The Virtue of Rest

It is the end of the Labor Day weekend in the United States, and I have been thinking about America's unusual relationship with work.  We are the most prosperous and productive nation on the planet, but there is a price to pay for this accomplishment.  Workers in the United States take fewer vacation days, and they suffer from burnout at a higher rate than other western nations.  If we want to continue being the leader in the world economy, we must have a conversation about the virtue of rest.  

Max Webber, in his book, "The Protestant Work Ethic," argues that America is uniquely situated to be an economic powerhouse because many of the founding members of the American nation came from the Protestant denomination of Christianity. According to Webber, since work provides people with dignity and purpose, creating wealth, capitalist societies' virtues are predominantly Protestant.  It is a nice counterpoint to Karl Marx and his thoughts about how economies fit into the culture.  

Today, America is more diverse than at any time in its history.  We have Christians of all denominations, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus.  It is also common to find Buddhist temples and neo-pagan shrines in many big cities around the United States.  It is a significant strength of our nation.  While we have many religious faiths, American workers have embraced the protestant work ethic first described by Webber, and I see it among the professional people work with each day.  

The notion that work provides dignity and purpose slots conveniently with the laissez-faire approach to our economy in the United States.  We have fewer vacation days and national holidays than other countries.  Labor laws are more favorable to business owners than workers.  Finally, any support for working families comes from private businesses instead of from a government safety net.

Lost in this situation was the idea that you should rest.  Olympic athletes need to rest between bouts and include recovery time in their training.  Lack of sleep has similar effects to being intoxicated with alcohol.  Problem-solving declines the longer individuals look at a problem.  Finally, constant pressure to perform creates stress which leads to health consequences.  The biggest paradox of productivity is that the more productive we try to be, the less effective we become.

It is why the labor movement pushed for a forty-hour workweek one hundred years ago.  It is also why banks are paying extreme salaries for entry-level workers.  People, to be productive, need to rest.  The agile principles explicitly talk about sustainable pace.  It is impossible to get work finished if the workforce is too exhausted to accomplish it.

I am a firm believer in Webber's Protestant work ethic, but without rest, it isn't very sensible, something we all need to respect on a Labor Day weekend.

Until next time.