It never ceases to amaze me how many people are just so wrapped up in their own life and their own existence that they rarely even notice, never mind care, when something happens that does not affect them directly. We are all guilty of this to some extent -although a lot of people are in denial about it.
Anyone who rides the
MBTA can attest to this firsthand. I've had people actually step
on me to get out of the train because they were late for goddess knows what. Meanwhile, people on the platform are pushing to get in, people are pushing to get out, and the folks in the middle are just carried along in this human tidal wave until everyone else is where they need to be. I've ignored people trying to talk to me because I have to keep walking to get to my punch-in clock on time. I don't know what the folks want...for all I know they could seriously need my help. Do I care? To an extent. But mostly, I'm focused on getting to work, getting home, and starting the cycle over again until I reach my beloved days off, when I can hide from the mass of self-serving.
Why do we act this way? Well, to over-simplify, we act this way because of stress. The United States is arguably the most productive country in the nation. We're also the most stressed out society. It astonishes me when there are studies PAID for that try to discover what the cause to our sky-high heart attack and cancer rates are. Common sense anyone? No? How about logic?
From a young age, we're conditioned to reach for goals. That's great - it instills a sense of worth and meaning. We are also conditioned to reach those goals through working - also good. However, in the United States of America, a "reasonable" work ethic is considered 40-55 hours a week of standard hours, plus many jobs have "mandatory overtime". This is 52 weeks a year, 5-7 days a week. Sure, you'll get the mandatory few holidays a year, and if your place of employment offers benefits, you'll receive vacation and sick time. Let me revise that, you will receive vacation and sick time,
if your employer offers benefits and
if your employer isn't one of the companies out there that give you the time but find a way to reprimand you for something if you take it. We all know they exist, but we like to hide behind the "that's not legal, so it must not exist" frame of mind.
I'm lucky to have a job that pays a respectable entry level wage, and has reasonable expectations of its employees. They are incredibly friendly to diversity, which is key for a transgendered man such as myself, and they offer a good benefits package. I am lucky to have this now, but I have worked in my share of so-called "corporate entities" that break all sorts of labor laws without being obvious enough to be held accountable.
So, what excuse do we have that we have made the workplace environment that treats employees fairly and with respect the rarity? People have been overworked and stressed to the point that no one cares about anyone else any longer.
All of the rest of our time is dedicated to working to create the success of others' companies and corporations - the little time we have left to spare is spent rejuvenating ourselves for the next workweek.
