, very bad for building a solid framework for the rights of the workers.
Not to mentions that unions have the same reputation as the Kmer Rouges here in us..that I find ridicolous. Without unions there would be no minimum wage, rights of the workers and so on...

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Phenom

The sooner you realize that everything you do in life is about making money, even from as early as grade school, the sooner questions like these will be answered for you. People who work those 60 hour weeks do it for one of two reasons: 1) They need the extra money or 2) They're company forces them too in order to make more profit. Either way you look at it, everything in America is about money. It's just one huge business.

It's a very common mentality for people to never want to take a job they they don't really enjoy, and that it's never about the money. I personally am the opposite. If I was ever in a job that I absolutly hated, I would leave in a heartbeat. But if I had a well paying job doing something that I didn't necessarily enjoy or the work was very difficult or something, I would keep quite, man up and grind it out because I know my gf/future wife and my future kids will benefit from it, and that's enough to keep me going.

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