<p>I read this quote in a book this week. Do you agree or disagree with it?</p>
<p>“It is better to die from overwork than die from boredom?”</p>
<p>As you probably guessed, this book is from the 1800s–an era when many Americans embraced the idea of the Protestant work ethic and the advent of industrialization.</p>
<p>Well in my case I have ruined my body from overwork, so I just may die of boredom!
:(</p>
<p>I’d rather die from boredom, thank you very much. Boredom is by choice, overwork is rarely by choice.</p>
<p>What’s boredom? ;)</p>
<p>My overwork was by choice - & it was my own fault trying to keep up with the 34yr old men I was working alongside, trying to prove to them that petite middle aged women could do practically anything they could do.</p>
<p>Well, they can’t. Not for any length of time & not without sustaining damage to important body parts.
:o</p>
<p>I don’t like the quote because it implies that there is work and boredom, but nothing in between. I’m rarely bored or idle, but I’m surely not always working. There are a lot of hobbies that are not “work” but that prevent boredom also. </p>
<p>It reminds me of the question “Do you live to work or work to live?” I definitely work to live. Living is NOT being bored though!</p>
<p>I’ll take option C.</p>
<p>The quote sets up a false choice. The answer is to find the balance, so that you don’t die from either.</p>
<p>I’d rather die from boredom, but don’t tell my boss. We’re not allowed to think things like that. ;)</p>
<p>People die from overwork. I’ve yet to hear of someone dying from boredom. </p>
<p>At the extreme, people are literally worked to death. That is a main story of human history. More in the mainstream, people work themselves to death with stress. I remember a quote in one of Jerry Groopman’s books, one that talked about terminal patients. He said no one ever regretted not spending more time at the office.</p>
<p>Everyone dies.</p>
<p>In the modern world, you can find a balance between work and boredom.</p>
<p>I can’t get beyond the question mark at the end of a statement. ;)</p>
<p>Lergnom calls it. People DO, still, die from overwork. It’s not usually a choice, though. I don’t mean choosing to heart attack yourself into death from too many hours in the office, I’m talking the working poor, who put in crazy hours at two or three hard physical labor jobs just to keep food on the table, or people in third world countries laboring under conditions most of us would find inhumane if animals were subject to them.</p>
<p>H’s parents both died from overwork. They had no choice if they wanted their kids to be clothed and fed. Lack of good medical benefits played a part as well. I’m sure they’d have chosen to be bored instead.</p>
<p>I guess the worst thing would be to die while being overworked in an extremely boring job: cause of death undetermined! Did he die from overwork or boredom or a bit of both?</p>
<p>That quote reminds me of this silly “choice” game I have seen (usually young) people play: Would you rather have an eye gouged out or a finger chopped off?</p>