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Überlegung zur
Untergrabung der Arbeitsmoral
Die Anekdote zur
Senkung der Arbeitsmoral von Heinrich Böll ist wohl vielen bekannt
(http://www.aloj.us.es/webdeutsch/s_3/transkriptionen/l_26_str10_trans.pdf)
Da geht es ja
hauptsächlich ums ganz individuelle Wohlsein – die größeren
Perspektiven muss man sich dazudenken.
Aber auch wenn viele diese
Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral wohl gelesen haben erscheint es
dennoch fast allen großartig, wenn man sich individuell hocharbeiten
kann: zu höherem Status, zu mehr Geld oder vielleicht sogar aus dem
Elend heraus.
Diese Möglichkeit -
illusorisch oder realistisch - hielt und hält die Menschen dazu an,
mehr zu geben als sie unbedingt hier und jetzt nötig haben.
WEITERKOMMEN ist
anscheinend wunderbar! Aber weiter als wer, und weiter womit? Wenn
wir mit der Erforschung unserer Welt und des Universums weiterkommen,
ist das ja unmittelbar zumindest eine Chance, mit dem neuen Wissen
viel Gutes oder Vernünftiges zu bewirken.
Aber eben nur die Chance.
Unsere Tragödie als
Spezies ist nun im 21 Jahrhundert die, dass wir bisher so
erfolgreich waren.
”Besser” und länger
leben zu wollen erscheint für jeden von uns legitim, aber WIE wollen
wir leben? Und was bedeuten unsere Ansprüche für die Mitmenschen
und die biologischen Mitbewohner der Erde?
Mehr zu arbeiten, mehr
Umsatz zu machen kann in diesem Licht direkt asozial sein – aber
wer will sich das selber eingestehen oder sogar eine
dementsprechende Politik machen?
Consideration
to undermine the ethic of labour
“Die Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral“ of Heinrich Böll is well known to many (read an English translation at the end of page)
This short story was mainly reflecting the very individual well-being – it's wider perspectives you have to think of yourself.
But even though many have red this “Anecdote to reduce the ethic of labour” probably it still appears almost great to most of us, if you can work your way through to to a higher status, more money, or maybe even out of misery.
This possibility - illusory or realistic - inspires people to work more than they absolutely necessary have to here and now.
GETTING FURTHER is apparently wonderful! But further than who, and on what? If we continue the exploration of our world and the universe, that's a chance to use the new knowledge good or sensible.
But only the CHANCE!
Our tragedy as a species is now now in the 21st century that we have been so successful.
To live "better" and to live longer appears legitimate for every one of us but HOW do we want to live? And how influence our claims other human beings and our biological roommates on this Earth?
To work more, to make more sales can in this light be directly anti-social - but who wants to admit that just for himself or even dares to make a corresponding policy?
besides to read Bölls short story I recommend to read: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/04/work-more-less-quality-of-life
“Die Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral“ of Heinrich Böll is well known to many (read an English translation at the end of page)
This short story was mainly reflecting the very individual well-being – it's wider perspectives you have to think of yourself.
But even though many have red this “Anecdote to reduce the ethic of labour” probably it still appears almost great to most of us, if you can work your way through to to a higher status, more money, or maybe even out of misery.
This possibility - illusory or realistic - inspires people to work more than they absolutely necessary have to here and now.
GETTING FURTHER is apparently wonderful! But further than who, and on what? If we continue the exploration of our world and the universe, that's a chance to use the new knowledge good or sensible.
But only the CHANCE!
Our tragedy as a species is now now in the 21st century that we have been so successful.
To live "better" and to live longer appears legitimate for every one of us but HOW do we want to live? And how influence our claims other human beings and our biological roommates on this Earth?
To work more, to make more sales can in this light be directly anti-social - but who wants to admit that just for himself or even dares to make a corresponding policy?
Anecdote to lower work ethics
In a harbor on the west coast of
Europe, a shabbily dressed man lies dozing in his fishing boat. A
smartly dressed tourist is just putting a new roll of color film into
his camera to photograph the idyllic picture: blue sky, green sea
with peaceful, snowy whitecaps, black boat, red woolen fisherman's
cap. Click. Once more: click and, since all good things come in
threes and it's better to be safe than sorry, a third time: click.
The snapping, almost hostile sound awakens the dozing fisherman, who
sleepily sits up, sleepily gropes for his cigarettes, but before he
has found what he is looking for the eager tourist is already holding
a pack under his nose, not exactly sticking a cigarette between his
lips but putting one into his hand, and a fourth click, that of the
lighter, completes the overeager courtesy. As a result of that excess
of nimble courtesy — scarcely measurable, never verifiable — a
certain awkwardness has arisen that the tourist, who speaks the
language of the country, tries to bridge by striking up a
conversation.
"You'll have a good catch today."
The fisherman shakes his head.
"But I've been told the weather's favorable!"
The fisherman nods.
"So you won't put to sea?"
The fisherman shaeks his head, the tourist grows more and more uncomfortable. It is clear that he has the welfare of the shabbily dressed man at heart and that disappointment over the lost opportunity is gnawing at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry — aren't you feeling well?"
At last the fisherman switches from a sign language to the spoken word.
"I feel fine," he says. "I've never felt better." He stands up, stretches as if to demonstrate his athletic build. "I feel terrific."
The tourist's expression grows steadily more unhappy, and he can no longer suppress the question which, as it were, threatens to burst his heart: "But why, then, do you not put to sea?"
The answer comes promptly and briefly: "Because I already put to sea this morning."
"Did you make a good catch?"
"My catch was so good that I need not put to sea for a second time. I had for lobsters in my baskets, caught nearly two dozen mackerel..."
The fisherman, finally awake, is now thawing, and slaps the tourist soothingly on the shoulder. The worried countenance of the latter seems to him an expression of inappropriate, yet touching, anxiety.
"I have enough even for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he says to relive the stranger's soul. "Do you want a cigarette?"
"Yes, please."
Cigarettes are being put into mouths, a fifth click; the stranger, shaking his head, sits down on the rim of the boar, and puts down the camera, for now he needs both hands to give his speech emphasis.
"I do not want to meddle in your personal affairs," he says, "but just imagine if you put to sea today for a second, a third, or perhaps even a fourth time, and you catch three, four, five, maybe even ten dozen mackerel. Just imagine that!"
The fisherman nods.
"You put to sea," continues the tourist, "not only today but tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, indeed, on every favorable day two, three, of perhaps four times — do you know what would happen?"
The fisherman shakes his his.
"In one year at the latest you would be able to buy a motor, in two years a second boat, in three or four years you may, perhaps, have a small trawler; with two boats or the trawler you would, of course, catch a lot more — one day, you would have two trawlers, you would...," for a few moments his enthusiasm leaves him speechless, "you would build a small cold store, perhaps a smoke-house, soon afterwards a marinating factory, fly around with your own helicopter, making out the shoals of fish and giving orders to your trawlers by radio. You could buy the fishing right for salmon, open a fish restaurant, export lobster directly to Paris without a middleman — and then...," once again his enthusiasm leaves him speechless. Shaking his head, saddened in the depth of his heart, and almost bereft of this holiday delights, he looks on the waters rolling peacefully into the harbor, where the uncaught fish jump merrily.
"And then," he says, but again his excitement leaves him speechless. The fisherman slaps him on the back, as one would slap a child choking over his food. "What then?" he asks in a low voice.
"Then," says the stranger with restrained enthusiasm, "then, without a care in the world, you could sit here in the harbor, doze in the sun — and look at the glorious sea."
"But I'm already doing that," says the fisherman. "I sit here in the harbor without a care in the world and doze — it was only your clicking that disturbed me."
And so the thus enlightened tourist walked pensively away, for at one time he had believed that he was working so as to someday not have to work any more; and there remained in him not a trace of pity for the fisherman in shabby clothes, only a little envy.
"You'll have a good catch today."
The fisherman shakes his head.
"But I've been told the weather's favorable!"
The fisherman nods.
"So you won't put to sea?"
The fisherman shaeks his head, the tourist grows more and more uncomfortable. It is clear that he has the welfare of the shabbily dressed man at heart and that disappointment over the lost opportunity is gnawing at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry — aren't you feeling well?"
At last the fisherman switches from a sign language to the spoken word.
"I feel fine," he says. "I've never felt better." He stands up, stretches as if to demonstrate his athletic build. "I feel terrific."
The tourist's expression grows steadily more unhappy, and he can no longer suppress the question which, as it were, threatens to burst his heart: "But why, then, do you not put to sea?"
The answer comes promptly and briefly: "Because I already put to sea this morning."
"Did you make a good catch?"
"My catch was so good that I need not put to sea for a second time. I had for lobsters in my baskets, caught nearly two dozen mackerel..."
The fisherman, finally awake, is now thawing, and slaps the tourist soothingly on the shoulder. The worried countenance of the latter seems to him an expression of inappropriate, yet touching, anxiety.
"I have enough even for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he says to relive the stranger's soul. "Do you want a cigarette?"
"Yes, please."
Cigarettes are being put into mouths, a fifth click; the stranger, shaking his head, sits down on the rim of the boar, and puts down the camera, for now he needs both hands to give his speech emphasis.
"I do not want to meddle in your personal affairs," he says, "but just imagine if you put to sea today for a second, a third, or perhaps even a fourth time, and you catch three, four, five, maybe even ten dozen mackerel. Just imagine that!"
The fisherman nods.
"You put to sea," continues the tourist, "not only today but tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, indeed, on every favorable day two, three, of perhaps four times — do you know what would happen?"
The fisherman shakes his his.
"In one year at the latest you would be able to buy a motor, in two years a second boat, in three or four years you may, perhaps, have a small trawler; with two boats or the trawler you would, of course, catch a lot more — one day, you would have two trawlers, you would...," for a few moments his enthusiasm leaves him speechless, "you would build a small cold store, perhaps a smoke-house, soon afterwards a marinating factory, fly around with your own helicopter, making out the shoals of fish and giving orders to your trawlers by radio. You could buy the fishing right for salmon, open a fish restaurant, export lobster directly to Paris without a middleman — and then...," once again his enthusiasm leaves him speechless. Shaking his head, saddened in the depth of his heart, and almost bereft of this holiday delights, he looks on the waters rolling peacefully into the harbor, where the uncaught fish jump merrily.
"And then," he says, but again his excitement leaves him speechless. The fisherman slaps him on the back, as one would slap a child choking over his food. "What then?" he asks in a low voice.
"Then," says the stranger with restrained enthusiasm, "then, without a care in the world, you could sit here in the harbor, doze in the sun — and look at the glorious sea."
"But I'm already doing that," says the fisherman. "I sit here in the harbor without a care in the world and doze — it was only your clicking that disturbed me."
And so the thus enlightened tourist walked pensively away, for at one time he had believed that he was working so as to someday not have to work any more; and there remained in him not a trace of pity for the fisherman in shabby clothes, only a little envy.
besides to read Bölls short story I recommend to read: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/04/work-more-less-quality-of-life
