All praise the Almighty Dollar
My work has kind of overwhelmed me recently. Not in the sense that there's more than I can handle, but in that it has invaded all the aspects of my life. Lately, I've had a lot of work related dreams. In fact, just two nights ago I had a dream about Microsoft SQL Server. In my dream I was debating about, and configuring, multiple versions and instances of SQL Server. It was... boring.
Then, yesterday, during Rosh Hashanah services, my work interfered again. I know what you might be thinking, that someone from work called me and my cell went off during services, but that's not it. It was somewhat more personal and ... I don't know philosophical. I had this fear, during the service, that I was betraying my corporation by being there in Temple. That somehow I was in violation of corporate ideals. That I somehow had stepped outside the loyalty that is expected of me.
I can't decide if it's funny, or sad, that I thought that. It's just something that popped into my head. And I think the concept has previously been explored, too. Somewhere, a TV show or video game or movie or book explored the concept of corporations being religions. (Never mind that I already feel like religious institutions are corporations). In fact, I love the idea that the Killzone games explore that idea. The "Helghast" from "Helghan" are, in fact, the remnant people of the Helghan Corporation. And they associate it in the games as our world vs. their world, but it's intriguing to think it's actually corporation vs. corporation.
And why shouldn't a corporation be a religion? They have similar values and similar problems. No religious institution is perfect throughout. There are always money and sex scandals, just like with corporations. And corporations, in a way, preach to their people. They have ethical conduct rules and tell their people to respect each other (sexual harassment seminars are just one way.) Obviously, the corporations get those rules from the religions. There's no chicken and the egg here. The religious institutions came first.
Still, I find it odd that I had a personal dilemma of sorts and that I felt like I betrayed the company I work for.
Then, yesterday, during Rosh Hashanah services, my work interfered again. I know what you might be thinking, that someone from work called me and my cell went off during services, but that's not it. It was somewhat more personal and ... I don't know philosophical. I had this fear, during the service, that I was betraying my corporation by being there in Temple. That somehow I was in violation of corporate ideals. That I somehow had stepped outside the loyalty that is expected of me.
I can't decide if it's funny, or sad, that I thought that. It's just something that popped into my head. And I think the concept has previously been explored, too. Somewhere, a TV show or video game or movie or book explored the concept of corporations being religions. (Never mind that I already feel like religious institutions are corporations). In fact, I love the idea that the Killzone games explore that idea. The "Helghast" from "Helghan" are, in fact, the remnant people of the Helghan Corporation. And they associate it in the games as our world vs. their world, but it's intriguing to think it's actually corporation vs. corporation.
And why shouldn't a corporation be a religion? They have similar values and similar problems. No religious institution is perfect throughout. There are always money and sex scandals, just like with corporations. And corporations, in a way, preach to their people. They have ethical conduct rules and tell their people to respect each other (sexual harassment seminars are just one way.) Obviously, the corporations get those rules from the religions. There's no chicken and the egg here. The religious institutions came first.
Still, I find it odd that I had a personal dilemma of sorts and that I felt like I betrayed the company I work for.