Work=identity?

Does your work define your identity? I think this is true for are many Americans, especially men. There’s a great article in The Atlantic that makes this argument.

Here’s a portion from under the heading: The Gospel of Work

The decline of traditional faith in America has coincided with an explosion of new atheisms. Some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship their children. But everybody worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants.

What is workism? It is the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work.

Homo industrious is not new to the American landscape. The American dream — that hoary mythology that hard work always guarantees upward mobility — has for more than a century made the U.S. obsessed with material success and the exhaustive striving required to earn it.

(Source: Click here)

While I agree with much that is argued here, I would also say that it is nothing new. In fact, it is quite old. Workism itself might be a new term and the situations around this may be new, but the idea that work creates your identity is quite old.

The Romans believed this. The ancient Egyptians did to. Any empire that has ever existed has proclaimed this same message. We are no…