Gizza job! - work culture, income and self-worth

For those people who are my age or older, the phrase Gizza job! will resonate.

Yosser Hughes was the hero(?) of Boys from the Black Stuff, a drama from the early 80s exploring the plight of the working class man in the Thatcher era (watch the original on BBC iPlayer )

In this article I'll be exploring how jobs, our working culture, income and self-worth are all initimately connected.

Western working culture has a few beliefs at its core that I'd like to explore.

These are not necessarily beliefs that people publicly state or even admit to believing. However, our cultural beliefs are reflected in how we behave or the societal or systemic structures and their outcomes.

What we do tells us what we believe more honestly than what we say! (note: it might be that what we believe is actually what we are required to believe for Western culture to accept us as members).

it is normal that work is hard

Many people do jobs they hate at least in part. Many people persist in this as a form of self-sacrifice. The sacrifice could be for their children and their education. It could be for maintaining a relationship or for a 'quality of life'.

This is a problematic area to explore in general terms as we soon start to touch on privilege and the idea that it's easy for me to say. Privilege is a concept that can result in individuals voluntarily suppressing themselves.

This is likely to be in the form of:

you are bloody lucky so you should be grateful. Just knuckle down and stop being so self indulgent

Change also carries financial risk which rapidly leads to relationship risk.

This perspective comes from my own 'privileged' experience.

I cannot speak from experience of someone from a more or less (financially) wealthy life.

I do know, however, that greater wealth doesn't necessarily create a sense of freedom and change can carry exactly the same financial risk, rapidly leading to relationship risk.

The fear that arises from the prospect of a loss of income (or financial means) is just as real.

This may not be visible or even make sense to someone unfamiliar with the life of someone much wealthier than them.

If we take my life as a middle class, middle aged, white married man as an example.

There are expectations that come from being part of a peer group:

• to have a nice holiday in Europe every summer, preferably at least once more in the rest of the year; travel further on occasion
• to own a 'nice' property (e.g. period property in London)
• have a 'good' job (e.g. professional)
• have the 'right' social attitudes (e.g. pro-Europe, anti-Trump)
• have faith in the 'right' political party and media (e.g. Guardian, Labour/Lib dem/Green)

There are certain topics that are taboo in this peer group. For example, to explore and queston some of these ideas can be triggering or make people feel uncomfortable.

It can be humiliating if you are not able to maintain the 'right' lifestyle.

Of course, this is a stereotyped view and our best relationships transcend this. The social pressure, however, is real.

It is easy, under these circumstances, to knuckle down, swallow your job dissatisfaction and see retirement as your only way out.

Many people, of course, do love their jobs.

However, as people become more aware of the true cost of their work, dissatisfaction increases.

For example, the person working in advertising or marketing who contributes to a consumer culture which underpins the extractive, infinite growth economy may well be dissatisfied with the contribution to society and the earth.

Raising this with people creates ill feeling as people don't want to either, feel bad, or be reminded of uncomfortable truths of which they are only too aware.

Coming back to the point of privilege and whether some people are 'lucky' enough to have choices whereas others don't I would say a few things:

• don't get drawn into abstract intellectual debates, just focus on you, your circumstances and your opportunities and inner nature
• everyone has choices. They can choose whether to be a victim or to take ownership of their circumstances (we all know the stories of those whose lives had hit rock bottom and found their way out).
• you will follow the path that you need. It may not be what you want but every setback is actually an opportunity. Sometimes you need to go down further before you can start coming back up.

anyone who doesn't work and (therefore) contribute to society is worthless

Work is often seen as a good in itself. To be in work is a good thing. To be out of work is bad.

The politicians in the UK are fond of the phrase 'hardworking families'. This reinforces the idea of work, and hard work in particular, being virtuous and self-evidently 'a good thing'. It starts to make exploring other ideas politically, or even socially, unacceptable.

This is just one way that politicians frame the discourse for political advantage.

When people are not working, they feel like they're lazy, selfish, a dreamer, a naive idealist or lacking in some way.

This cultural belief is very much 'the water that we swim in' and so people become guilty if they are out of work. It is difficult for people not to feel guilty if they're not working. They are quick to apply these labels to themselves. The conditioning runs deep.

This leads to a desire to take any work regardless of whether they enjoy it or not. To take work, for example, and overlook the fact that it is contributing to damaging the natural world.

We have created a system that sustains itself and, at the same time, rewards and normalises behaviour that is damaging and not creative and uplifting for humanity and the natural world.

People can be unsuccessful in their pursuit of jobs because they are in a marginalised group or, just because, something as minor as an unconventional work history with gaps or a lack of track record in a role rules the out from being considered.

This impacts confidence and one's sense of worth which can become a vicious cycle.

Our work culture encourages compliance, a linear career path and penalises anyone who doesn't fit a very narrow definition of the so-called ideal worker.

the financial value of work is directly related to how much money it generates (and has no correlation to other forms of value such as caring or providing for our fundamental needs)

COVID and the identification of key workers was a very stark and clear reminder of work that was 'key'.

This was anything that was essential to our survival, wellbeing or indirectly supporting of this (e.g. supermarket delivery drivers).

What was glaringly obvious was that those jobs were not generally very well paid. Consultants and GPs might be an exception. However, compared to CEOs and workers in finance they are still far down the salary distribution.

Caring for the elderly, those with disabilities or anyone who is vulnerable is amongst the worst paid and, in many cases unpaid.

Admittedly it's quite a gloomy picture.

We seem to be caught in a Catch 22 or a double bind .

There are some steps we can take to help us escape from this.

Recognize reality for what it is. Accept that this system exists and that it holds us in place.

Pretending otherwise requires effort and distraction (usually not healthy). It never really works. Unconsciously we know this system exists and denying it will have long term health impacts from addiction and failing to take action to meet our needs for joy, connection and meaning. We are not and can never be cogs in a machine!

The second step is to get to know, like and trust oneself.

Embrace your inner misfit (even love yourself!)

There is a way through this morass but the path to follow is different for everyone. We are all unique so it must be!

Learn to trust yourself and use your intuition to guide you.

There is a wider intelligence or sense of knowing than pure intellect.

We can utilise this. In fact, relying absolutely on logic and the intellect and its need for absolute certainty is part of what got us here in the first place.

Grow Your Own Guru!

I am currently on my path to having an impact on my own terms. I am using my full adventurer skillset to pursue job, contract and establishing business(es).

Adventurers are energised by pursuit of a worthy goal where the path is far from clear. They are resourceful, playful improvisers who think and care deeply.

Go on an adventure to know yourself more deeply and express your inner nature with pride and conviction.

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I am investing most of my writing energy now into my forthcoming book - Grow Your Own Guru - How to access your Inner Mystic.

This book will help if you want adopt practices to trust yourself and your intuition.

When you start down this track you will start making decisions and taking action rather than getting stuck in uncertainty.

Over time you will feel more confident and capable. Possibilities will emerge that you never could have imagined.

Register here to receive book excerpts and the option to join the community who aren't willing to settle for business as usual any more.