Have You Got ‘The Seven Jars'?

Modern work environment has evolved from the ideas of a few, very influential, modern thinkers.

- SMT. Lakshmi Devnath

Modern activity involves a person, or a group of persons, who brings in the capital, and develops infrastructure where many more can participate as wage-workers. This gave birth to the modern corporate work culture. The system was excellent and very efficient. Only one issue needed clarification – who gets to enjoy the fruits of the work?

Thinkers such as Adam Smith specified that since the promoters of the activity took risk and invested money, they naturally get the greater part of the fruits of the work. This philosophy developed as Capitalism. As opposed to this school of thought, equally powerful thinkers such as Karl Marx held that since it was the labour of the wage-workers that directly brought in the profits, the workers ought to get the greater part of the fruits of the work. This philosophy developed as Communism. The entire modern work environment is a fine balance between these two seemingly opposing forces.

We say ‘seemingly opposing’ because, deep down, both are based on a common idea – all aspects of human work can be converted into money.

In 2003, Christopher K. Hsee, Fang Yu, Jiao Zhang, and Yan Zhang conducted an amazing psychological experiment in the University of Chicago which reveals an incredible thing about the way we work in the modern socio-economic paradigm.1