In article <E19uv6.D6u at liverpool.ac.uk>, wahchan at liverpool.ac.uk (Mr. W.Y.
Chan) wrote:
> You do not sound very confidence about yourself at least in your
> career expectation, perhaps you feel a bit fed up after persuing what
> seems like an illusion for so many years you start to feel "its time to
> pack it in"? Then again maybe you need support from someone close, like
> a partner, no I do not wish to know your private life but sometimes having
> a relationship or a close friend could give you extra incentive to decide
> your future (like buying a house and willing to work harder for the few
> good things you enjoy) just work and getting paid but do not know how to
> spend the cash can be very unsatisfying.....
Wah,
I don't mean this as a flame, but I was surprised to read this. My
feeling has always been that possibly the only good thing about the
societal gender role assigned to females was that we were at least largely
free of primary pressure to support our families financially and pay for a
mortgage, car, and other material possessions. This pressure to put out
financially and be the breadwinner is something that I've heard a few men
express stress about, and that when I was a very young, outspoken
feminist, had never considered (that there might be a downside to the male
gender role, too).
This is the first time I've ever heard anyone put this pressure in
positive terms. I, at least, would not be well-motivated by these
arguments, but would actually feel more pressured and stressed than I
already do.
Karen
(Who just got through reading Thoreau's _Walden_ a couple of days ago, and
so has been thinking about the "quiet desperation" of work.)
