# Why do you work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377 "2007-06-09T16:49:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Mighty\_Boosh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_mighty_boosh/32/1755_2.png) [@The\_Mighty\_Boosh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mighty_Boosh)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/41 "2007-06-11T01:17:51Z")
[QUOTE=glee] P.S. I hope you don’t mind me saying that teaching is best as a vocation, not a way to earn money. Those pupils can sometimes really bug you… [/QUOTE] I teach almost freakishly lovely pupils in an International School. Used to teach in England. It’s not the kids who bug me… it’s the adults. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/42 "2007-06-11T02:41:18Z")
[QUOTE=Fiveyearlurker] Don’t believe your professors. I work on fantastic and exciting science in industry and have all of the resources in the world. And all of the cookies I could ever eat. [/QUOTE] This is true. There are many, many fascinating people outside the ivory tower. I work at a hospital and am surrounded by intelligent, interesting people and brilliant, cutting-edge science. It didn’t take me long to quit mourning the university crowd, I just found other people as passionate or more about what they do. And I went to a school that’s practically obsessed with keeping everyone in academia! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/43 "2007-06-11T11:31:19Z")
Pays the bills, keeps me independent, for most of the jobs I’ve had lets me do what I want with the rest of my time (this one is bad for that). Why haven’t I found another job? Cos I’m planning on doing so in December when the current contract ends, damnit. The last change-of-contract time I made the mistake of saying I’d stay if a series of conditions were met and they were. My list of conditions for December begins with “I’m moving to Spain for health reasons,” so I doubt it will be met. I’ve had jobs that were number 5, or “number 5 except for one detail”; problem is the job description was the same as for the current one. But nobody will give me the information I need in the interview phase ☹ Damnit, if you value facetime have the balls to say so, and you’ll get face time people! ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/44 "2007-06-11T11:57:07Z")
To pay bills. Nothing more. I chose my job because it had the highest $$$$/work ratio that was available to me at the time I needed to find a job. Money is the bottom line for me. ---
**Author:** ![Terrorcotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Terrorcotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrorcotta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/45 "2007-06-11T12:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=Manda JO] … If I won the lottery, I’d keep my job and quit my life–I’d hire an accountant and a landscaper and a personal assistant and a housekeeper. The time all that would save me would take all the sting out of having to go to work. [/QUOTE] Yup, that’s pretty much what I’d do. I am an artist. I create, I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, designing, drawing and working with my hands. Being a graphic artist lets me do these things to solve problems which is another thing I like to do. If I suddenly had oodles of cash I think I’d go back to school and relearn painting from the classical standpoint and throw myself into it as well as animation cuz I am loving these computer things. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/46 "2007-06-11T12:30:45Z")
I work so that I have money for the stuff I like to do. Unfortunately, work gets in the way of doing that stuff. Work pretty much ruins everything, in fact. I could probably make more money faster that I currently do, but the work week would go from 40+ hours to 60+ and I’d never do _any_ of the stuff that I like to do. So, pitifully, I perform my current job so that I can do a little bit of the stuff that I like to do. Thanks for asking. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/47 "2007-06-11T17:12:52Z")
90% of why I work is to feed myself and the kids. I play the ‘What if I won the lottery?’ game in my head every now and then. If I won enough money to live without working, I think I’d still go to work. It gives me something to do, makes me feel appreciated at times, and, frankly, I’m pretty good at it. I think it’d even be a nicer experience if I was working stress free. Company in trouble? No problem. I’m a rich man. But today? There’s bills to pay. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/48 "2007-06-11T17:22:43Z")
I like money. We need our benefits (my husband’s job’s benefits are nowhere as good as those I can get for us through my job). I like my coworkers, except the ones who drive me crazy. My work can be interesting. I feel like I’m learning something almost all the time. It keeps me from wasting my time on stupid pursuits, like finding the perfect twinset. If we won the lottery, I don’t think I’d quit. I might work fewer hours, but I don’t want to give up doing what I like and feeling like a part of a worthwhile organization. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/49 "2007-06-11T18:14:33Z")
It pays the bills. It gives me somewhere to go and some sense that I am contributing something. I do get that floundering feeling without the routine. I live alone so it helps to talk out loud to someone besides myself. People seem to like me OK and be OK with the work I do. I work where I do because they’ll employ me; I’m not a risktaker so I wouldn’t go out on my own or quit a job without another one lined up. I know they don’t owe me anything and would dump me in a minute if they needed to, but I do feel somewhat at home here. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/50 "2007-06-11T19:21:33Z")
Having money – in my conception – provides a person with a certain amount of leisure and luxury. Acquiring money requires one to part with a certain amount of liberation. I’ve found a spot where I like the trade-off involved. I’m lucky enough to like the kind of work that can provide a pretty good living (computer programming) in our culture. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/51 "2007-06-11T19:58:55Z")
Secure the future for myself and my kids. Make today more comfortable. Those are the primary reasons I work at the job I work at today. I could stay home and live off Brainiac4’s income (or he could stay home and live off mine - I suppose if we were really frugal, we could sell the house, buy someplace smaller, and live off two part time jobs and investments - health insurance would be a problem). Not being bored. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/52 "2007-06-11T20:43:39Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I work because I need to, but if I didn’t need to, I’d be doing _something_. I don’t think idleness is good for you. International playboys (and girls) just seem dull to me. I think time must be spent with some sort of purpose, whether its volunteering, creating, fixing, or what have you. A 45-year-long party just seems boring to me. [/QUOTE] Yep yep yep. I don’t particularly love my job, but I don’t have an outstanding talent or marketable passion, so…_shrug_ I don’t suck at my job, either. ---
**Author:** ![melangell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@melangell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melangell)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/53 "2007-06-11T21:03:07Z")
I only work for the money. I do not like my work and I don’t feel like I am particularly good at it because I do not find it interesting or challenging. I don’t like to participate in office gossip because it tempts me to gossip (we are university paper pushers). Pretty much the only thing anyone does is gossip, so I am a bit of an outcast. However, this is the best job I have had since graduating from college. I have finally figured out that what I want to do is write my book and work with animals. I have started to take steps (volunteering) to get experience and get out of doing administrative work. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377/54 "2007-06-11T21:13:00Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I want to have a nice house and be able to provide myself and my family with nice things. I work to get the money to do that stuff. If I won the lottery I’d quit my job at once and spend all my time on leisure activities. If working was fun, they wouldn’t have to pay me so much to do it. [/QUOTE] My answer as well. I’d add that if I won the lottery, I’d still work, but at fun artistic stuff. Many years ago, I had the choice: to pursue craft-making as a career (I worked in the family sculpture business), to attempt academia (I had an undergraduate degree in anthropology), or to pursue a wholly different career. I decided to go into law, basically for the money, so I could settle down and have a family life and my own house. I’ve not regretted that decision. The problem with crafty type jobs is that, to actually make money, you gotta make what sells best; and that wasn’t what I wanted to make. If I was going to do stuff I didn’t want to do, I’d rather make big money doing something wholly non-artistic than small just-surviving money like everyone I knew in crafts who was actually self-supporting. Academics in a soft humanities discipline like anthro required a degree of career nomadism and grant-gathering ass-kissery I wasn’t prepared to do at the time - plus, this being the mid-90s, actual positions in that field were scarce to say the least. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-work/407377.md?page=2)