The importance of labor

When reading Hannah Arendt, I found her distinctions between what is work and what is labor to be particularly compelling. She explains that, because it is done for the sake of making a living, the majority of the "work" that we do is in fact, labor. Arendt saw a society that was becoming increasingly automated and predicted a decrease in the amount of labor that people would be left to do, the necessary tasks for making a living be left to automation. Entering such a society, she says: "we have begun to live in a labor society which lacks enough laboring to keep it contented". This statement, initially, seems contradictory. Striving for efficiency and freedom from toil seems tied to happiness. Arendts assertions brought to mind Karl Marx's assertions that the modern capitalist worker would become increasingly isolated from the product of their work, leading to discontent. To me, both Marx and Arendt are hitting on a key truth, that is, that people need to be tied to their work in some way, that a great deal of people's self-esteem and happiness stems from pride in their work. I think Arendt's point holds true. Although our labor has not been replaced by automation, I believe that the increasing distance between laborers and the product of their work is responsible for much of the discontent we see today.