This Valentine’s Day Replace Your Work Ethic With The Love Ethic

Is Valentine’s Day a capitalistic, consumerist celebration? Largely so. Yet, not necessarily so. At least on this day, we could replace the dominant work ethic with an emancipatory love ethic. Our attention could shift from efforts towards employability to corresponding efforts towards lovability. We could opt to acknowledge and celebrate the loving care work that has sustained us over the years. Or we could focus less on individuals and more on communities as the primary loving unit.

In the words of bell hooks: “Certainly, individuals who love someone who is more preoccupied by work feel immense frustration when they endeavor to guide their partner in the way of love. Truly, there would be no unemployment problem in our nation if our taxes subsidized schools where everyone could learn to love. Job sharing could become the norm. With love at the center of our lives, work could have a different meaning and focus.”