Why People work We may fully realize the role of work in providing us the 【1】______things of life. But we may ignore its role

Why People Work
   Today, I’d like to talk about the role of work in our life. We’re all used to thinking that work provides the material things of life. That is, we get goods and services through others’ work; we provide goods and scrvices to others through our own work. But we may not have fully realized the role of work in providing happiness and contentment to our life. Actually, jobs and work do much more than most of us realize in the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological side of our life.
   Historically, work has been associated with slavery and sin and punishment. And in our own day we are used to hearing the traditional complaints: "I can’t wait for my vacation,’" "I wish I could stay home today," "I’ve got too much work to do and not enough time to do it." Against this background, it may well come as a surprise to learn that many psychologists and behavioral scientists have come to accept the positive contribution of work to the individual~ s happiness and sense of personal achievement. Work is more than a necessity for most human beings; it is the focus of their lives, the source of their identity and creativity. Many psychiatrists have observed its healing effect. A significant number of patients lose some of their most acute symptoms after being given some sorts of productive job. $o, institutions dealing with mental health problems are beginning to set up workshops for their patients. They also try their best to arrange "real" jobs for those well enough to work after being discharged from hospital. And the reverse is true, too. For large numbers of people, the absence of work is harmful to their health. Even though there may be no financial cares, retirement often brings many problems. Many retired people feel depressed when they no longer need to go to work every weekday morning. It has been proved that unemployment, quite aside from exerting financial pressures, brings enormous psychological troubles. Many people’s health deteriorates rapidly when jobless.
   But why? Why should work be so important to people’s psychological well-being? Behavioral researchers believe that the answer lies in the personal and social rewards people get from work.
   Firstly, people get their individual rewards from work. Human beings long for a sense of being accomplished, of being able to do things, with his hand, or with his mind. Each of us wants to feel that he or she has the ability to do something that is meaningful and that serves as a tribute to our inherent abilities. It is easy to see this in the craftsman who lovingly shapes some base material into a useful object. You can see the carpenter or bricklayer stand aside and admire the product of his personal skill. Research has found that even the housekeeping and laundry staffs of a hospital take pride in the fact that in their own ways they are helping to cure sick people—and thus accomplishing a good deal.
   Secondly, human beings are a kind of social animal. They need to be socially recognized. Belonging to a certain work group, whether it be a company, a hospital or a university, is the most important source of one’s social recognition. The satisfaction in being part of a well-coordinated, successful unit is derived from being part of a larger collectivity.  Working for a company that is thought of as being one of the best in the community can provide employees with both status and sel-confidence. They assume, usually with good reason, that others regard them more highly, that they are more competent than the average because of this association with a prestigious institution. This pride of belonging to an accomplished work group is one of the distinctive satisfactions of the world of work.
    We’re often misled by the complaints surrounding difficult work; deep down in their hearts, most people regard their ability to conquer the tough job as the mark of their own unique personality. Complaining is just part of working. After all, how; else do you know who you are, except as you can demonstrate the ability of your mind to control your limbs and hands and words? You are, in significant measure, what you can do.
    Some people tend to think that human beings like to store up energy, to rest and save them selves as much as possible. Just the opposite. It is energy expenditure that is satisfying.