"There is no happiness in work, only well-packaged submission."
We live in an era in which we are told that work gives dignity.
That it fulfills us. That it is the path to happiness.
And yet, every morning millions of people get up empty, drag their feet, fade away in front of a monitor, behind a cash register, under a fluorescent light.
The truth is that work, as we know it, was never designed to make us happy.
FROM “LABOR” TO “TRIPALIUM”
Let's start with the roots, because words are mirrors of societies.
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In Latin, labor means effort, pain, toil.
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But it is the term tripalium that tells us more:
a three-post torture device.
That is where words like travail (French) and trabajo (Spanish) come from.
Translated: to work is to suffer.
From the very beginning. And whoever says otherwise does so for convenience.
NO KING, NO SLAVE EVER SAID THAT WORK MADE THEM HAPPY
Those who had power in history did not work.
Those who worked did not decide.
Kings did not produce. Nobles lived off taxes. The clergy lived off tithes.
And the slaves? Slaves worked until death. No one ever spoke of personal fulfillment.
The idea that work is “a blessing” is a modern invention, born with industrial capitalism, to justify 12 hours in the factory, starvation wages, wasted lives.
Today we are told that if you hate your job, you are the problem.
But perhaps the problem is the job itself.
THE MYTH OF WORK THAT “FULFILLS”
Let's not confuse things.
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Fulfillment means finding a purpose, a meaning, a coherence with oneself.
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Working, today, is often just a means to pay the rent.
Those who find fulfillment in their work often:
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Were born into a privileged position.
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Were able to choose.
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Managed to monetize their talent.
The others?
Stagnant wages, burnout, endless internships, split shifts.
And the paradox is that we also have to smile while we do it, because “at least we have a job.”
THE TRUTH IN THE LEXICON: WORK IS CONTROLLED, NOT FREE
Languages always tell the truth, even when we do not want to hear it.
No ancient term connects work to joy.
There is no ancient word that says: “I am working and I am happy.”
Work has always been a duty.
An imposition.
A cage cleverly disguised as opportunity.
A NEW NARRATIVE IS POSSIBLE
No, it does not mean quitting work and living on dreams.
But rejecting the idea that work is the center of life.
That it defines us. That it is worth more than our time.
That being productive is more important than being free.
SRDN.SOCIETY is also born from this rejection.
From the desire to go back to choosing, to redefining what is worth it.
Because those who have no time for themselves are not alive: they are busy.
Work must be re-examined.
Not elevated.
Not celebrated.
But questioned, in its essence, in its necessity, in its limits.
Until it becomes a tool, and not an end.
Only then can it truly be “dignified.”
Let me tell you one thing clearly right away:
we cannot “dignify” these jobs with rhetoric.
They must be paid. Defended. Redistributed. Optimized. Period.
These categories – masons, road workers, farmers, fishermen, divers – hold up the world.
But they live poorly. They die young or sick or with broken bodies. They have neither margin nor voice.
And if today an influencer earns in one month what they earn in two years, then the system is not just wrong, it is rotten.
ONLY IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO:
1. Official recognition of “wear and tear jobs”
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We need a national and updated list of jobs with high physical and mental impact.
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Retiring at 67 after 40 years of masonry is not enough.
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Solution:
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Early retirement (at 58 at the latest),
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free semi-annual health check-up,
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contribution reduction for companies that hire them with protections.
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Every year in these trades counts as 1.2x in contributions.
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💰 2. Compensation proportional to risk
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A construction worker earns €1,200-1,600 to build million-dollar homes.
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A fisherman risks his life in the open sea to bring in an octopus that is then sold for €35/kg.
Solution:
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Higher legally mandatory minimum wages.
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Tax breaks only for companies that exceed certain ethical standards.
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A mandatory percentage of the final sale price must go back to the one who physically produced it.
⚙️ 3. Technology at the service of humanity, not in its place
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Enough with using AI to sell mascara.
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Let's use it to:
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lighten agricultural work (drones, sensors, smart irrigation),
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monitor physical conditions in real time on construction sites,
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manage diving safety in diving work.
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Those who do hard work must be assisted, not replaced.
🧠 4. Paid cross-training
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Farmers must not die farmers.
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Masons must have free access to courses in logistics, construction 4.0, design, safety.
Solution:
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Technical training with a monthly allowance (at least €500).
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At the end, those who want to stay in the sector can move up in role or change area.
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Those who want to change jobs have the tools to do so.
🏛️ 5. Reputation and storytelling
These jobs are essential but invisible.
Until they become sexy in the media, they will always be underpaid.
Solution:
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National communication campaigns that tell the stories of these trades with the same narrative used for entrepreneurs and influencers.
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Every city should have an annual day to tell the stories of and honor its own “foundational trades.”