The Sorrows of Work

by The School of Life

Work can be a route to creativity, excitement and purpose. Nevertheless, many of us end up confused, discouraged and beaten by our working lives. The temptation is often just to blame ourselves, and to feel privately ashamed and guilty. However, as this book lucidly explains, there is a range of well-embedded and intriguing reasons why work proves demoralising, including the evolution of modern work, the role of technology and the mechanics of the economy. This surprisingly cheering book offers us an invigorating perspective over our working lives – and what we might do at times when our work challenges us almost unbearably.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Society, Economics

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.

We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.

Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.

That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.

Reviews

[Karen]

This book is little more than an essay on what is wrong with work and the capitalist way of life. Interesting enough, but to call this book surprisingly cheering is a bit rich. Do not read if you are looking for answers - unless you want that answer to be to learn how to suck it up and make the best of a bad lot.

[Jordan Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hitting me at a particular salient time, this book puts words to topics that will feel familiar to anyone who has worked in an office for years:

- how specialization impacts you
- how commercialization aims to fully capitalize you as a resource
- how standardization in larger organizations can lead to a de-personalization of your days
- and other related topics

While the perspective it offers can be dreary, it is matter-of-fact—a reasonable reflection of how modern work can be for many of us. It offers consolation and a time to reflect on how you might change your relationship with work.

At around 100 pages, it is a short read.

[Leyla Shahbazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب رو با ترجمه آقای محمد کریمی خوندم که انتقاد جدی به ترجمه دارم گاهی جملات متوالی در بیان مفهوم همدیگر رو نقض میکردند که به نظرم ضعف مترجم بود.
این کتاب سعی داشت مسائل و مشکلات شاغلین رو به صورت خلاصه شرح بده البته بیشتر تکیه ش بر شغل‌هایی بود که جنبه تولیدی یا خدماتی داشتن بود. در واقع میخواست این مفهوم رو برسونه که در دنیای مدرن و صنعتی امروز با در نظر گرفتن سرعت پیشرفت تکنولوژی، تغییر ارزش‌ها و باورها و زیاد شدن رقبا، ناهماهنگ بودن ارزش‌های شخص و دنیای مدرن، مقیاس صنعت و... شکست و ناکامی ما فقط به دلیل ضعفهای شخصی ما نیست. در واقع به دنبال ترسیم دنیای مدرن و وضعیت ما در اون برای درک بهتر دلایل ناکامی ما در خواسته هایمان.
من اون مثالی که برای تولید سنجاقک زده بود و بخش تخصصی بودن رو بیشتر از بقیه فصل‌ها دوست داشتم.
در یک جمله کتاب میخواست بگه دنیای مدرن پیچیده ست و موفقیت در اون به عوامل زیادی بستگی داره که در کنترل ما نیست.

[Weronika Zimna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one’s, well, rather dark and depressing. I do not wholeheartedly agree with its points but I see its mission to be a consolation to those who feel they’re being treated unjustly.

At the same time I do not feel like teaching people about how life is actually terrible and therefore we’re not responsible for anything...

I’m wary of the “passion movement” in the work environment but I somehow still believe that there is another approach hiding between those two. Perhaps I’m still rather silly and naive.

[David Poon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book with very good points about why our often dissatisfaction with work is not of our own doing, but a result of the way our capitalistic world work. I can see how the arguments can be used to paint a utopian view of other world systems, but what it really describe is the truly fallen nature of the world and how all of humanity’s best effort cannot overcome the shortcomings of the human heart.

[Mostafa Ghaemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

در برهه‌ای که زندگیِ کاری‌ام دوست‌نداشتنی شده بود، شدیداً کمکم کرد تا بهتر نگاه کنم به شرایطم و دوباره یادآوری کنم برای خودم که:
اولاً شغلم بخش‌هایی دوست‌داشتنی دارد که باید بیشتر به آن‌ها توجه کنم.
ثانیاً ناراحتیِ من از کارم، لزوماً به دلیلِ مزخرف‌بودنِ کل آن نیست.
ثالثاً این تصور که شغلی در جهان هست که تماماً من را ارضا کند، غلط است.

[Nils · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book that meets the high standards of The School Of Life series. The last ten pages alone are worth the price of the book - some beautiful, profound and deeply insightful wisdom.

[Javier Cabero · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing attack to what we deem obvious and true. In this book, achievement, identity and work/life balance are discussed based on our society constructs. Misconceptions are exposed and a sense of humanity restores when reading it.

I really enjoyed this essay by The school of life!

[persy · Rating 4 out of 5]

note to self: develop an identity/sense of self that isn't tied to work/occupation, salary, etc; but rather, your values, relationships, unmonetised/unpublished skills.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful insight into the changes wrought by modern society, and the impact it has on our day to day lives. I'll have to come back to this when things are quieter and re-read. Great for reflection.

[Nao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with all of the ideas but it was a thought provoking read.

[Sep Ehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

دیدگاه فلسفیش نسبت به کار و تخصصی شدن کار هارو دوست داشتم اما احساس میکنم کار(شاغل بودن) رو مثل یه قلاده دانسته که ما(جویندگان کار)فقط میتونیم رنگ،جنس و... رو انتخاب کنیم و از کار به عنوان وسیله امرار معاشی که بهش علاقه داریم حرفی نزده که در اصل به عنوان کتاب اشاره میکنه من نسخه چاپی این کتاب از انتشارات کتاب سرای نیک و ترجمه محمد کریمی رو خوندم به نظرم این کتاب ارزش مطالعه زیادی داره و هر بار که از کار خسته میشید بهتون یاد آوری میکنه تمامی کار ها مصائب خاص خودشون رو دارند پس قبل از انتخاب هر کاری حتما علاقه خودتون رو در نظر بگیرید زدن تست mbti میتونه تا حدودی این راه رو هموار کنه اما شنیدن کی بود مانند دیدن در راه رسیدن به شغل دلخواه خود پشتکار داشته باشید!

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

So ... this book was not quite what I was expecting. There are some ridiculously-sweeping generalizations within it, and it seems that the author(s) have not spent much time actually having a career in the private sector.

Some generalizations that rankled were:
- office politics and having to deal with colleagues (all of whom are apparently thin-skinned conniving arseholes) means that it will be impossible for us to pick up the nuances of dealing with them "if we pride ourselves on being straightforward, direct, or even just *somewhat ethical.*" (p. 78)

Do I need to point out how ridiculous and wrong-headed the above is? What if you work in a non-profit like the WWF or in private healthcare or medical research, you cannot be ethical? WTF?

- "When most work was physical, management could be abrupt; workers could feel under-appreciated or bullied and nevertheless perform their required tasks to perfection." (p.74)

Even a minuscule amount of research would show that that is false, from slave labor in the US to prison labor and forced labor during wartime (just to show the extreme examples), there is a long, rich history of people slacking off, purposefully, to just do enough work to "get by" when managers are particularly abusive. There is no reason to think that work output/quality doesn't exist on a scale rather than a binary, and the authors' pronouncement is patently absurd.

As there is a rather British bias to the entire tome, why not look at the manual labor in Britain's former colonies for reams of counter-examples?

- "The most innocuous-sounding question about how the day might have gone can elicit a growl - then, if it is repeated, an explosion." (p. 67)

I wasn't looking for personal anecdotes or a personal essay in picking up this book... this is very specific, lol.

- the talk on pages 45-46 of settling for lower-quality goods from being "exhausted" doesn't explain the enormous rise in the luxury goods sector. When nearly everyone either has or knows someone who has spent over $1k on a smartphone that they don't "need," this type of argument rings pretty hollow.

- the section on standardisation vs specialisation (pp. 30-36) is completely idiotic, and the point of a chair-maker stunningly illustrates the short-sightedness of the entire book. Let me explain. The author(s) lament the loss of the "jack of all trades" person as well as the craftsman. The example given is of a craftsman creating a high-quality, unique chair as opposed to creating only a leg or something similar in the modern, assembly-line style of work.

However, the chair-maker IS specialised ... in making chairs! He would be at a loss to make, say, a cabinet of equal quality. So the fact that the specialisation has extended more deeply into the individual parts doesn't change the thrust of the argument: even craftsmen *were* specialised, and it took a damn long time to get into their specialisation.

As you can tell, my comments are in reverse-order, but it was really that chair-making "argument" that made me question the book. As a whole, I found it very limited and disappointing. It only receives 2 stars because it may make an impression on some people who might otherwise not have thought about such things, but overall it's a shallow and lackluster work.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my new mantra for 2019 and maybe for the rest of my life.

“We should make ourselves at home with mediocrity, p.1.

This short, 66 pages, nonfiction title is for readers who find themselves asking the question “How the hell did I end up here?” Well, stop regretting the choices you have or have not made, because it’s not your fault. Er, it's not all your fault. Broken down into eight chapters, The School of Life (a for profit education organization whose mission is “devoted to developing emotional intelligence”) looks at the historical and economic forces of the “system” we all find ourselves living in. Founded in 2008 by Alain de Botton, The School of Life offers classes, workshops, therapy sessions, books, YouTube videos, and more. There's a mixed bag of criticism out there about The School of Life, but for my own experience, I really enjoyed The Sorrows of Work. This isn’t a self help book, but it is the perfect read when you’re pissed off or disappointed with work. It’s the much needed pep talk from your best friend who will emphatically explain why it’s not your fault your thirty-five and still trying to figure out your career. Topics discussed are specialization, standardization, consumerism, scale, competition, collaboration, equal opportunity (or the lack of), and meritocracy. Read Harder Challenge: A book published prior to Jan. 1, 2019 with fewer than 100 reviews of Goodreads.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the initial chapters, this did come across as a shrouded criticism of capitalism. Although it was also addressed early on in the book that this was not the intention; in the end it did indeed give me comfort in knowing that some of the anxieties that I have personally felt are not unique to me, which I believe was the main intention of the book.

As always with works from School of Life & Alain De Botton, it introduced me to some new thoughts and concepts to ponder, and a sense of realism. My personal favourite idea from the book being;

"Success is relative to desire; every time we seek something we cannot afford, we grow poorer, whatever our resources."

I did appreciate that the book was rather short and in my opinion, well worth investing the short time it takes to read it. Hopefully like me, you will be left feeling wiser and a bit less anxious.

[Verónica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn't provide answers, but rather ignites curiosity and directs our thoughts to begin to reflect on all of those sorrows that feel very personal but are indeed part of humankind. It's a very short but also profound read; it plants a seed that will continue to develop in our thoughts. A very enlightening book to read and reread.

[Victor · Rating 1 out of 5]

A boring essay

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book basically told me to blame all my life problems on capitalism

[Bloodorange · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5. Really on point at times.

[Rewina Pratiwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sorrows of Work by The School of Life (TSOL) yang kubaca versi digitalnya di Storytel ini seakan menjawab beberapa hal yang kemarin aku lamunin soal pekerjaan.

Pernah nggak sih kalian nelangsa gitu ya, bahwa perasaan pekerjaan yang aku pilih kayaknya udah sesuai dengan what-so-called passion atau bahkan linear dengan studi yang aku tekuni selama ini, tapi ternyata kepuasan kerja nggak hanya berhenti hanya karirmu sesuai dengan field yang kamu tekuni. Bukan cuma akhir-akhir ini aja, kayaknya udah sejak lama, aku selalu merasa ada burden yang nyata soal bekerja. Sering juga ngerasa aku ini nggak pernah bekerja dengan cukup dan sangat inkompeten, nggak punya werk-lyfe balance, dan nggak punya kehidupan yang 'sehat'.

Aku juga akhir-akhir ini banyak mengutuki kenapa kita harus bekerja 8 jam sehari (minimal) dan seringkali mah, lebih. Siapa yang bikin akal-akalan bahwa dunia harus berjalan dengan begitu cepat dan bikin kita capek? Siapa sih yang kongkalikong kalau buruh harus bekerja super ngoyoh dan mengejar deadline. Kenapa ada deadline dan capaian? Kenapa sih kok kita semua harus buru-buru amat. Emang nggak bisa ya kita tetap dapat gaji seperti yang kita dapatkan sekarang dengan ritme kerja diperlambat? Bukankah kalau semua orang sepakat mau hidup dengan sedikit lebih selo kayaknya dunia akan lebih tidak bikin stress dan kenthir?

Yup. Aku sedang sering banget ngomel-ngomel soal hal yang kutulis di atas itu.

Lantas di buku "The Sorrows of Work" ini sebagian besar dari omelanku terjawab. Pertama, perasaan gagal dalam bekerja yang kita miliki tidak semuanya dipengaruhi oleh diri kita yang inkompeten. Namun kapitalisme dan cara dunia bekerja memang membuat kita selalu dihantui oleh segala hal yang distandarisasi, dan ketika kita tidak memenuhi standar yang dibikin tadi, kita akan merasa menjadi sampah dan tidak berguna.

Kedua, yakni soal werk-lyfe balance yang aku sebut tadi. Bahwa dunia yang kapitalis dan neolib ini memang tidak mengizinkan kita untuk memiliki itu. Ada kutipan yang kusuka dari buku ini,

"Capitalism does not place the longings and aspirations of the labor force at the heart of its operations"

Bagus.

[Alisia · Rating 3 out of 5]

lesson to self: always bring a book everywhere

⭐️⭐️⭐️

a light, healthy snack. the type of book that can be read in one sitting if you want to.

alain de botton's ability to distill complex ideas into digestible, yet beautifully calm prose always stuns me. i believe we all share certain pains and anxieties as workers, which feel uniquely ours because they're hard to articulate, let alone discuss with others. this book helps bridge that gap.

it's a gentle invitation to adopt a more stoic attitude towards work, acknowledging that our struggles with work-life balance are beyond our control as individuals within a capitalist system. living and working in this world will always be two all-consuming aspects of our lives, pulling us in opposite directions. while we can't simply opt out of the inevitable feeling of failure for not being 100% at both, we can at least learn to feel less guilty about it; our dreams and ambitions are at crossroads with what the economy wants.

"we should not believe that there is anything faulty about capitalism simply because we have minimal security of employment, little time to see our families, a lot of stress and an uncertain future. these belong to the very conditions that help the system to work well. our mistake, which has imposed a heavy internal burden on us, has been to confuse our own ambitions for happiness with the goals of the overall economy."

[Abdulla Al-Mohannadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this short read on several topics concerning the problems with modern work culture and why it sometimes leads to depression. My key takeaways:
1) Don't waste time thinking about what could've been if you picked another major or career path
2) Every job allows some semblance of creativity, no matter how minute, which you can take advantage of
3) Although people focus on what "sells", you can still pursue your passion without necessarily attracting an audience
4) It's important to link our work to the bottom line to grasp the cascading impacts it has on the final customer
5) Collaboration is necessary for success, even though it's a struggle at times
6) Goals should be ambitious but realistic, otherwise you set yourself up for disappointment
7) Perfect meritocracies promote the notion that both success and failures are earned, completely overlooking factors such as context and luck

Through these topics, it's clear that the sorrows of work are far ranging and affect all levels of society. Hence, we should learn to make peace with them and expect a degree of disappointment every now and then in our careers, accepting that certain ambitions will go unfulfilled and that mediocrity is an inevitable outcome, despite what today's hustle culture may otherwise promote.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking, a soothing balm to those who might be struggling with work, career and ambition and the place all of these things have in their lives especially in a world where these things are constantly emphasised as important. To put into view the more macro forces at work when it comes to work, in order to view our experiences in a more realistic light - to normalise them so we can feel less shame about ourselves, and more kindness for others. And hopefully to have a healthy degree of skepticism to our expectations and hopes, in order to better tolerate when things don’t always go our way.

“We should learn the wisdom of a degree of melancholy in relation to our work, founded on an understanding that the sorrow isn’t just about us; that our suffering belongs to humanity in general. This should not make us desperate, but rather more forgiving of our failure, kinder to that of others and better able to focus on what really matters, while there is still time.”

[Sagar Aiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting essay on the nature of work in modern times. Found myself highlighting paragraphs in every other chapter. Here's one that's kinda funny:

"Capitalism does not place the longings and aspirations of the labour force at the heart of its operations (the clue to its essential concerns lies in its name). It was not made to ensure that we have secure, good lives, plenty of time off and pleasant relationships with our families; it was made to maximise shareholder return. Labour has exactly the same status within capitalism as other production inputs, neither more nor less. Alongside rent, the price of fuel, plant, technology and taxes, labour (people) is just another cost. That it happens to be a ‘cost’ that cries, needs time off, has fragile nerves, sometimes catches the flu and in extremis commits suicide is – at most – a puzzling inconvenience. "

[Ali Parouhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

«مصیبت‌های شاغل بودن» از آن دسته کتب کم حجم و موثر است که با ترجمه‌ای روان در ده فصل نگارش شده است.

این کتاب به بررسی جنبه‌ها و مصیبت‌های شاغل بودن پرداخته می‌شود. این مصیبت‌ها شامل تخصصی شدن، استاندارد کردن، تجاری‌سازی، رقابت، همکاری، برابری فرصت و شایسته‌سالاری است. بخش‌هایی از کتاب به خوبی قابل درک بوده و بخش‌های دیگر گیج‌کننده بوده و نشان می‌دهد که راه طولانی در پیش است تا به درک آن‌ها برسید.

این کتاب مناسب نه تنها برای افراد شاغل، بلکه برای هر کسی است که می‌خواهد یک کار را آغاز کند مناسب می‌باشد تا با واقعیات کار کردن مواجه شود. به نظر نویسنده، استفاده از استراتژی‌ها و راهکارهای مطرح شده در کتاب می‌تواند در زندگی روزمره تأثیرگذار باشد.

[Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to finish this book in one seating and am keen to read it a few more times, for the author has so cleverly and precisely captured the subtleties of the dilemmas presented to us by the modern capitalist logic. The book is written with “humanity” as the unquestionable priority. It invites us to reconsider what we may be accustomed to, ideas like meritocracy, equality, and finally to see that what we personally experience as “failure” may be located in the wider currents of historical and economic forces. A far more encouraging and objective perspective I’d say.

[LinaSilveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took this book with me in the train, to read daily on my way to work for a while. It is small and super easy to carry in a backpack. Helped me pinpoint and better understand some of my frustrations with work, and brought me immense peace (it even made me laugh).
Rather than suggesting any miraculous solutions, (spoiler alert, it doesn't give you any) it gives a name and a context to frustrations, those you have probably been feeling but don't have the words to explain or the context to understand.

[Steven Ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains zero solutions; a long-ish rant about sorrow and maybe some hard eyed look at reality.

But ultimately, so very hollow in providing not even hints of suggestions as to how to reduce it, and accepting Neoliberalism at face value.

I had a very complex relationship with this book - loved it before I hated it. I think “School of Life” is run by despairing Sartreists who never met Nietzsche, perhaps some agnostic Kierkegaardians who viscerally dislike Friedman but don’t know why.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

به نظرم هرچقدر نویسنده تلاش داشته راحت و روان در مورد کنار اومدن با مسائل و مشکلات شاغل بودن بنویسد، مترجم نتونسته راحت ترجمه کنه. باید هر جمله رو چند بار میخوندی تا بفهمی منظور چیه!
در کل کتاب‌های دوباتن به دلایل مختلف دچار سانسور و ترجمه بد می‌شن. (جستارهای در باب عشق) رسما تیکه‌پاره ترجمه شده بود.
اگر می‌تونید کتاب‌هاش رو زبان اصلی بخونید.
و سعی کنید با نظام سرمایه‌‌داری و مصائب شغلیتون کنار بیاید!!

[Nathan De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short essay that tries to explain and normalize the various sorrows most of us naturally feel about work given the various conflicting demands, i.e. the romantically inspired and culturally glorified ever deepening search for meaning in work versus the depersonalized economic gears and market dynamics we all operate in. Sometimes this leaves us feeling demoralized and there is nothing wrong with that.