One Apple A Day #487 - What is work?
I've lately been to a conference where people where talking about the right to work. A "decent work" is also the 8th of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda. I heard people saying that every person has the right to access a decent work. But what is work? In the 2030 agenda, the 8th goal full title is "Decent work and economic growth". So, work is related to economic growth. Are we saying that we all should have works that contribute to economic growth?
The dictionary says that work is an "activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result". There is nothing in this definition about compensation or economic reward. When I take care of my garden, am I working? When I dedicate my time to listen to a friend in need, am I working?
Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I have the feeling that work is mostly seen as something we have to do in order to earn enough money to do what we want to do. Every study says that machines will do more and more of our work. Maybe we should ask ourselves what work in the first place is.
So, I'm curious. What is work for you?