One cause of depression turns out to be spending one’s time in work that isn’t meaningful. But what does “not meaningful” mean, and how and why does it contribute to depression?
As I’ve written about previously, there are at least six types of social-environmental causes of depression, helpfully cataloged and discussed by Johann Hari in Lost Connections (read my post about the book here). One of these causes is, as Hari phrases it, a “disconnection from meaningful work.”
This could perhaps mean not having work. After all, if you do not have work, you cannot very well have meaningful work. On the other hand, you might well have meaningful work that is not paid work, or is not done for the sake of livelihood. We should perhaps consider work not only in terms of paid livelihood, but in the broader terms of whatever we do with our time and energy.
Hari, however, is (for good reasons) somewhat more specific. In his chapter concerning disconnection from meaningful work, he focuses on paid work that does not feel meaningful. Obviously there must be some subjective element here, where it comes to what does and does not feel meaningful. However, the “not-meaningful” at issue is not essentially about type of occupation. It therefore also is not, essentially, a matter of how meaningful one subjectively feels one’s type of occupation to be.
What it is essentially about is two things: (1) control; and (2) reward. More specifically, the degree of control, or agency, that you have (more is better), and the relation, or lack of relation, between efforts and rewards.
Control, or Agency
More control is better, but just what is meant by “control” in this case? Possibly an even better word would be “agency” or “personal agency.” Greater control goes with greater freedom to act, to make decisions, knowledge about what is going on, ability to have influence, and greater responsibility. If you imagine a somewhat large organization, typically people higher up in the organization will have more control in relation to their work and in relation to the organization itself.
A clerk, for example, probably won’t have a lot of control over what they do, when they do it, or the organization’s policies; nor will they be responsible for, say, securing a new contract for the organization. But people working in upper management probably will have a good deal of control and agency with respect to those same types of things.
Here’s how this sort of control relates to depression: The more control one has, the less likely depression is. The less control one has, the more likely depression is.
The explanation offered is that when control (agency, freedom, responsibility) is lacking, work becomes deadening. It has little meaning or interest, and becomes, to too great an extent, primarily something one simply has to get through in order to sustain livelihood. In contrast, a position which offers a good deal of control and agency can enliven and energize. It feels like it matters, and it doesn’t feel like you’re just carrying out orders.
Effort and Reward
Efforts and rewards, or rather the relation between these, is also of great importance. And the rewards aren’t only material (financial) rewards. We’re talking also about the “reward” — the gratifying, motivating, meaning-making response — of being noticed, being appreciated; being connected to feeling like you, or what you do, matters, is relevant, means something. If “efforts” are answered with “rewards” of these different sorts, then depression is less likely. But if your rewards are the same, or are lacking, regardless of your efforts, then depression is more likely.
Evidence
The foundational evidence for all of this, by the way, comes from three large studies, performed by Michael Marmot and others, on members of the British Civil Service. Hari discusses the studies in some detail (he also interviewed Marmot), and it’s very interesting reading. I really highly recommend reading Hari’s chapter on this.
Right Livelihood
Finally, it’s worth noting a clear connection with Right Livelihood. I mentioned in a previous post that one criterion of right livelihood is that one’s means of living “should not cause you distress such that it interferes with your spiritual-philosophical practice and development.” If the lack of control or agency, and lack of appropriate relation between efforts and “rewards,” result (1) in feeling “deadened,” (2) in the sense that what you do means nothing, and (3) are one cause of depression, then clearly it interferes with right livelihood.
Lost Connections website.
Related posts:
Right Livelihood: Is It More Than Not Harming?
Links to my growing series of Lost Connections -related posts: This Series of Posts Concerning Depression’s Social-Environmental Causes, Solutions, and Johann Hari’s “Lost Connections”
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