I can agree to many of these posts. A few familiar areas of being and doing what you really are, for what is, even in the midst of upheaval.

My bad SnozzleBerry, I guess the point I was trying to relate is do it "for yourself" not for "the man". If that makes any sense. So you did a good job and know it without a doubt, pride, no matter what you do.

Commit 100% to see what your made of even if it sucks. But I was referred to someone else in time of need, it was because they remembered me and referred me as a hard worker and somebody he knew was hiring for my field. "Emulate" yourself.

Living in society with currency and not the barter system I do not like, I use a trade for a trade any time I can, the idea of money sucks. "You need more of this to be happy." Is a failed miserable idea that I don't agree with either. But since we cant change the world, and everybody seems to "need" it, its not a concept that's changing any time soon.

So I can see where you guys are coming from, my bad if I seemed harsh or preachy, I don't mean either in the least bit. Was pretty exited when I posted.

How does one define the term "giving 100%"?
For those that do not enjoy their Mcjobs.........

I'm only twenty and I still live at home so I guess my situation is a little different because I don't have rent or a family..... but I hate going to work and waking up at 5am and stumbling down the hallway and rushing a shower thinking "f*ck me this sucks" however.... without working I can't go to festivals or buy paint and art supplies or mimosa bark so until I can figure something out for myself this is how it has to be :/

Well yeah, thats what i meant by your mindset. I could sit here all day 'ugh this sucks i cant believe i have to do it again' etc - Or with a bit of perspective I could realise that I am actually incredibly lucky.

Im not opressed, dont fear for my life, not in a war torn country, dont go hungry, come from a loving family, have been well educated, am gainfully employed and receive a wage, can pay my bills, have a roof over my head. The job i have may not engage me or incite my passion in the way another would, but I get to spend time at work reading and learning about what /does/ interest me and get paid for it. So to complain/moan about how shit my job is, and how much i hate it - would just be ungrateful imo.

Some guys here put it, like working at Mc D was bad.

Imagine beein in a situation, were you aren't able to see another chance. And you are only able to see that you have to support your children/family/whatever. Then you'd work there.

I don't see ANY problem with this. Some people don't have the choice. They must take what they can get.

And even at Mc D you could do a little to make the world better. Just by beeing kind, smiling and maybe cheering up one or another guy who has a bad day, with a little joke.

If you are able to make one human smile, you've reached something to be proud of. No matter where you work.

Imagine beeing like him:

It is bad.



I understand what you are getting at and if desperate i would do the same but surely no-one would work there by choice? Mcjob is a generic description of working in a shithole because you don"t have the choice. Not only that but in the UK, if you have a family and rent a house, you would probably be better off on welfare, as housing and child benefits can get cut depending on hours worked and amounts earned. That"s why you never see old people working in McDs in the uk, unless it is some poor sap who has climbed the chain and ended up as the manager. It is mostly young people who still live with their parents.




I would happily smile at the customers as i served up their shit-laced ,eco-terror burgers but would you class that as giving 100%?

I will add that i once went for a moped delivery job with pizza hut but they wouldnt take me on because i was too honest with my answers while writing the pre-interview questionnaire. So my rants may just be sour grapes.

by McJob i just meant any throw away, low level, low paid, underappreciated jobs, not just jobs in McD's. I certainly wasnt trying to imply that people who work jobs that are IMO pretty crappy are worth less, i work a McJob and i think i am quite a good egg. I understand that sometimes you have to take what you can get but i dont think that changes anything.

The thing that puzzles me is when people put in alot of effort when they dont have to because they want to be proud of there work, even if there is nothing in the work to be proud of, i dont understand why you would want to put in 100% toward a task that in the end screws you over.



When i said i try to give as close to 0% effort as possible i meant pertaining to the actual work i am set by my boss, not about interactions with others in my work place. I enjoy chatting in the office and helping people with any problems they might want to share, but i wouldnt class this as work, its slacking off. While its true i can be useful in the day it is not in the sence of earning my boss any more cash. I could spend 15% of my day talking to people about problems, i could spend 5% of my day making brews and 5% making people smile by being silly, this only leaves 75% of the day left and i have to spend another 20% on the Nexus. 100% effort in an unrewarding job sounds bonkers to me.

darklordsson said that he had pride in his work and that he was happier now he gave it 100%, which is great for him and im pleased he has found some happiness through work. i thought i would just add that even if i gave 100% i would simply be completeing tasks that in no way reward me and i would just end up tired and screwed over as opposed to just screwed over.

Im not berating anyone for working hard, if i had to support a family i would probably work harder as i would have more than myself to look after and would fear loosing my job and the ability to feed my tribe.

Compared to what? How can you say that? Does this have to apply for anybody or for you?



That's what I said. ..I think.



No. Basically what I meant is, that it doesn't really matter in which psition you are. And that the little things really can make a big difference for people. And that if you do, whatever you do, it's better do do it with a smile on your face, as long as you do it. Instead of beeing an angry bastard who does everything with the face of grumpy cat.

@3rdI

I see.

I see nothing wrong with this.

I've both given 100% and 0% at even both 'mcjobs' and great-paying, more rewarding jobs. The problem comes with knowledge and consciousness. Once you get a top-down view of the economic stranglehold this culture has on us, it's really hard to attach your moral fibers to a part of that structure.

A lot of miscalculation circling the 'hard work' opinion is in assuming that people cannot be morally fibrous, disciplined, or ambitious, if they aren't toiling away, or giving an 'honest day's work' - in most cases just to make ends meet.

If giving 0% at a mcjob is the way you have complete balance and harmony with your mind/body/spirit - then you are doing it EXACTLY right. Imagine forcing yourself to work hard, and having to lie or pretend to yourself why you're doing it. That internal conflict creates anxiety, which creates tension. Which manifests itself perhaps in the form of fighting/arguing with friends or family, low self-esteem, or depression. These behaviors then lead to illness and conditions. Examples like these are the majority of citizens in a country like the US.

Our modern 'civilized' cultural traditions and economic forms are not the standard with which to measure happiness.

It is the balance of mind/body/spirit.

Thanks

Yes it applies to me, but if you are agreeing with me that no-one would work there by choice then it must be bad you also??



I agree with you on this point. I think that it is a positive outlook. You don"t have to be angry but i wouldn"t blame anyone for not being happy while working there.

I think that reflecting on the idea that you may have to work at Mcdonalds in order to support your family during future hard times could prove to be a more effective form of birth control than the condom.

Everything is subjective - even the opinion that everything is subjective.

The capitalist world that most of us live in is pretty horrible in reality. It causes tons of suffering and will likely lead to our extinction (not the world's extinction, but humans, as it is basically impossible to kill some kinds of life).

That said, I think that smiling and helping others at work can be seen as giving your 100%, even if it's not what your boss is asking for. Half the managers on the planet don't know what's good for the business anyways.

For me, it's about not wanting to screw someone over. I believe in karma - not just in a "spiritual retribution" sense, but in the sense that if I give someone shit, they will probably give it right back.

Here is a buddhist quote that sums it up for me. Not trying to be pushy on the religion thing, I think it can apply to anyone.



And from Gandhi, "be the change you want to see in the world". In my opinion, starting your own business would be the best way to do this. Or just finding another small business that you can work for that cares about the environment, cares about the community, and wants to make a difference.

There are lots of skills you can develop to start your own business with basically no startup cost. Imagine the fulfillment you can receive and the goodness you can put into the world:
* If you love dogs, start a dog walking and training business
* If you enjoy nature, learn the history of trails and offer tours
* If you have a writing talent (most people here have good writing skills it seems) then you can start a blog
* If you enjoy technology you can learn to program or design web sites, and either build your own profitable site or contract your work out, to people you support, when you want to

Not all business ideas can be done this cheaply but there are lots that can.

You can post ads on craigslist and ebay classifieds for free in most cases. Yes there is competition, but if you are willing to live frugally then you can overcome the initial low-income stages. Or you can just do it part-time in addition to a mcjob to start.

I know this all sounds really preachy.. I'm just trying to offer up options and maybe give some ideas to people. I think that if all of us take conscious decisions to support the changes that we find are important, that the world can change.

If all else fails, there's a saying "the world is perfect exactly as it is in this moment". After all, if this is our only world we know of, what is the reference point for perfect? The world will continue for eternity (or a very long time).