“workism” - (as defined by Derek Thompson writing in The Atlantic)
The modern way of thinking that valorizes work, career and achievement above all else.
Recent posts for Evangelically Departed have been looking at the concept of vocation and at how we view self.
In August, The Atlantic published an article by David Brooks called “The New Old Age”. The article focused on a rather upscale programme helping people who had retired from mostly intense and mostly rewarding careers to find meaning and purpose in something other than work. Brooks identifies that, though the programmes he is considering largely address people of means and privilege, the questions being asked tend to be across socioeconomic groups.
Here is a quote from the article;
How on earth did we wind up in a society in which 65 year-olds have to take courses to figure out who they are, what they really want and what they should do next? How did we wind up with a culture in which people’s veins pop out in their neck when they have to confront their inner lives?
The larger frame of the article is to consider the possibility that a new life phase is emerging. Adolescence, young adulthood, has not been a recognized phase of life for very long. It was labelled in the first half of the 20th Century. In the 21st Century, Brooks says, the new life phase being labelled is the younger part of old age, from 60-65 for about the next 15 or 20 years. Right now the names of the phase are rather weak (in my estimation at least); “Third Chapter” or “Adulthood II”. Brooks likes the term “Encore Years”, but that still sounds, maybe unintentionally, pedantic to me.
Whatever they will be called, the years identified as this new life phase have also been said to mark another developmental crisis for many people, another “who am I supposed to be?” part of life.
Vocation, as we talk about it in hopeful Christian theology, is about meaning, purpose, and the satisfaction that comes with knowing that your life matters. Hopeful Christian theology points out that such vocation is not for a specific person or group or faith or level of achievement. It is for all. We all have meaningful and fulfilling vocation as granted in our humanity.
I have been thinking a fair bit about these matters. Reflector Project, the non-profit that I help to run, is holding a fall conference around the theme of vocation and rest. If you are in the Vancouver area on October 13 and 14, you might well be interested in attending.
As for the Brooks article, one of the things that I found compelling in it was his suggestion that, though most revolutions are instigated by young people, it might be that a positive social revolution around vocation and meaning could be instigated by older (or people on the young side of old) people in the years to come.
Thank you so much for your meaningful comment. I love also how you say "mostly agnostic". I get that. I think that people should perhaps be more willing to state things like that, such as "I am mostly a believer". Great note, too about re-invention. Another reminder that labels, roles and such are often chosen or prescribed, but never really define a person. Grateful for your refusal around comparison. There is liberation in that. Thanks again!
Hi, I really like reading your articles. Being mostly agnostic myself, I still have an interest in religion as a phenomenon of life. Having said this, your latest article on Workism resonated with me. I retired early, 62, to support my wife's move to a wonderful new position in her field in an area we had intended to retire to. So, that part worked out. But though I still had some juice in me, there were no jobs for me in my new location, i.e., wrong gender, wrong age, too experienced, and wrong second language. I was faced with the circumstances Brooks defines. However, I think he left out a couple of threads. The first thread is reinventing yourself. For this, I mean using your past experiences and knowledge to develop avenues that contribute to the second thread, lifelong learning. These are mutually reinforcing. Consulting, writing, researching, reflecting, publishing, and editing a journal while living off my wife's salary and paying off the mortgage so that when she retired. Being mortgage-free was a successful goal. One often doesn't need to take courses to reinvent and reinvigorate oneself. Although it didn't happen overnight, the process was successful. And maintaining professional and personal friendships via social media and conferences has been a plus. I'm doing fine and resist the urge to compare my retirement level with others. That urge does not have any benefits. Best to you and your writings and ruminations.
Michael Smithee