Work ethic

See also: Work etiquette

Work ethic is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities.[1] Desire or determination to work serves as the foundation for values centered on the importance of work or industrious work. Social ingrainment of this value is considered to enhance character through hard work that is respective to an individual's field of work.[2]

In ancient Greece, work was seen as a burden, and their term for it, "ponos," shared its root with the Latin word "poena," signifying sorrow. In Hebrew, work was associated with toil, representing the laborious act of extracting sustenance from the challenging earth.[3][4] It was viewed as a consequence of the original sin in the Adam and Eve narrative. The Bible in Genesis 3:19 reflects this, stating that due to their transgression, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground."

  1. ^ "What is work ethic? definition and meaning". BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. ^ T. Marek; W. Karwowski; M. Frankowicz; J. Kantola; P. Zgaga (2014). Human Factors of a Global Society: A System of Systems Perspective. CRC Press. pp. 276–277. ISBN 978-1-4665-7287-4.
  3. ^ "History of Work Ethic--1.Attitudes Toward Work During the Classical Period". University of Georgia. 1996.
  4. ^ Granter, Edward (2012-12-28). Critical Social Theory and the End of Work. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4094-9187-3.