At work, I think it's best to stick to the sort of love involved in the command to "love your neighbor" -- love as an action embodying respect for the independent personhood, individual rights, and basic dignity of those with whom you interact, rather than an emotion. The emotional version I save for family, friends, and romantic partners.
I'm also leery of the idea of loving a job. Jobs (and/or the institutions within which they exist) tend, in my experience, to be abusive partners, not returning the devotion that those who love them lavish upon them. Loving some of the subjects, activities, etc., etc. associated with a job is another thing, but I think it's wise to keep in mind that they might be restructured/incorporated into another job, or even a non-job part of life. It's nice (ideal, in fact, when there's overlap), but the job is still not the thing loved/to love.
A1) The idea (about the object of love) that losing it would be a very, very bad thing. A2) It's hard to learn something if you don't identify with the people who love that something. A3) No. A4) Yes.
A1: Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more. A2: According to the two love birds who spent half of class making out last quarter, yes. Everything. A3: Does fondness count? I am very fond of several people at work. A4: Yes. At least they tell me they do when grades are due.
I work in the same department as my husband--I'm a lecturer and he's the electronics tech. So yes, I do love someone at work. In fact, that's where I met him.
Otherwise, I have good friends at work, and I love what I do. But if I left, my friends would still be my friends, and I can be a damn good teacher more or less anywhere that will let me do it.
A(1) Cf. Khalil Gibran, or Milan Kundera A(2) It would have to, or they could never get smart people like us to get involved in it, since it sure as hell isn't for the money. A(3) Yes. Otherwise I'd have jumped ship years ago. A(4) Yes. I'm lucky that I work where I do, in spite of the state legislature and the goggle-eyed homunculus in the governor's office.
A1. Love may be chemistry, but sex is definitely physics.
A2. One might hope that love of learning would be essential to education. Far too often, this seems like an alien concept to modern students, doesn't it? They view education as a transaction of effort (at best) or money (at worst) for grades, with learning not even entering into it.
A3. Of course not. I'm not Katie, and I'm glad I'm not.
A4. Of course not, particularly whenever I staple anyone's dick to the floor. But then, professors don't need their colleagues' or their students' love: we need their respect. I do get respect whenever I'm waving my staple gun around, but some call that fear.
More seriously: my love for astronomy is what keeps me going, semester in and semester out, particularly when teaching the large, general-ed astronomy class for 100 non-majors. I've been told more than once that I am good at conveying my love for astronomy. I am also good at conveying my disdain for snotty, whiny, sniveling, immature, lazy, stupid, irresponsible snowflakes, but the staple gun works wonders there.
A(1) O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful! And yet again wonderful, and after that, out of all [w]hooping. A(2) Sure, I can't imagine falling in love with a man who couldn't spell or never enjoyed plays or other literature. And I suppose there are some men who couldn't imaging falling in love with a woman with a Ph.D. A(3) Not in the romantic sense, but yes, in the Buddhist sense of "lovingkindness" (similar to Cassandra's sentiment above). Lovingkindness is hard to practice consistently. One way it is very applicable to teaching is that it not only includes but even demands tough love for children and students.
I do not love anyone at work. I'm new to the job, and new to the area, and I can't even bring myself to try to hang out with these people. They aren't bad, but they aren't friend material, let alone loooove material.
But I do love my work itself. Makes me feel important. Like "WATCH OUT! I'M IMPORTANT! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
No, no one loves me. Probably because I walk around shoving people and shouting that I'm important.
At work, I think it's best to stick to the sort of love involved in the command to "love your neighbor" -- love as an action embodying respect for the independent personhood, individual rights, and basic dignity of those with whom you interact, rather than an emotion. The emotional version I save for family, friends, and romantic partners.
ReplyDeleteI'm also leery of the idea of loving a job. Jobs (and/or the institutions within which they exist) tend, in my experience, to be abusive partners, not returning the devotion that those who love them lavish upon them. Loving some of the subjects, activities, etc., etc. associated with a job is another thing, but I think it's wise to keep in mind that they might be restructured/incorporated into another job, or even a non-job part of life. It's nice (ideal, in fact, when there's overlap), but the job is still not the thing loved/to love.
A1) The idea (about the object of love) that losing it would be a very, very bad thing.
ReplyDeleteA2) It's hard to learn something if you don't identify with the people who love that something.
A3) No.
A4) Yes.
Oh, wait. Does Q4 refer to people at work loving me? Then: No.
DeleteA1: Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.
ReplyDeleteA2: According to the two love birds who spent half of class making out last quarter, yes. Everything.
A3: Does fondness count? I am very fond of several people at work.
A4: Yes. At least they tell me they do when grades are due.
Hah! You beat me to it!
DeleteOh, the song...and here I was thinking bad thoughts...
DeleteI work in the same department as my husband--I'm a lecturer and he's the electronics tech. So yes, I do love someone at work. In fact, that's where I met him.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I have good friends at work, and I love what I do. But if I left, my friends would still be my friends, and I can be a damn good teacher more or less anywhere that will let me do it.
A(1) Cf. Khalil Gibran, or Milan Kundera
ReplyDeleteA(2) It would have to, or they could never get smart people like us to get involved in it, since it sure as hell isn't for the money.
A(3) Yes. Otherwise I'd have jumped ship years ago.
A(4) Yes. I'm lucky that I work where I do, in spite of the state legislature and the goggle-eyed homunculus in the governor's office.
A1. Love may be chemistry, but sex is definitely physics.
ReplyDeleteA2. One might hope that love of learning would be essential to education. Far too often, this seems like an alien concept to modern students, doesn't it? They view education as a transaction of effort (at best) or money (at worst) for grades, with learning not even entering into it.
A3. Of course not. I'm not Katie, and I'm glad I'm not.
A4. Of course not, particularly whenever I staple anyone's dick to the floor. But then, professors don't need their colleagues' or their students' love: we need their respect. I do get respect whenever I'm waving my staple gun around, but some call that fear.
More seriously: my love for astronomy is what keeps me going, semester in and semester out, particularly when teaching the large, general-ed astronomy class for 100 non-majors. I've been told more than once that I am good at conveying my love for astronomy. I am also good at conveying my disdain for snotty, whiny, sniveling, immature, lazy, stupid, irresponsible snowflakes, but the staple gun works wonders there.
A(1) O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful! And yet again wonderful, and after that, out of all [w]hooping.
ReplyDeleteA(2) Sure, I can't imagine falling in love with a man who couldn't spell or never enjoyed plays or other literature. And I suppose there are some men who couldn't imaging falling in love with a woman with a Ph.D.
A(3) Not in the romantic sense, but yes, in the Buddhist sense of "lovingkindness" (similar to Cassandra's sentiment above). Lovingkindness is hard to practice consistently. One way it is very applicable to teaching is that it not only includes but even demands tough love for children and students.
A(4) Yes. But not the moderators or Terry lately.
I love this post. I love you, Bubba.
ReplyDeleteI do not love anyone at work. I'm new to the job, and new to the area, and I can't even bring myself to try to hang out with these people. They aren't bad, but they aren't friend material, let alone loooove material.
But I do love my work itself. Makes me feel important. Like "WATCH OUT! I'M IMPORTANT! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
No, no one loves me. Probably because I walk around shoving people and shouting that I'm important.
I love the "WATCH OUT! I'M IMPORTANT! GET OUT OF MY WAY!" being shouted here. Does that count as love?
Delete