Work and Simple Living Research

 

I have never liked working for a boss. I would rather work for myself. I didn't have to do any research to come to that conclusion.

From the very beginning of my time in the workforce, I felt like I was being exploited.

Why did I feel this way? I can't say for sure, except that it just didn't feel right for me.

Maybe it was from watching too much Monty Python:

“Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I’m being repressed!”

My eighteen year old self vowed to escape the paid work world as soon as possible. 

I certainly did not want to wait until my official retirement age that seemed so very far in the future. 

2027! 

Images of flying cars, world peace, and all inclusive vacations on Mars. Ha!

Back in 1979, planning to work till my most robust and energetic years were over was not an option.

It wasn't that I didn't want to work. Being alive means having to work, and there is no way around this.

Over the years both Linda and I had jobs, bosses, and coworkers that we enjoyed a great deal. 

However, we wanted the conditions of our work to benefit us more directly. 

For example, instead of working for someone else, getting paid, then buying food, we wanted to work at growing and preparing the food directly ourselves.

Living more simply, and concentrating our efforts on reducing expenditures, eventually led to an early retirement for both Linda and I.

I was 40 and she was 35.

We went into semi-retirement at that time, and fully retired to the simple life a few years later.

Anyone that has tried knows that living simply can be a lot of work, but doing so remains the most enjoyable and satisfying work we have ever done. 

What is your thinking on work and living simply? 

I am interested in your experience, as is Michael B. Harari, PhD. 

He is a work psychologist that also wants to know how the role of work is managed by simple living people, including those that frequent this blog.

He sent me the following email:

"Hi Gregg. I'm a work psychologist and professor of Human Resource Management at FAU in Boca Raton, FL. I'm also a simple liver. 

There is an academic literature dealing with simplicity and I've noted in reviewing it that many studies suggest that work plays an important role in people's efforts to live more simply. 

However, there isn't much research that helps to understand the specifics of this dynamic - for instance, what specific barriers does work present people who are trying to live simply? 

What about workplaces, work cultures, or work arrangements makes it easier for people to live simply? What do people who embrace simplicity look for in jobs?

To address these points, we are conducting interviews with people who pursue simple living. We so far have recruited participants from the reddit "simple living" section. It has gone well, but we are need in more participants.

To thank people for participating in these 30 minute interviews, we are donating $10 to the World Wildlife Fund for each interview conducted, so there is a good cause attached. 

We also hope that this work can contribute to making a difference in people's lives. Of course, one study in isolation cannot do this, but we are working on developing a broader base of academic literature to help to understand the work-simple living interface which, we hope, can have an impact in time.

Thanks for your consideration,

Michael B. Harari, PhD

If you are interested in sharing your ideas around simple living and work in a 30 minute interview, the good professor can be reached at: 

mharari@fau.edu

Tell him the Not Buying Anything Blog sent you.

Please feel free to also share your ideas in our comment section below.