3 ms·

IMO it's OK for work to be a big part of your identity. People should strive to achieve things professionally; it's a very human thing to master a craft for a

by SR2Z 3y ago

IMO it's OK for work to be a big part of your identity. People should strive to achieve things professionally; it's a very human thing to master a craft for a living. But, to be fair, work != your specific company. It's stupid to tie your identity to the people hiring you.

famahar 3y ago
In University the ultimate goal of almost every Comp Sci student was to work at a FAANG (or whatever it's called). Nothing else mattered. Students walked around with Google and Amazon t-shirts and Stickers. So much of University your identity was tied to working for big tech. Cult like when I look back.
- sokoloff 3y ago
  I walked around my university with whatever shirt was given to me for free, so long as it was comfortable enough. Not much has changed in that regard as an adult in tech.
_kb 3y ago
I think the important detail is it's OK for it to form part of your identity, but it's also ok for it to not be. If you spend a large part of your waking hours working on something enjoyable, absolutely embrace that. Conversely, if your work is drudgerous but you enjoy the simple things in life - like food and shelter - and it provides that then maybe some separation of identity is a good option too.
mcbutterbunz 3y ago
I also might argue that the degree to which it is your identity will change through your life. Certainly in my 20s I had less of an idea of who I was so my value to society was rooted in how much I was paid or my perceived importance. I’ve seen as I age that my work has become less a part of my identity, but definitely greater than zero. I’ll check back in a decade and give an update :)
DinaCoder99 3y ago
> People should strive to achieve things professionally; it's a very human thing to master a craft for a living. These two concepts may seem related but they often aren't.

3 ms·

IMO it's OK for work to be a big part of your identity. People should strive to achieve things professionally; it's a very human thing to master a craft for a

by SR2Z 3y ago

famahar 3y ago
In University the ultimate goal of almost every Comp Sci student was to work at a FAANG (or whatever it's called). Nothing else mattered. Students walked around with Google and Amazon t-shirts and Stickers. So much of University your identity was tied to working for big tech. Cult like when I look back.
- sokoloff 3y ago
  I walked around my university with whatever shirt was given to me for free, so long as it was comfortable enough. Not much has changed in that regard as an adult in tech.
_kb 3y ago
I think the important detail is it's OK for it to form part of your identity, but it's also ok for it to not be. If you spend a large part of your waking hours working on something enjoyable, absolutely embrace that. Conversely, if your work is drudgerous but you enjoy the simple things in life - like food and shelter - and it provides that then maybe some separation of identity is a good option too.
mcbutterbunz 3y ago
I also might argue that the degree to which it is your identity will change through your life. Certainly in my 20s I had less of an idea of who I was so my value to society was rooted in how much I was paid or my perceived importance. I’ve seen as I age that my work has become less a part of my identity, but definitely greater than zero. I’ll check back in a decade and give an update :)
DinaCoder99 3y ago
> People should strive to achieve things professionally; it's a very human thing to master a craft for a living. These two concepts may seem related but they often aren't.