Happiness and work
Bertrand Russel believed that one must only sell one part of his day for livelihood and employ the remaining one for his happiness.
This means that real happiness depends on keeping as much freedom as possible and not keeping all the time engaged with work for money and progress.
The materialism fuelled by capitalism demands otherwise and believes that human beings must sell all their time for the generation of wealth.
Bertrand Russel also advocated the idea of happiness at work but the supporters of capitalistic ideology believe that more work brings more money, and more money brings happiness.
But question is about the quantity of work that is essential for one’s livelihood and amount of leisure for one’s well-being. Leisure has proved to be a bigger generator of happiness than work.
Greek people are believed to be the happiest people in the world because they spend much of their time with their friends and relatives in a leisure environment after the work they are supposed to do necessarily.
Many global business corporations provide leisure hours to their employees to keep them happy and engaged in work.
For example, Google provides an opportunity of taking a rest during work if they feel tired or bored because Google believes that by doing so, the quality of the work increases manifold.
Many global business corporations provide leisure hours to their employees to keep them happy and engaged in work. The modern civilizations of the world also provide opportunities to their people for leisure.
For example, most western and American nations have five days of work and two days for leisure for happiness and rewinding and getting better prepared for the week ahead.
They are thinking about the new concept of four days a week to further enhance the quality of work.
But some people believe that these countries can do so because of the wealth they have at their disposal but most developing countries like Pakistan cannot afford the luxury of long weekends.
They even claim that some percentage of work may be performed online from home as was done during the Corona days.
In some technologically advanced countries, the concept of digital nomads has also been introduced so that the working hours and the remuneration ,these companies and private institutions ,pay to their employees must be checked by the government.
Less pay and more work is common practice of private companies. Pakistanis are especially facing the dilemma of the choice between leisure and work.
Pakistan has a large workforce that is largely unemployed and is suffering from a higher level of anxiety and frustration and on the other hand, the state and its economic condition are in a doldrums which calls for conserving of energy and reduction of expenditure.
This can provide the requisite amount of leisure to the worker to keep his efficiency.
The saved money and resources can be used to uplift the life quality of the people of Pakistan.
If done strategically, it can save precious natural resources like food and water, and yet an increased amount of leisure would be an added benefit for the happiness of people in general.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
