Chat Time 43 - The Respectable Addiction

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Questions

1. Why do Hong Kong people tend to work long hours?
   Some people have to make ends meet, others are ambitious and want to get promotion. Still some others really enjoy working long hours.   

2. What health and social problems can be caused by long working hours?
   Long working hours adversely affects the body, causing stress, heart diseases and other illnesses. Work addicts tend to ignore their friends and family. It will damage their social life and worsen their family relationships.  

3. What things can people do to avoid work addiction?
    To avoid work addiction, people should constantly evaluate their life and their relationship with their family and friends. It is vital to maintain a work-life balance.

Individual Response

1. Why do you think some people enjoy working so much?
    Some people are work addicts. They use work as their source of satisfaction in life. Work addicts are constantly driven to perform and are unable to relax.

2. Do you think young people now work harder than their parents did in the past?
   I think young people nowadays are less ambitious and their working attitude is not as positive as their parents. Many young people do not want to work harder because they want a better balance between leisure and work.

3. What are some of the disadvantages of working on Saturday and Sunday?
   Working on Saturday and Sunday has negative effects on the health, family relationships and morale of working people. They are also unable to engage in family activities and social life.

4. How do you think children are affected by parents who work long hours?
  Parents who work long hours have less time available to spend with their children. Thus care and concern for children is affected.

5. How much do you believe success depends on hard work?
  In most cases, this may indeed be true. The harder you work, the more likely you will succeed. But very often success depends on many factors, not only hard work, but also intelligence, education, fortune and so on.