Home By Marquel Long Work Hours Can Cause Depression Unless They Don’t

Long Work Hours Can Cause Depression Unless They Don’t

An analysis of data on more than 600,000 people is the largest study thus far of the relationship between working hours and cardiovascular health.

So if you want to get depressed and have a fatal heart attack, get a job, thought Marquel. There is a certain logic to it. On the other hand there are all those stories of people who die a day after retiring. Work is supposed to be good for you. If you’re a millionaire, thought Marquel.

So Marquel went to his nearest millionaire and asked. “The Times says if you work you’ll get depressed, get clogged arteries, and die of a heart attack. What do you think of that?”

Pierre, the French millionaire whom Marquel had met at Hammacher Schlemmer, said, “It’s good for you. I’m not depressed and my BP is 120 over 80. Work keeps you interested and interesting. How could that depress you? And if you’re working you’re not eating junk food, and that’s gotta be good for your heart. Mais non?”

“I know what you’re saying but the study says otherwise. If you work you get depressed, get a heart attack or stroke, and die.” I said.

“You sure you have the order right? Maybe people who get heart attacks or strokes, get depressed, and then die. I know I would. Bien sûr.” He said.

“Well no because the studies seem to have controlled for that. People who don’t work don’t get as depressed and also don’t have as many heart attacks or strokes. By like 30 per cent or so…” I said.

“Well I’m sure not in France. Did they include the chance to be rude in that? You see, when you work, you get to be rude to customers, co workers, everybody. It’s okay with us because we say,  ‘oh he’s working. He’s probably stressed ‘ ” he said.

“Well no, we don’t really like rudeness here.” I said.
“Well you’re missing a lot. Plus what about vacation? We always depressurize on vacation. We all get a month. Even the chambermaids.” He said with a Gallic flourish.
“Um, no, Americans don’t generally get guaranteed month long paid vacations” I said.
“Then what do they use their summer house for?” He asked.

“Huh?” I asked. Hmmm, I thought, this is not a cross cultural topic.

“So they rent them out?” He asked me.

“Actually they don’t have them because they have no vacations.” I added.
“That’s depressing,” he said.
“Enough to give you a heart attack?” I asked him.
“Pretty much, or a stroke, je pense,” he said.
“Moi aussi.”
***
By MARQUEL: Long Work Hours Can Cause Depression Unless They Don’t

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