What is a Workaholic - Workaholicism

Posted On: 2005-11-15
Length: 21:17

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Ladies and gents, boys and girls, dogs and cats, mice and rats. Whoever you are out there listening to us. There's 300 or so of you now. Our numbers grow. That's probably because of the strong man to my left.

Hello.

To Andy, the Doctor, to my right.

Yo.

And sitting directly across from me, the father of my life, Paul Sanneman.

Just think of it. I'm the reason you're here.

I'm the reason you don't have as much money.

That's true. That's absolutely true. So, subjects. Let's discuss workaholism. How about that one for a subject? Do we have any workaholics in this room?

No.

Anybody out there who's a workaholic?

No, we're not workaholics.

Well, when I was a child, my father, I did not see until I was 12.

I see.

Because he was a workaholic. Well, some people define as addiction is anything you either can't stop, that's one definition, another definition is anything you do to avoid emotional pain. So, have we, Andy,

I think there's more to the avoidance part. I mean I think some guys are workaholics simply because they don't want to go home to the family,

No, wait, wait. No, you guys are making this assumption right off the bat that a workaholic is doing it because it's a negative thing.

No, no, no, no.

If you're going to be good at what you do, it's because probably you enjoy doing it. Right?

Now hold it. Let's say, like you know, the problem with drugs, the problem with drugs is they feel really good and they're really profitable. Right? Otherwise we wouldn't have a problem with drugs.

Until the morning after, then you feel like shit.

Now how would you know about that?

I've survived many things.

So, what happens, the reason people are workaholics, is obviously they love what they do. I mean, you wouldn't workaholic if you didn't like it.

I don't think that's true.

Oh, I totally disagree. I think there are some people who don't like what they do and they do it all the time.

Why would you do that, that's just stupid.

Well, lots of people do a lot of things they don't like to do, and I think it's stupid, But nonetheless, I think that's the case. I think a lot of people hate their jobs and they still go and spend 12, 14 hours a day because they feel like they have to, because they're avoiding other issues in their life.

That's ridiculous. That's weird.

If any of our listeners are doing that,

Stop.

Just stop.

Stop it now.

You know, that's really, the most people I know that are workaholics really love what they do and they get really involved in it and they get a lot of love and appreciation out of it, and they get money out of it, so there's all these positive things coming out of it, so therefore they get hooked on it.

So, a workaholic then is a good thing.

Well, I think it's a matter of perception. I mean I guess you could say, was Picasso a workaholic?

I don't know enough about Picasso to tell you.

I see. Well he,

I don't like his work.

I see. Well, he did do it a lot. A lot of people who are really good at what they do, and are into it passionately, I guess you would call workaholics.

I think so.

So, so, I would say workaholism is a, bad, it's not a bad thing, but it certainly can get carried to an extreme.

I think it's bad if its purpose is avoidance and it's not allowing you to do normal things, I shouldn't say normal, it's allowing you to do other things you think you ought to do.

I think it's a safe assumption, not that I know first hand,

I see.

Is that you started going into it enjoying it, and you really have a good time doing it, and it changes. And you're...