Free Writing: Work vs. Life (continued)

As our personal and professional lives become one in the same, our behavior and decision making in both venues changes drastically. For instance, the decisions that we make while fulfilling our professional responsibilities can reflect the choices we make in our personal life, and vice versa. This is evident in Buffy, as Buffy herself grows to accept the reality that her personal life and duties as the slayer are closely related. While Buffy seems to accept this lifestyle, according experts, the merging of one's personal life and professional life can be a sign of a serious disorder. In an April 2006 Forbes.com article, Dr. Bryan E. Robinson outlines a few key signs of an unhealthy relationship between one's work and private lives. The unofficial diagnosis of 'workaholic' is often used to describe this type of person. Dr. Robinson notes that key signs of this type of unhealthy balance include "sweating the little details" and being a "hard-lined perfectionist". Buffy exhibits similar characteristics throughout the series, reinforcing the idea that she's living an unbalanced lifestyle. The manner in which Buffy copes with this unbalance, or if she even recognizes it to begin with, will be interesting to see as the show develops. As of now, Buffy's personal life and duties as a vampire slayer are essentially one in the same.

Works Cited:

Reeves, Scott. "Workaholics Anonymous". Forbes. October 14, 2009 .