UNITED STATES—Work, it is something most Americans dread, but we understand it is a must as an adult. It’s how you keep a roof over your head, it’s how you put food on the table, it’s how you pay for utilities and those everyday items so many have come accustomed to without realizing you actually have to work for those things. However, I want to discuss an even bigger issue here America. What is it that drives some to work and others not to? It might sound like a simple answer, but underneath the surface of it all I suspect there is so much more in play than we realize.

For starters, we know it’s the responsible thing to go to work; it is how most individuals provide for their families, yet I know plenty of people who have families and they’re not doing much providing. Now stop before you think about pointing any fingers. I’m not talking about stay-at-home moms or dad’s people; I’m referring to actual individuals who don’t seem to think they should be going to work. What type of psychology puts a person in that mindset where they don’t see anything wrong with having a full-time job, when they don’t have any ailments preventing them from working?

We have to ask the question rather the person ever worked during their lifetime. I hate to argue this, but I have encountered people who never had a job until long after completing college. It is an alarming statistic, but one that should be open to further discussion. Why? The thought of me not having a job until my mid-20s is something that is unfathomable. Why? That means I’m relying on someone else to provide basic essentials that I should be able to provide for myself like putting food in my mouth, buying clothing, personal items and just basic everyday things a capable adult should be able to do for one’s self.

In addition, not gaining work experience into a later point in one’s life puts them at a disadvantage about learning the importance of responsibility. Now this is not just about referring to being responsible by going to work daily, it’s about learning the importance of punctuality, communication, and hard-work, being a team player and how to grapple with stress. Do I think stress is something people should endure? Of course not, but it’s a part of life and having a job teaches one ways to develop with coping skills when stressed. If you never encounter a problem it becomes difficult for one to understand how to solve it without some life experiences.

Another important aspect to look at is the role parent’s play in their children seeking employment or wanting to work. I mean my parents really didn’t encourage me to work; it was something I wanted to do because I wanted to earn money and be able to take care of myself. Who wants to live off mom and dad the rest of their lives, I know I don’t want to. I think a parent giving that nudge is vital for teens and young adults realizing it’s not a bad idea to have your own. Of course it’s never easy in the beginning, but what in life isn’t worth fighting for people!

When you flip the coin and start to look at those who consistently work, you have to think about how long they have worked and perhaps ask the quintessential question: what pushed you to get your first job? For most, it’s earning their own money, for others it’s the chance to show self-sufficiency and the ability to help the family that may be encountering tough times. There is a drive there, a drive for most that never dissipates.

So it begs the question what can we do to help those who SHOULD be working to understand how vital it is to work? In all honesty you have to strip them to their bare bones. Place them in situations where they are forced to be without, and even in those darkest of dark times, I have still seen people not grasp the concept that they NEED TO WORK. I get it, some people hate the idea of working a 9 to 5, but guess what that’s more than 75 percent of Americans, but we still get up and do it each day.

Work is part of life, and while one’s life should not revolve around work, if you’re not taking care of the kids or the family, you have to be doing something beyond sitting on the couch, complaining that there is no food and doing absolutely nothing. Life is just flying past you and the question of the hour is rather you even realize it?