Opinion by Kathleen Parker: Want to be happy? Then don’t be a lawyer.
Chalk up lawyers’ malaise to high levels of stress and a lack of “meaningfulness” in their work. This doesn’t mean all lawyers dislike their jobs, but data doesn’t lie . I should mention that a significant number of my family members have been and are attorneys.
This analysis was done by Andrew Van Dam, who, speaking of meaningful employment, delves into vast databanks to answer questions posed by readers. In this case, he examined thousands of journals from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey to find out who’s happy and who isn’t.FollowAs a teenager, I once asked my lawyer-father whether he was happy. Pursing his lips, he thought for a moment, then said, “For some people, happiness is the absence of stress.
The common denominator among the three is obvious. They all work primarily outdoors, soloists communing with nature far removed from the white-collar stresses of desk life and paperwork. Farmers live intimately with the earth, tilling and smelling the soil, planting, tending and harvesting crops, and ending each day with the satisfaction of having accomplished something meaningful. They feed the world.Likewise, foresters oversee wooded land with an eye toward conservation.
What doesn’t show up in the analysis are any metaphysical reasons such workers are happy. I would submit that it’s because they spend their time close to nature. In my experience, living attuned to Earth’s cycles and seasons — and I don’t mean shopping for outerwear online — has a salubrious effect on body, mind and soul. Thus, Tibetan monks build monasteries on remote mountaintops.lived alone for two years in a tiny shack he built overlooking Walden Pond.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gold price backs off on rising dollar, but set for fifth weekly riseGold price backs off on rising dollar, but set for fifth weekly rise. gold markets fed
Read more »
Professor: Bloomfield College’s mission is impossible without Bloomfield faculty | OpinionA longtime professor says if current trends continue, few Bloomfield College faculty will remain after a merger. At that point, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University will be Bloomfield College in name only.
Read more »
Opinion: Affordable eating for those looking to beat rising pricesWe wondered: With food costs rising, what are your favorite options for eating well on a budget, whether at home or when dining out?
Read more »
Trump calls for jailing journalists to find Supreme Court abortion-opinion leakerFormer President Donald Trump says journalists should be jailed to procure the identity of the person who leaked a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Read more »