Live-to-work or work-to-live? All over the planet different people from different cultures answer this question differently. American culture specifically- weighs heavily  toward the option of working to provide a life for themselves or in other terms, work-to-live.

This question asks the purpose of humans and life. If somebody selects live-to-work (LTW), that can be perceived as having the mindset of- human’s only purpose is to work. The vast majority of Americans disagree with that mindset, and they usually select work-to-live (WTL) because -human’s only purpose is to work.

The concept of working to provide a comfortable life is not only a shared opinion of Americans, but it is also known as the American Dream. Ivy Hoffmaster, a junior at the iSchool, says that the idea of living to work seems “colorless” and “boring,” When asked which she prefers, LTW or WTL, she answers, “When I think of live-to-work I usually think of an office job, which I can’t ever see myself having.” Another sophomore, Daniela Lopez answered, “I’d rather enjoy my life than never know it.”

This question is a part of America’s subconscious psyche, including -teenagers, adults, and a lot of well-known public speakers. A British philosopher named Alan Watts has done a few lectures on the topic. Two famous lectures he did on the concept of working to live is called “Do you do it or does it do you” and “What if Money was no Object.” He speaks about whether you let your work consume you or you can balance your life and work.

While conducting all the interviews of people around the iSchool, it was deducted that it really depends on your job.. Mr. Fitts, one of the math teachers at the iSchool, says that, “It depends on your interpretation of the question, if I would have to work to simply survive, then live-to-work and work-to-live become the same thing.” The opposite obviously stands as strong. If your job is your dream job, then living and working becomes one of the same. 

Live-to-work or work-to-live? Although most of America may answer with work-to-live, the question has to be specified in order to get a more accurate response. If your job was terrible, then living to work would mean torture, but if you love your job living to work would be exciting. What makes working to live more of an inviting answer is that no matter the quality of the job, you are guaranteed some life that you can choose and have control over. It would be safe to say that most of America would say, as an anonymous source said, “never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”