4 ms·

I really don't think this is universal. Sure, some people are definitely like this, but I want to be able to believe I'm building something interesting that wil

• babycake 5y ago
  There's two ways to look at this. One is you've found your dream job, and that job defines you as a person. That's fine, because it's working for you and it's how you want to spend your life. But I feel this is a rare event, to find and maintain their dream job for years over reorgs and new CEOs, or having the company bought out and new company making bad internal changes. Then there's the other bucket of people, who are just trying to make a living, but the environment makes it hard for them to do so due to it being so toxic. And this is where no amount of starry-eyed speeches will sway this group to working harder without pure cash. They're there to make money, they understand that the employer they work for are gonna get richer while they only get inflation-rate increases. These people would rather spend their time with family and friends. For what it's worth though, based on friends who are chaplains and priests, those dying on hospital beds always tell a tale of being with friends or family, or personal events that gave them positive memories. Not a single one of those people they talked to ever spoke of how they did well at any of their jobs. And from this I think most of us fall under the second bucket. To encounter someone like Linus or Stallman who would probably talk about their work as a life achievement is probably a one-off unicorn.
  • OzyM 5y ago
    I feel like there's some room for middle ground here. While I disagree with some of 80,000 hours' conclusions, I do think that a person's job is a major way they have an effect on the world. I have hobbies, friends, family, etc. that I consider more important to who I am as a person than my job is. However, I still have a marginal preference for decently-paid meaningful work over well-paid meaningless work.