Why Work So Hard?

One of the more controversial Superbowl ads this year was by Cadillac. “Poolside” captures the raw essence of red-blooded conservative America: “We work hard because that's just who we are: Crazy, driven believers. We create your own luck and don't apologize for having lots of cool stuff (such as a $75K Cadillac electric car). That’s the just reward for hard work.”

This week, Ford released a parody rebuttal ad of their own, featuring a real-life African American entrepreneur presenting the more liberal perspective on economic success: “We work hard because we want to improve our communities and make the world better. Our impact is the upside of giving a damn.”

I must admit, I think both ads are brilliant at achieving their goals: Selling cars. Cadillac positions the ELR as a nice trophy for overworked executives, and Ford reminds us that they make electric cars for the people.

They also provide a lens to view the different perspectives on economic prosperity in America.

Both ads remind us to “Work hard, and believe that anything is possible.” Which might as well be the official motto of the U.S.A.

The key difference is: Why work so hard? What should the outcome be?

Do we work hard just because we’re “crazy, driven believers” who can't help ourselves?

Is it mainly to “create our own luck”? To accumulate stuff? To support our families?

Or should we primarily be concerned about our impact on the world? To strive to make it better?

Perhaps the point is that it's is up to each of us to decide, and that our answer to that question tells us about who we are.

It's worth pondering this, n'est-ce pas?

Via The Atlantic.

Related: Society.