Quote:
Originally Posted by robustpuppy
Someone once said "industry is the antidote to despair," and I think my mother was an example of that. But I think it worked for her because her temperament was generally happy and optimistic. Had she been prone to depression, I don't think she could have gotten out of bed every day at the crack of dawn.
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I agree with pretty much everything you said. But that last part, I'm not sure.
Industry may be a temporary antidote to despair. But it's not a cure. (Is "temporary antidote" redundant?) My father worked 7 days a week, usually 10 hours a day or more. At work, he was happy, jolly almost -- it was eye-opening, in a scary way, for me to go to the hospitals where he worked and see the way the nurses and other doctors treated him, like he was this happy, wonderful guy. And at home, he was a nightmare -- would get mad, often violently, at the drop of a hat. Was sullen. Could never have a conversation with his kids, or even really with my mom, about anything.
Once he retired, he was bored and miserable. The nastiness just took over. If it weren't for the onset of a little senility, which really helped take the edge off him, who knows what would've happened.
So, yeah -- industry, or "keeping busy," may put off despair. But I'm not sure that's a path to happiness.
