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The article does not answer the ultimate question : Why should one ever care to be successful in a job?

by sAbakumoff 10y ago

profalseidol 10y ago
So mega capitalists can maximize their profits.
- sAbakumoff 10y ago
  Yeah, sounds like one of those user-stories : As a gig economy individual I want to be successful in my job so that "mega capitalists can maximize their profits."
johnfn 10y ago
If you broaden your definition of job to "anything you work on for a long period of time", I think the answer becomes obvious: a job is a large part of your life. Not wanting to do well at it would be nihilistic.
- sAbakumoff 10y ago
  Not wanting to do well does not equal to not trying to be successful, right?
hueving 10y ago
To invest in your own future? Being successful leads to promotions in meritocracies, which can bring to to retirement faster, offer more interesting challenges, etc. If you don't care, look for a union or government job where seniority reigns king and do the minimum every day for 45 years.
- sAbakumoff 10y ago
  This type of answer leads to subsequent questions, f.e. - why would anyone want to retire faster? The final answer, I believe, is that the ultimate goal is "the feeling of relief that comes when the drive is satisfied. Relief, relaxation, and an end to the tension. Peace, happiness — no more yearning." There are many ways to achieve that feeling without being successful in a job.
imgabe 10y ago
Clearly, enough people have a "why" that they are more focused on the "how". If you can't figure out a "why" for yourself, then you probably shouldn't bother. No article written by a stranger is going to give you the "why".
- sAbakumoff 10y ago
  Alternative PoV: the vast majority of people have no idea "why", so they desperately focus on "how"
  - imgabe 10y ago
    There's no single "why". Everyone has a different reason for wanting to be successful. Maybe they want to better support their family, maybe they want to prove something to themselves, maybe they want to fix some specific problem that plagued them in the past. I think it's pretty cynical and condescending to assume that people are just mindlessly wandering about their careers. People usually have some reason, even if it's one you don't think is a good reason. Regardless, my point is that the "why" is personal and is not something you can address for a general audience in an online article. It's not something someone else can or should tell you.
TeMPOraL 10y ago
In the context of the site that's publishing this, which is something almost everyone in those comments misses, the why is already answered - you want to maximize your positive social impact on this world, and (maybe through reading other articles on the site) you've become convinced that a good way to do it is by leveraging professional specialization. Then, after picking a career path (advice on which is elsewhere on the site), you're left with the question of... being successful in that career.
BenjaminTodd 10y ago
Read the rest of the guide :) https://80000hours.org/career-guide/ https://80000hours.org/career-guide/

The article does not answer the ultimate question : Why should one ever care to be successful in a job?

profalseidol 10y ago

So mega capitalists can maximize their profits.

sAbakumoff 10y ago
Yeah, sounds like one of those user-stories : As a gig economy individual I want to be successful in my job so that "mega capitalists can maximize their profits."

johnfn 10y ago

If you broaden your definition of job to "anything you work on for a long period of time", I think the answer becomes obvious: a job is a large part of your life. Not wanting to do well at it would be nihilistic.

sAbakumoff 10y ago
Not wanting to do well does not equal to not trying to be successful, right?

hueving 10y ago

To invest in your own future? Being successful leads to promotions in meritocracies, which can bring to to retirement faster, offer more interesting challenges, etc. If you don't care, look for a union or government job where seniority reigns king and do the minimum every day for 45 years.

sAbakumoff 10y ago
This type of answer leads to subsequent questions, f.e. - why would anyone want to retire faster? The final answer, I believe, is that the ultimate goal is "the feeling of relief that comes when the drive is satisfied. Relief, relaxation, and an end to the tension. Peace, happiness — no more yearning." There are many ways to achieve that feeling without being successful in a job.

imgabe 10y ago

Clearly, enough people have a "why" that they are more focused on the "how". If you can't figure out a "why" for yourself, then you probably shouldn't bother. No article written by a stranger is going to give you the "why".

sAbakumoff 10y ago
Alternative PoV: the vast majority of people have no idea "why", so they desperately focus on "how"
- imgabe 10y ago
  There's no single "why". Everyone has a different reason for wanting to be successful. Maybe they want to better support their family, maybe they want to prove something to themselves, maybe they want to fix some specific problem that plagued them in the past. I think it's pretty cynical and condescending to assume that people are just mindlessly wandering about their careers. People usually have some reason, even if it's one you don't think is a good reason. Regardless, my point is that the "why" is personal and is not something you can address for a general audience in an online article. It's not something someone else can or should tell you.

TeMPOraL 10y ago

In the context of the site that's publishing this, which is something almost everyone in those comments misses, the why is already answered - you want to maximize your positive social impact on this world, and (maybe through reading other articles on the site) you've become convinced that a good way to do it is by leveraging professional specialization. Then, after picking a career path (advice on which is elsewhere on the site), you're left with the question of... being successful in that career.

BenjaminTodd 10y ago

Read the rest of the guide :) https://80000hours.org/career-guide/ https://80000hours.org/career-guide/