Less Talk, More Work Essay

Have you ever conception that there is a greater enquire to break constantly on a daily primer coat than to catch up on your social life with family and friends? hold addiction is a growing get to today. Most earnaholics seem to put work, a main antecedency, before anything else such as fourth dimension spent with others. The obsession with work is due to many reasons. For few people, work is needed to earn money to abide for necessary expenses such as food and bills. However, too much of a workload relates a somebody mentally, physically, or take d protest both. Stress is one of the many re roundions when it comes to constant hours or days spent at work. In The Company Man, written by Ellen Goodman, the main character Phil shows how chaotic he is with himself and with his work that in the end leads to his tragic f argonwell.The lifestyle of working excessively is common. The idea of becoming a workaholic is to strive for a certain(a) value or receiveing for onesel f. Goodmans story of The Company Man illustrates a vivid shell of a common workaholic. If a workaholic is spotted, the kitchen range is depicted as anxious, guilt-ridden, insecure, or self-righteous about work a slave to a set schedule, merciless in his demands upon himself for peak performance compulsively overcommitted (Marlowitz 7). This workaholic image illustrates Phil. In Phils world, everything he does is directed towards work. As an addict living with a wife and ternion children, he works nearly every day as well as many nights (Goodman 61). He works for an important company, serving as a vice president (Goodman 60-61). Having a high-level baffle makes him feel important because he worked homogeneous the Important People (Goodman 61). Based on his high position, Goodman hints at Phils pride, a powerful factor influencing his demand and duty to work. While Phil is motorn mainly by pride there be many other reasons why he works too hard.These reasons acknowledge his i dentity, self- wonder, self-pride, self-doubts, pressure from family expectations, perfectionism, a coping mechanism for his damaging emotions, and his obsessive-compulsive behavior. Some of the key components of workaholism include intensity, energy, competition, and motivation (Machlowitz 26). feedaholism as well includes three other main components such as enjoyment, drive, and work involvement (McMillan). When it comes to workaholic men like Phil, they view themselves as the family caretaker and feel completely responsible for taking care of all the family needs (Killinger 139). This stall submits pressure on workaholic men because they feel that they are expected to ensure that there is both financial protection and emotional well-being in the family (Killinger 139). They must be independent peculiarly with earning money. Money attracts power, freedom, and emancipation (Schaef 120). Chasing after the goal of money-making is a way for workaholics to gain achievement, w hich sets off a powerful drive (Schaef 120). non only do pressures from the family increase this drive, but the work addict himself plays a factor as well. A workaholic is able to enjoy and love a job if he is fairly good at it. His self-esteem increases with the ideal of being good at something. Therefore, he would feel even better and take even greater pride in what he knows and what he is capable of doing. This pride takes over and motivates him to excel and bring a perfectionist. However, there comes a moment when perfection gets out of hand and he develops an obsession. A mental dependence grows out of the addictive behavior from workaholism (McMillan). Work becomes central and all other aspects of life are forgotten (Schaef 119). As compulsive workers, they become obsessed with work and cannot stop (Shimazu). Their drive is ongoing with the thought of taking charge and taking control over everything and everyone (Shimazu).Fears, doubts, and insecurities start to develop in side, which pushes their mindset to work to the dependable extent. Aside from these feelings, workaholics hold ambitions, enabling them to be superior and competitive at all times, which can bring an overload of tense (Machlowitz 43). Working hard appears to be the only solution to overcome and avoid negative emotions such as anxiety and to gain respect and approval from others (Machlowitz 43). Other reasons for Phils obsession with work include his fibre A personality and apprehensions of laziness, failure, and loss of control, and. Phil is motivated to work long and hard because he cannot bear the thought of failing. Failure portrays the end of the world to workaholics like Phil therefore, they must succeed (Machlowitz 41). Another fear is laziness. Ironically, workaholics hold a strange belief that they are naturally lazy (Machlowitz 42). As a result, they drive themselves even harder to avoid falling behind in work.Some, but not all, workaholics develop a Type A personality. This personality consists of negative traits such as impatience, aggressiveness, and competitive impulses (Machlowitz 44). A Type A also includes the need to rush, to work rapidly, and to set aside feelings such as fatigue during working hours (Machlowitz 44). Workaholics hold an fallacy over the loss of control (Machlowitz 45). Because of their obsession, they are made to believe they are given all the respect and hold all the power if everything is done only their way and no one elses (Killinger 8). Work has the ability to consume selfish and demanding feelings in an addict (Killinger 9). Being a workaholic can significantly affect both psychological and physiological health. fit in to Barbara Killinger, workaholics are at a loss because they suffer finished many mixed emotions.Workaholics experience confusion and pressure from their families, doctors, or colleagues which causes them to reduce the amount of hours they work (133). toilsome fatigue and exhaustion also betide ( 133). When they decide to s miss off and the work starts piling up, they are at a loss of control, becoming stressed, overwhelmed, and panicky, and experience claustrophobic moments (134). Some, but not all, may feel empty and at a loss for sense of direction (134). They may also become too sensitive, restless, and advantageously annoyed (134). They then go into frenzy, taking all things personally (134). Workaholics remove a problem with the need to regain control in order to feel satisfied after (134). They know they cannot choose failure and so, the goal is to succeed fully, otherwise, they turn irate and feel worthless (134). However, the more than than adrenalin they ramp up up into their system, the more constant fatigue they will most likely experience after (134).Barbara Killinger also mentions fatigue as a leading cause of a number of conditions in behavior (134). A pattern of eating and sleeping changes, sexual desires increase or decrease, inability to concentrate , and lack of motivation in work or play. Other signs include isolation from family and friends, memory loss, mental, physical and emotional exhaustion, unreasonable frustration or mistrust, and lack of care and need to distance oneself from a problem (134). In addition to these signs of belief are the distressful responses from anxiety and workaholism. Such responses can include inability to keep calm, nervousness, dizziness, abnormal simple eye pressure, heart problems, difficulty breathing, and other physiological symptoms (135). As for the psychological responses, these include an increase in stress and defense responses.Once they experience extreme anxiety they may cope by resorting to fantasy and parody (135). Excessive worry and sense of sudden danger occur as well (135). Once workaholics become paranoid, they also experience high levels of doubt. They feel anxious and worry that bad things are about to occur (135). Going back to Phil, he most likely could have experience d one or more of these kinds of signs or symptoms. As the passage states, Phil was overweight and nervous and worked too hard. If he wasnt at the office, he was worried about it. Phil was a Type A, a heart-attack natural. (Goodman 62). Therefore, he did have three symptoms nervousness, worry, and heart problems. These symptoms did some serious harm to him. It is no surprise that Phil passed away because of a coronary thrombosis (Goodman 60).Workaholism also affects those around the workaholic. rattling often, workaholics do not consider how their behavior affects others, particularly family members. Consider Phil from The Company Man as an example. Work interference puts the role of parenting in jeopardy. Work serves as the main priority. Because Phil works so much, this interferes with his ability to be a good parent (Killinger 159). There are three types of set abouts authoritarian father, indulgent father, and negligent father (Killinger 147). All three types affect children in negative ways (Killinger 147). Phil is the negligent father type. He is absorbed to the needs of his family and engages solely in work (Killinger 147). A lack of communication exists between Phil and his twenty- quad-year-old daughter. They have postcode to say to one another (Goodman 61).A lack of interaction also occurs between Phil and his twenty-year-old son who graduate from high school and works various jobs to support himself for food (Goodman 61). Phil is impressed by his sons good actions of earning money and the son is Phils favorite. However, Phils absence and his unavailability is such a disappointment, especially for his son. Phils son tries so hard to reach out and grab his attention and approval (Killinger 161-62). Although Phil shows humble affection by staying up many nights in excessive worry for his son, it is still not passable to say that there is interaction or love between the two because there is none. Sons of missing fathers prize as if they dont belo ng in society and feel like outsiders (Killinger 162). As a result, these negative thoughts and feelings cause them to turn to drugs and crime or drop out of school (Killinger 162). From the money Phils son earns, he uses it to buy grass or drugs (Goodman 61). His action portrays how badly affected he is for the lack of turn outance, personal warmth, and value he desperately needs from his father (Killinger 162).The negative affection is the same for Phils forty-eight-year-old wife Helen (Goodman 61). Phils constant absences emotionally harm her the most. As a spouse, it is hard to maintain an intimate, amiable relationship if the significant other happens to be a work addict (McMillan). Maintaining such a need leads to a bad outcome. Since there is no emotional attachment, care, and intimacy presented, the relationship is put at insecurity due to work interference (McMillan). In addition, the family is left in dissatisfaction and distress. Phil chooses to give up his social life, an infixed value, instead of his work obsession, what he believes to be most important than anything else (McMillan). Having to continue putting up with Phils behavior, Helen is left with no choice but to give up trying to fix the problem of memory everyone united together when the real problem is Phil and his lack of presence and his role as the father.Emotional legal injury is not just in family members but in coworkers as well. Coworkers have to deal with the complaints and demands from workaholics (Machlowitz 52). In addition, they are given all the blame and criticism, especially if tasks are not done perfectly (Machlowitz 54). Some workaholics prevail to do more than what is expected of them, making everyone elses hard work seem very slight as if they have not done enough (Shimazu). Recognized as aggressive individuals, workaholics put a great amount of pressure and verbal harassment on coworkers (Machlowitz 44). Because of this negative abuse, coworkers may feel easily annoyed or put down too much, which can affect their work performance (Shimazu 156).According to Marilyn Machlowitz, there are actually four types of work addicts (32). Knowing for a fact that there is more than one type is unusual for one may assume all workaholics are the same found on the one activity they have in common work obsession. However, this assumption is not true. The four types of work addicts are the dedicated workaholic, the integrated workaholic, the diffuse workaholic, and the intense workaholic (33). Phil is a dedicated workaholic because this type of workaholic has no outside activities or hobbies (33).If anything, their relationship with their job serves as the only activity they will ever have because it is their only prime focus. Consider the line of the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, Im late, Im late, for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye, Im late, Im late, Im late (Killinger 132). Every second is precious because time is a major nec essity that cannot afford to go to waste (Machlowitz 31). Impatience is presented but a strong fealty is shown as well. Workaholism works the same way. Like the white rabbit, Phil shows a strong commitment to work and to act on it fully.Studies have shown how badly workaholics put themselves in with themselves and their lives. Studies also show the negative health set up on workaholics more than non-workaholics such as sleeping problems, depression, and dissatisfaction with the balance between work and life, and constant worry over lack of quality time with family and friends (Keown). For example, 56% admit being unable to make time for leisure and making plans to change all that (Keown). Another example declared that one-third prefers to be more isolated (Keown). These studies show how much of a huge impact work has on their identity (Keown). Although they accept the consequences they must bear and the sacrifices they must cope with, workaholism does not eliminate the outcome of having poor detrimental health.Everyone has their own excuses, reasons, and values to workaholism. Their compulsive attitude and behavior gives the impression that nothing gets in the way of work, the only priority in life. However, workaholism puts ones health, whether mental or physical, at high risk. Emotional and physical harm is targeted not just towards the workaholic but towards his or her family members and coworkers too. The Company Man depicts Phils workaholism displaying a serious kernel on his wife and children. His work obsession also illustrates the loss of his social life with his family and his coworkers.