Working to live
From the extreme poor to the lower-middle class, most people work (or seek work) to earn money for sustenance. When one works to merely live, the nature of the work is seldom of concern. Rather, money becomes the primary object of interest. Not surprisingly, people belonging to the "working to live" paradigm often measure themselves and others in terms of their financial worth. People belonging to this paradigm really do not have the option to not work, for work is what enables them to meet fundamental needs of food and shelter. As these people work to merely survive, they dream to live better (i.e., moving beyond basic sustenance). However, most often the expanse of their poverty-stricken kinship is so vast that they seldom escape the stronghold of this paradigm within one lifetime.

For people who work to live, a few accept this condition as fate, while many try tirelessly to "work" their way out of this vicious paradigm. Since most of them lack any capital and business experience, they shun entrepreneurial ventures and opt for the slow-paced route of escape through work. Surely, among the many who work throughout their lives, some successfully free themselves from the stronghold of the "working to live" paradigm. Their indefatigable work spirit and their conviction for work usually reach uncharted heights. This, however, leads them to a new paradigm of "living to work."

Living to work
The "living to work" paradigm takes form from the Calvinistic perspective, which views work as worship. Many successful people of our poverty stricken country have had to work so hard for so long that they have been institutionalized to work. Generations of acute hardship may have even had its mark in their genetic code. These people immerse themselves so much to their work that their job-related existence becomes their only real existence. A deep-rooted sense of loyalty toward the job brews in their soul, for they credit the work of the profession with their escape from the "working to live" paradigm.

Let it be clear that "living to work" leaves little room for "living" per se. Most aspects of life --family, relationships, and social ties -- are hindered when people belong to this paradigm. Instead of using money as the benchmark (as is the case for people of the "working to live" paradigm), people trapped in the "living to work" paradigm measure themselves and others in terms of positional status and affiliation. They are psychologically uncomfortable when retirement nears and they are often prone to take on multiple new responsibilities, especially post-retirement.

In a hyper-competitive world, everybody is striving to excel. Unfortunately, for people struggling for generations to make ends meet, excelling beyond basic sustenance is akin to chasing the rainbow to find the treasure-chest. At times when they do succeed in life, the momentum of their hard work prevents them from relishing life's softer and finer elements.

Instead of working to live "better," they start to live for their work itself. Clearly, in either paradigm, people subconsciously neglect the importance of core human qualities. Surely, honesty and integrity are mentioned here and there as important. However, much softer and finer elements of life, such as care, compassion, love, and respect are hardly ever taken into conscious consideration by these struggling people who keep searching for that elusive place in between the two parallel paradigms.

Dr. Noushi Rahman is Assistant Professor of Management, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York.