HAPPINESS AT WORK
Installation shot from IASPIS open studios, February 2005 (click image to enlarge).
Happiness at Work is a set of three Xerox posters talking about the division between professional life and free time. Statistics is compiled from different management- and career advice magazines. Here is the text block from the third poster "Green Grass":
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Green Grass
We tend to have an unrealistic view of how much pleasure others get from their jobs. We think they're happier, get more appreciation, have better bosses, a more reasonable workload, and so on. Since we're essentially creatures of comparison, judging how well we do against others, this type of thinking will only depress you.
The reality? It's pretty tough today in most organizations. Chances are things aren't much different in terms of work demands or environment across the street. As they say, the grass isn't always greener.
Realistically, it's unreasonable to expect to be happy all the time. No job is perfect. While this seems obvious, many people forget it. But every job has its irritants: people who don't follow through on commitments, annoying co-workers, irrational clients. The hope is that the good significantly outweighs the bad.
Moreover, while more books, articles and media interviews have focused
on "the happy at work" topic in the past decade ("Your
work should make you passionate." "Follow your bliss."),
you aren't wrong or strange if your job isn't a major source of personal
happiness. We work for different reasons, including for the money, self-expression
or the challenge. Although "bad work" can crush you, not everyone
needs or wants to have great work. For some, work is simply a means to
an end, a way to pay the bills and satisfy basic needs so they can pursue
their personal interests. Work is not the centerpiece of their identity.
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