Perils and profitability

Work has a profound influence upon us. Much more than a means of survival, it is a main source of self-esteem and lifetime relationships, not to mention the cumulative wealth of nations. In terms of time spent on the planet, work comprises the bulk of our lives. In work, we interact purposely with materials, tools, technologies and people. In work, we prove our worth to ourselves and derive our value as individuals.  Through work we produce, as societies and a global community, that magic number called gross domestic product. Despite all other newfangled ways in which we measure quality of life in any nation — the widely used UN’s Human Development Index or the exotic Gross National Happiness Index introduced by the nation of Bhutan — per capita GDP is still the key determinant in measuring the success and comparative perception of countries. After the avoidance of total self-destruction, the