"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important."" - Bertrand Russell"

Work is one of the most universal features of human life; virtually everybody spends some part of their life at work. It is often associated with tedium and boredom, in conflict with the things we would otherwise love to do. The idea of work primarily as a burden was also shared by the philosophers in ancient Greece, who generally regarded work as a curse. And yet research shows that it prolongs life and is generally good for people s physical and mental...

Work is one of the most universal features of human life; virtually everybody spends some part of their life at work. It is often associated with tedium and boredom; in conflict with the things we would otherwise love to do. The idea of work primarily as a burden was also shared by the philosophers in ancient Greece, who generally regarded work as a curse. And yet, research shows that it prolongs life and is generally good for people's physical and mental health. Why is this? What is the meaning of work? To what extent does it determine our social identity? Should we expect to find work...