The article discusses how losing a job can evoke emotions similar to mourning a death, like sadness and disbelief. It focuses on the significance of traditional mourning rituals, such as k'riya in Jewish customs, suggesting they might provide structure and solace to those dealing with job loss. The author argues that because a job can represent identity and stability, the deep emotional responses to its loss warrant rituals that allow individuals to process these feelings. This exploration highlights the psychological impacts of unemployment and the similarities between the grieving process of a loved one's death and job loss.
When I ripped my shirt, I felt my heart rip in two. A mourner whispered these words to me as I helped her make a small tear in her blouse before the funeral of a loved one; the Jewish ritual of k'riya signifies the rupture in a world torn asunder by death.
It sounds odd, but I've heard a lot of these same words from people who have recently lost jobs. With little warning, thousands were escorted out of their office, their belongings dropped into newly assembled cardboard boxes.
Of course, the end of a job is not the end of a life. It's an unfair comparison, no question. Yet losing a job and losing a relative or a close friend do share many emotional similarities.
The parallels between job loss and death led me to wonder if mourning rituals might provide a guide for managing job loss and ease some of the suffering.
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