read though my answers and try to find the one that works and the one you relate to the most.
Answer: if you read the first paragraph it states that Americans view working as a good life when theoretically economic activities (aka social interaction etc.) are what really makes a good life.
the first question I'm guessing is asking why this would be a bad idea for the great depression mindset.
1) During the great depression, people didn't have jobs banks closed the economy crashed for middle-class people. no job meant no money no livelihood no food and other needs. if people were so worried about getting by day to day literately in survival mode focusing on emotions is considured a waste of time and would even be a considered week and foolish, false optimism. for example, "I don't have food in my stomach but I'm happy". how can you be happy when your starving. get a job to find the money you need to focus on what's important and your emotions and hobbies don't matter. if everyone is focused on finding food no one cares that you can like to do anything that cant get you money. you didn't have time to follow your dreams so you destroyed the notion of them in your mind. BTW rich people didnt realise the great deprresion was going on. they were so wraped up in their rich lives that their maids and workers would bring leftover food from rich parties and donate it to shelters
2) yes americans do hold to that standard we just switched and said let your work be your dream. family freinds activites and such were washed away from the work setting for a while. its now slowly coming back. life now is simple figure out your career before you do anything else once you have money you can fugure stuff out. you wont have to worry so you can enjoy life. there are many stories of people who lost relatioships because of there work. im a buissness person i cant have a family. only super rich people can spend time with their families but even then do they. do they really spend time and help their family how many rich kids actually grow up with good proper parents. the phrase workaholic comes from this idea that a carear is everthing and its not the world is slowly just realizing that and are trying to change.
