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> Do you think your plumber started his business thinking of making the world a better place? For the tradespeople I have known, the answer is yes. They also l

> Do you think your plumber started his business thinking of making the world a better place? For the tradespeople I have known, the answer is yes. They also like getting paid, of course. But they find satisfaction in making the world better one sink at a time. Otherwise spending 40 years as plumber would be an absolutely miserable experience.

senko 5y ago
You believe a person cannot find satisfaction in a job well done (and a solid paycheck), they have to "change a world" to feel accomplished? I found the documentary "Jiro dreams of sushi" illustrative (in the opposite extreme). I believe most of us would fall somewhere in between (... aaaand, we get to Maslow again :)
- wpietri 5y ago
  That's the exact opposite of what I'm saying. If by "change the world" you mean narcissistic grandiosity about being in the history books, yeah, that's generally ridiculous. But small things also change the world. Raising kids. Installing sinks. Fixing roofs. Serving a meal. All of these things make the world a little better. This is distinct from what Graeber called "bullshit jobs". Making sure that you use the new cover sheet on the TPS report that nobody will read, for example. Some people are happy doing bullshit. But trades have the appeal of doing something undeniably real, undeniably beneficial. So yes, as I said, I believe that somebody who started a solo plumbing business is absolutely thinking of making the world a better place. And I think they do it every day.
  - hallway_monitor 5y ago
    Their work is also immediately real and beneficial. A plumber friend told me a story the other day. Over the winter a woman's water inlet pipes had frozen. She was without water for two or three days and when they got her pipes flowing again she was so happy that she cried.
spaetzleesser 5y ago
Most people will find a certain level of satisfaction in a job if it's well done. I don't think there are many people who perform reasonably at their job while not being satisfied with a job well done.
wreath 5y ago
Yes absolutely. They enjoy and take pride of their work. But did they start their business with the idea of "making the world a better place" and then went on to trade school? I'm not saying these two things are opposite of each other, but most people start businesses so they can make money to bring food on the table at the end of the day.
snowwrestler 5y ago
Ok but there is still a difference between someone who works as a plumber and someone who starts their own plumbing business. Absolutely, making more money is a big motivator for entrepreneurs across the board, including plumbing entrepreneurs.
- wpietri 5y ago
  If that's the case, I expect a lot of entrepreneurs end up disappointed. Quite a lot of solo proprietors end up working more for less. But when I talk with people, it's generally not money that really motivates them. It's a sense of freedom or ownership.

senko 5y ago

You believe a person cannot find satisfaction in a job well done (and a solid paycheck), they have to "change a world" to feel accomplished? I found the documentary "Jiro dreams of sushi" illustrative (in the opposite extreme). I believe most of us would fall somewhere in between (... aaaand, we get to Maslow again :)

wpietri 5y ago
That's the exact opposite of what I'm saying. If by "change the world" you mean narcissistic grandiosity about being in the history books, yeah, that's generally ridiculous. But small things also change the world. Raising kids. Installing sinks. Fixing roofs. Serving a meal. All of these things make the world a little better. This is distinct from what Graeber called "bullshit jobs". Making sure that you use the new cover sheet on the TPS report that nobody will read, for example. Some people are happy doing bullshit. But trades have the appeal of doing something undeniably real, undeniably beneficial. So yes, as I said, I believe that somebody who started a solo plumbing business is absolutely thinking of making the world a better place. And I think they do it every day.
- hallway_monitor 5y ago
  Their work is also immediately real and beneficial. A plumber friend told me a story the other day. Over the winter a woman's water inlet pipes had frozen. She was without water for two or three days and when they got her pipes flowing again she was so happy that she cried.

spaetzleesser 5y ago

Most people will find a certain level of satisfaction in a job if it's well done. I don't think there are many people who perform reasonably at their job while not being satisfied with a job well done.

wreath 5y ago

Yes absolutely. They enjoy and take pride of their work. But did they start their business with the idea of "making the world a better place" and then went on to trade school? I'm not saying these two things are opposite of each other, but most people start businesses so they can make money to bring food on the table at the end of the day.

snowwrestler 5y ago

Ok but there is still a difference between someone who works as a plumber and someone who starts their own plumbing business. Absolutely, making more money is a big motivator for entrepreneurs across the board, including plumbing entrepreneurs.

wpietri 5y ago
If that's the case, I expect a lot of entrepreneurs end up disappointed. Quite a lot of solo proprietors end up working more for less. But when I talk with people, it's generally not money that really motivates them. It's a sense of freedom or ownership.