I like my job, and I am proud that I am good at it.
But I would say it falls far short of defining me. I could do other things. No one thing defines a balanced, well adjusted adult.
While true, the answer to “What do you do?” is usually the way people who don’t know you will measure you. It seems that a person’s occupation is the foremost and easiest way to define someone. For example, most news stories always identify the subject’s occupation, unfortunately. I don’t like talking about my work or my job much, so when this question inevitably emerges, I just quickly mention my employer and turn the question around on the asker.
Work has always been a top priority for me. With the exception of a couple years while in college, I have never not worked; I am now 48 years old, and I have work continuously since I was 16.
Wow, do you naturally argue the extremes?
First, “accomplishment” and “identity” are 2 very different things, and not mutually exclusive. I do get a sense of accomplishment from my work and from my hobbies. If I didn’t I would change my vocation/avocation. In no case would that affect who I am.
Second, “I work to make money” is perfectly valid. I’d be willing to bet a large sum of said money that you will not go in to work today and tell your boss that you will work for free from this point forward.
Third, Where did you get the idea that anyone said “money is all I care about”? People work for, among other things, money. Money is pretty much a necessity in today’s world. The vast majority of people do not have large sums of it sitting around and, therefore, have to find a way to get some on a regular basis. In most societies, that means work.
Fourth, and lamest of all your points, is “why not go be a stockbroker?”. Why settle for that? Why not be a rock star, “A” list actor, world class athlete, or best selling author? The real answer is because not everyone desires nor is everyone is gifted to do the same job. Circumstance plays a huge part as well. It’s not a one size fits all world - different strokes and all that. Of course, the snarky answer is “I wouldn’t want to take the pay cut”.
Which is my really point. I choose “stockbroker” because of the profession’s association with the single-minded pursuit of money. Since people pursue other jobs besides stockbroker (or investment banker, trader, high-end real estate broker, Hollywood super-agent, big-time lawyer, etc) there are other factors besides “to make money”. As I said, all jobs pay money. But people choose which jobs to pursue and that is ultimately a reflection on who they are.
For example, based on what you said about your own career:
-Superficial indicators of status are not important to you
-You value stability (at least more stability than a churn & burn brokerage might provide)
-Money is not important to you, beyond what you need to maintain a reasonible standard of living
-You probably prefer more tangible work where you can see the fruits of your labor rather than push numbers around a spreadsheet
I think people’s work defines them whether they like it or not.
Are you new to “internet”?
My career is a means to an end, nothing more. I’m great at it and I like it well enough, but I’d have zero issue with never doing it again. I like to buy things, so I keep coming. I need solid income, and to not hate it. Those are the only criteria.
I can’t agree with those statements. There are certainly jobs that I will not do based on who I am and how I define myself, but that also leaves a huge selection of jobs that I would do. I have changed career paths 3 times in my life, twice radically, dedicating anywhere from 5-15 years to each. Sometimes the change was on my terms sometimes on someone else’s. In some I was a suit wearing paper pusher, in others a jeans and t-shirt wearer who spent equal time in an office and doing manual labor. Some jobs I liked, some not so much, but none of them - good or bad, during success or failure - has changed who I am.
No, just eternally optimistic…
So I suppose the question is at what point does one become defined by what they do?
There are things that I do at work that represent central elements of my identity–problem-solving, applying logic, and so forth. The job itself, despite the many years I’ve held it, is not part of my identity in any meaningful sense. There are occasional bits of it I manage to enjoy, but only insofar as they allow me to do my own thing.
If I came into a windfall that meant I no longer needed the money from the job, I’d leave it without a second thought. Then I’d pursue personal projects that played to those same core elements, but on my own terms. I would solve the problems
Hm. Last bit of that post got cut off somehow, and I didn’t notice until just now: “I would solve the problems I want to solve.”
Invalid premise. Some are defined by what they do, others not. I’m unsure why you can’t seem tot grasp that fact.
Because people do their job 40+ hours a week for years. Decades even. If you are defined by your actions, what action do you do more than your job?
Maybe people are so resistant to being defined by their jobs because they don’t like what their job defines them as?
I sleep about 56 hours a week; but I guess that can’t rightly be called an action.
A little more seriously though, a professional football player only plays 15 games a year - probably many pro NFL guys actually spend more time in the course of a year playing x-box than playing, practicing or training for football. Also, a football player may be defined as a football player his whole adult life even if he only plays a few seasons.
Also I think a lot of people bristle at the idea of being stereotyped by there job - there is a thin line between that and being defined by your job.
I pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe my job to a degree that is probably unhealthy. I literally take it home, I worry about it when I’m not there, and I arrive earlier and stay later than everyone else. I work at an animal shelter, so I carry it with me emotionally most of the time.
Plus, on top of my paid work, I volunteer with another rescue and I house/pet-sit for some extra money. So my home life is very structured around the dogs (and occasionally kittens) as well.
It’s turned me into kind of a boring person, to be honest. All I really have to talk about is my animals and books.
I do think if I won the lottery, I’d probably still do some animal rescue. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to quit entirely. But I don’t think I would continue to let it consume my life the way it does now.