Comments on: Vocation: The Necessity of Dead Work

By: Jordan

Jordan — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:08:59 +0000

Great, great article. You continue to produce great material that I am sure helps thousands of men around the world. Keep them coming!

By: Josh Knowles

Josh Knowles — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:12:56 +0000

So true! I think this is why many college/university programs require you to do an internship. I know this was one of the biggest things I learned through interning with one of my professors…

As a student all you see is the prof at the front of the classroom amazing everyone with his/her wisdom and knowledge and wit. You experience your mind and the minds of your peers being expanded and you learn to think in new ways.

But tag along with a professor for a year and you see quite a different story. You see ages spent reading the latest books arguing different sides of any given number of debates. You see long afternoons and late nights marking exams and essays. You see calls to the academic dean because some students cheated. You see valuable time given to preparing powerpoint presentations only to have the computer crash and destroy your work. You see the office light on at 6:00 am on weekdays and 7:00 am on Saturdays.

Do I still want to teach? Yes, because I think that is what I am made to do. But now I think I understand that nothing is easy. There are no shortcuts, and yet that’s OK.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 29 May 2010 18:16:58 +0000

Bravo! It is good to be reminded that the only truly good things in life are those things we work hard for.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:27:28 +0000

Brett,
Thank you. This site you’ve created is wonderfully encouraging and helpful.
You’re posts are both entertaining and insightful, and the selections you’ve chosen from this book are a great encouragment.
I’m sure to spread the word on this (site & post), you can be assured.

By: Brett McKay

Brett McKay — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:16:56 +0000

@Mike-

I deleted old Yaba’s comment for violating our comment policy by using a false email address (not to mention excessive whininess and obtuseness), but I appreciate your retort!

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:05:49 +0000

Yaba, This is a selection from a book, not the personal writing of Brett and Kate. How about losing the condemning, critical tone? If you feel that way, don’t go buy the book. Don’t read the post. Forget about your individualistic, where-is-my-slice-of-the-pie attitude. Go do a job-aptitude test, or write down a list of careers you could be stuck in for all your life and be content.

By: Joseph C

Joseph C — Sat, 29 May 2010 06:20:48 +0000

Nothing Without Labor

By: Philip

Philip — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:46:34 +0000

Thanks for another superior selection for writing. I think ever since the connection was made between the excesses of consumerism and the manliness of what men produce was made the Art of Manliness has made huge steps with the blog to identify the most potent expression of the masculine energy every man possesses within himself: hard work for a noble purpose.

Life is more than work, but too often people have taken that to the level that work merely exists to support leisure, not that work itself could be a noble task in itself that can still support leisure.

If you were to do a lessons in manliness on someone who knew their noble cause I would suggest Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. He made a commitment to public service where he would only work enough for pay to support his family and spend the rest of his time employing his talents and skills helping society.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:16:31 +0000

I have a passion and calling to full time Christian ministry, God has placed in my nature such a passion for teaching you might call it intrinsic. This bit of dead work, I am currently stuck in is a sorce of great temptation to grumbling and inconstant dedication. I have to continually remind myself of Pauls admonition to, “Do your work heartily as if for the Lord rather than for men.” This journey is long and hard, but the goal is high and pure. Right now I work retail, making ends meet as I strive to finish my education and seek opportunities to serve where possible.

Thank you for the boost of much needed confidence, and more importantly courage to continue. Often I think we feel a terrible grinding from the seemingly mechanistic pace of everyday life, specifically those steps on the yellow brick road… or desert wanderings. Thank you.

By: WorthyOfNoName

WorthyOfNoName — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:12:17 +0000

This reminds me of a quote from an article I read in MacLean’s Magazine entitled “The true meaning of work? It’s money.”

“… in the end, the real bill of goods we’ve been sold is the idea that the work that feeds our bellies should also nourish our soul. As Joe Heath writes in his book Filthy Lucre, the market is a ruthless destroyer of dreams. Every kid wants to grow up to be a rock star or an astronaut or a firefighter, but the vast majority end up as cubicle drones or assembly-line widgets, not from choice but from necessity. There’s a reason why they call it work, and a reason why they pay you.”

source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/08/20/the-true-meaning-of-work-it’s-money/

IMO, Facing that reality is being man.