A Worthwhile Job

In the novel, Moby Dick, Captain Ahab tries to incite the men on his whaling ship to give up the hunt for whale oil and chase one whale in particular, the whale which took off his leg.

The first mate, Starbuck walks off.

Ahab calls him:

“Come about Mr Starbuck. Why are you wearing that long face? Are you not game for Moby Dick?”

Starbuck replies:

“I am game for any whale if it comes in the business of whaling but I came to sea to hunt whales, not my commander’s vengeance. To strike a dumb beast that smote thee only from blindest instinct seems blasphemous.”

Starbuck’s Job

Starbuck wants to do a worthwhile job. Captain Ahab’s desire for revenge on the whale that tore off his leg seems unethical to Starbuck. It is not a worthwhile job. It offends his general sense of morality.

Unemployment

Have you ever been unemployed?

You look for a job and the only jobs are jobs where you work in sales and are paid on commission, or tele-marketting, cold-calling or door to door .. or wearing a costume beside the road and shouting out the name of a snack.

Does work seem humiliating? Do these jobs seem not worthwhile? Do they seem to demean human dignity?

Which jobs are worthwhile and which ones are not? How can we measure this?

Which jobs offend your general sense of ethics?

Does sales offend you by its very nature?
Do salespeople seem creepy to you?

Does advertising seem immoral to you?

Write your opinion below in the comments section

Activities

being a good friend
comforting children
walking in the forest
smiling at everybody
listening to everybody
talking to everybody
coal mining
selling encyclopedias door to door
cold calling
telemarketing
building advertising signs
logging

World English Course

There are lots of things you can learn in the World English Course. There is a place where you can talk about work and there is also a place where you can find a job and a place where you can find staff. There is a place where you can have fun and there is a place where you can talk about food or family. There is also a place where you can talk about money or love or philosophy. You can study anything you want anytime you want. You can do it once a week or every day or any time you like. Have fun! Work hard! Tell your friends and family members! Enjoy!

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