Rethinking the ‘Work’ Metaphor: A Journey Through Embodied Experiences and Evolving Meanings

I have been intrigued by the role metaphors play in the human conceptual system ever since I first read George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s book, “Metaphors We Live By.” Although I had been introduced to metaphors during my high school years, it wasn’t until my time as a graduate student in design that I truly grasped the profound connection between our lived experiences, cognition, language, and metaphors.

According to George Lakoff, a cognitive linguist and a leading expert on metaphor theory, metaphors are not only a common part of our language but are fundamental to how we think, communicate, and make sense of the world.

Lakoff argues that metaphors are pervasive in our everyday language and thought processes. In his research, he has found that we use metaphorical expressions and concepts in our spoken language at an average rate of about six metaphors per minute. This suggests that metaphors play a significant role in our daily communication, often unconsciously and automatically, as they are deeply embedded in the way we understand and express abstract ideas in terms of more concrete experiences.

For Lakoff, metaphors are not just linguistic flourishes or figures of speech; they are central to our conceptual system, helping us reason about complex topics and communicate our thoughts effectively.

Let’s examine the various metaphorical uses of the word “work” in expressions unrelated to its literal meaning. For instance, phrases such as “He is worked up,” “Work up an appetite,” “Work through one’s feelings,” “Work out the kinks,” “Work against the clock,” “work at cross-purposes,” and “work your way up” showcase how “work” extends beyond its epistemological origin.

The word “work” has its roots in the Proto-Indo-European base *werg-, meaning “to do.” This evolved into Old English “weorc” or “worc,” encompassing a range of meanings related to labor and effort.

The association between “work” and arduous tasks likely stems from the historical context of physically demanding manual labor. This connection persisted even as the nature of work evolved, shaping expressions that convey stress or struggle.

For a lived experience like work, which we physically and mentally engage in daily, to become a metaphor in our conceptual system and language, it must endure several generations of conventionalization for it to be widely accepted within a linguistic community. This transformation of a physical and mental experience into a metaphorical concept takes time, leading me to infer that it may have taken several hundred years for “work” to be adopted as a metaphor. This process reflects the embodiment of our lived experiences in language — essentially, how our understanding of abstract ideas is shaped by our bodily experiences and interactions with the world around us.

Considering work as a metaphor, I wonder how the future would look if the human experience of work evolved into a playful, joyous, and soul-nourishing experience rather than an arduous one. Authors like Ivan Illich in “Tools for Conviviality” envision a convivial society where work is not a form of labor or slavery but a fulfilling investment of energy and imagination, promoting deep satisfaction and dignity.

If work were to become “authentic,” “convivial,” “playful,” “creative,” “mindful,” and “meditative,” would we continue using “work” as a metaphor in non-work contexts to describe arduous cognitive or physical effort?

I’ve questioned what the metaphor “work” would mean if my personal experience of work as “playful” instead of “arduous” became the defining characteristic of the metaphor “work.” In such a scenario, would we need a new word for work to leave behind the current word’s negative connotations?

As an abstract experiment, let’s replace “work” with “perk” to explore its potential as a metaphor: “I perked on my essay all night” conveys the imagination and creativity involved in writing. “Feeling perked up” feels more cheerful when describing an investment of imagination and energy in a task. An invitation to “Perk out a solution” feels more like an invitation to play with and discover possibilities rather than labor over a complex problem.

You might be wondering why I’m guiding you through an exploration of the metaphor of work. Let me explain. As a designer with interests in psychology, sociology, anthropology, and culture, I’ve studied how metaphors can be employed in developing human-machine interfaces. Just as core characteristics of a lived experience can give rise to a metaphor, introducing a metaphor in human communication can also influence our understanding of a task and behavior. For example, recently while studying people’s experience of interaction with Advanced Driver Assistance systems (stage 1 and 2 of autonomous features) we found that Tesla introducing the metaphor autopilot in a car that was not fully autonomous was a reckless and irresponsible decision. It leads people into believe that it can indeed work on autopilot and cause accidents. We instead introduced the metaphor of co-pilot to represent our clients’ ADAS features- implying that the driver cannot take hands off the steering wheel and abdicate the responsibility to a co-pilot.

Considering how metaphors shape our comprehension, I am interested in exploring whether introducing a new metaphor for work in spoken language would alter our attitudes and relationship with work itself.

I acknowledge that our relationship with work is an outcome of a complex web of factors. The employer, the employer’s investors, and market ideology significantly impact our mental models. I do not suggest that merely introducing a new metaphor in spoken language will change our relationship with work. However, I want to share my observations about how the language we think in affects our perceptions of work.

During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the world was forced to stay home, and remote work became the norm. In my generation’s memory, we had never experienced confinement to personal spaces for reflection on such a global scale. Never before had we spent so much time with our families. In India, millions of people walked hundreds of miles from cities to their villages because they believed they would find care there. This period has had a lasting impact on our psychological, social, and cultural sensibilities beyond our comprehension. The invisible transformation in the human psyche will have ripple effects for generations to come.

An important shift that happened during this time is we all had more time for self- talk.

Self-talk, also known as inner dialogue or internal monologue, refers to the internal conversation or dialogue that individuals have with themselves in their own mind. It encompasses thoughts, beliefs, and evaluations that people engage in to interpret and make sense of their experiences, feelings, and behaviors.

Self-talk can serve various purposes, including self-reflection, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and self-motivation. It may occur consciously or subconsciously, and it can be either positive or negative in nature. Positive self-talk often involves affirmations, constructive feedback, and realistic goal-setting, while negative self-talk can involve self-criticism, excessive worry, and pessimistic thinking.

The way individuals engage in self-talk has a significant impact on their mental well-being, self-esteem, and ability to navigate challenges in their lives. Developing awareness of one’s self-talk patterns and cultivating more positive and constructive inner dialogue can help improve overall mental health, emotional resilience, and personal growth.

The self talk during the isolation period of the pandemic made people think amidst many other things about their relationship with work and about work life balance.

There are several research studies and reports that explore the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing isolation on people’s relationships with work. For example:

1. The World Health Organization published a report titled “The impact of COVID-19 on mental, neurological and substance use services: Guidance and learnings for the future” in 2022. This report discusses the changes in work arrangements, job insecurity, and social isolation caused by the pandemic, leading to heightened stress levels and affecting mental health.
2. A research paper published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology in 2021, “Work and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” analyzed multiple studies on the topic. The findings suggest that remote work and isolation during the pandemic impacted workers’ mental health and work-life balance, altering their relationship with work.
3. The Pew Research Center published an article titled “How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has — and Hasn’t — Changed the Way Americans Work” in December 2020. This article highlights that the pandemic has led to increased flexibility and autonomy in work arrangements for some, while exacerbating financial and job insecurities for others, ultimately affecting people’s perceptions of work.
4. Another research paper, “The effects of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic on work and life outcomes” published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior in 2022, analyzed the impact of mandatory work-from-home policies on work-life balance and job satisfaction.

These resources provide valuable insights into the complex ways in which the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting isolation have affected people’s relationship with work.

The cumulative findings from the various research studies and reports on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people’s relationship with work suggest several key points:

1. Increased flexibility and autonomy: Remote work has provided greater flexibility and autonomy, leading many to reevaluate their priorities and seek better work-life balance. This shift may lead to long-term changes in how people view and approach work, potentially influencing their career and life choices.
2. Mental health implications: The pandemic’s social isolation and increased stress have negatively affected mental health, causing some individuals to prioritize well-being and seek work environments that promote mental health and offer support. This might lead to career changes or more selective job choices.
3. Job insecurity and financial concerns: The economic instability caused by the pandemic has increased job insecurity and financial worries, prompting people to value job stability and financial security more, which may impact their career choices and life decisions.
4. Heightened focus on personal values and meaning: The pandemic has led many to reevaluate their life and career goals, placing greater emphasis on personal values, meaning, and purpose in work. This shift may lead to a long-term change in career trajectories and personal choices.
5. Work-life balance: The blurring of work and personal life boundaries during the pandemic has emphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. People may prioritize roles and positions that accommodate this balance in their future career decisions.

In summary, the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted people’s relationship with work, leading to a reevaluation of priorities, career choices, and life decisions. This shift may have long-term implications for individuals and the broader labor market, with a greater focus on flexibility, mental health, job security, personal values, and work-life balance.

Many of these shifts in how everyday people responded to the pandemic may not be permanent. For example there is a pressure on employees working for large corporations to return to work. Even in the face of resistance from employees the employers are enforcing strict return to work mandates causing widespread resentment.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with lower incomes, particularly those in precarious or low-wage jobs. For this demographic, the relationship with work has shifted in several ways. Particularly the pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequalities in the society, leading to a growing sense of frustration and disillusionment with work and the economic system. This may lead to increased activism and demands for better working conditions, higher wages, and greater support for low-income workers.

Regardless of which section of the society one belongs to, the pandemic has created questions in people’s mind about the fairness of the brutal demands from the economic system that treats humans as only the cog in the wheel running to generate profit and growth, with scant regard to societal wellbeing. I see a clear sign of people making choices to redefine their relationship with work.

In light of these shifts, it is crucial for social scientists, designers, and policymakers to consider people’s evolving aspirations for a new meaning and practice of work centered on well-being. We need new narratives and metaphors that can spark conversations within communities, ultimately leading to more sustainable and convivial ways of living. By fostering a dialogue and reimagining the future of work, we can strive for a better balance between individual and societal needs in our ever-changing world.

The last five pathways (chapters) in my book, “Being & Belonging: A Journey of Curiosity and Imagination,” delve deeper into these ideas. Chapters 18–22, which include topics such as embracing conviviality, the future of work, the healing power of poetry, embracing authenticity, and rediscovering presence, contain my musings that inspired this article.

I hope you enjoy reading this article and that it piques your curiosity to explore these concepts further in my book.