On the Ethics of Work

Essayist Thomas Carlyle quoted, “No pressure, no diamonds”.  Though short in form, this adage is by far meaningful.  It implies that without effort, work loses its worth, and this is true.  Of all the things I have accomplished in life, the ones that have felt the most rewarding are those that I have put much of my time and energy in.  In return, I have felt content.  I recently submitted a midterm portfolio for one of my courses.  Frankly, I expected to receive good results, and good results I got.  The reason for my work’s success was because I had been spending much time building and revising my papers until they had reached almost complete perfection.  It simply cannot be explained further.  I know I have put forth my best effort when I do not feel there is much left to be added on, and when this happens, I have a clear conscience.  I suppose the old saying is true: what you put in is what you get out.

The Value of Eccentricity

As I sit here at the desk, I cannot help but believe that people with forms of autism have their place in everyday society.  Eccentricity by nature involves doing things that go beyond the status quo, but this is not bad, because in my opinion, eccentricity has its advantages.  Would it not be rational to say that many of the world’s major contributors were eccentric people?  Albert Einstein, a brilliant scientist and thinker, was “a loner, and repeated sentences obsessively until he was 7 years old” (Muir).  Isaac Newton, father of physics, “was so engrossed in his work that he often forgot to eat, and was lukewarm or bad-tempered with the few friends he had” (Muir).  Though difficult to diagnose a person who is already dead, a look at both men’s biographies reveals that Einstein and Newton might have showed signs of autism.  Despite the label, both Einstein and Newton made lasting contributions to the world as we know it.

If it was not for autistic people, I do believe we would all be happy, sitting around in a cave.  However, this is not the case.  Human beings, like other primates, have developed a distinct pattern through natural selection.  While most humans(and primates) are born with the ability to communicate effectively, others are not.  These selected few, in return, have the capacity to inherit unique and exceptional talents, and through these gifts, society has been able to progress.  That being said, to say that autistic people have no contribution to society would be absurd in my opinion.

The Decay of the American Dream

I remember reading a book called The Stranger by Albert Camus.  While I cannot say it was the most enjoyable book I have read, I learned something from it.  The Stranger, quoted to be “American” by Camus himself, has a message that is more timely than ever: presence should precede essence.  In other words, who or what a person is should not be the basis for judgement.  Instead, he or she should be judged by experience, skills, or qualities.  When Camus said that The Stranger was “American,” he was not implying that his book was set in the United States.  Rather, he was implying that his book’s message showed similarities to the American dream.  Tell me: When was the last time anybody heard of the Chinese dream, or the French dream?  Never.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the three founding principles our nation was built on.  According to these principles, a person can do anything through hard work and effort.  Today, however, I feel they are more out of reach.  I once read a poll stating that more Americans believe the American dream is unobtainable, and knowing that attitude shapes the outcome of things, I wonder if this pessimism makes the American dream difficult to achieve.  Maybe just believing in the American dream makes it all the more real.