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Do you need to love your career to be happy in life?

35K views 133 replies 121 participants last post by  Arthrospira 
#1 ·
Had an interesting discussion today about this. Someone was talking how they couldn't be happy doing a job they didn't love. The guy was ISFP and I told him that I, personally, don't need to love my job. In the end, money is the most important thing to me. I can do what I love doing on my own time. So, what about you all?
 
#28 ·
After about 15 years as an adult, I’ve learned that I seriously couldn’t care less about money. It’s part of the reason it was so natural for me to embrace a minimalist lifestyle...
So on the flip side I’ve discovered if I don’t love my job, I’ll hate it. I can’t make myself do a job that doesn’t get me seriously excited no matter HOW little I’m getting paid.
I’m about to start a new part-time retail job at $15/hr, at a store and workshop for furniture made from only local wood, by local carpenters...their commitment to ethical values is hardcore. I'm TOTALLY excited about this one...!
 
#30 ·
In an ideal world, having a loving career would be pleasant but I've been disappointed many times by the "real" world. I find that I just have to put up with work, people and stuff. In the end, any work brings food on the table and shelter over my head. Although money can't buy my happiness, it's the next best thing I guess. I sell my brain to the highest bidder and tell my brain to love it. It's all a matter of perspective and choosing the good in any thing so they say.
 
#31 ·
I like to think that the way I spend my time says a lot about me - it defines the kind of person I am, what my interests are, what I care about, how I approach things... if the way I spend my time is not representative of who I am, then I won't be fulfilled. I want to spend my time doing something that I enjoy and am good at; and being compensated for it whilst adding value to society... there's no alternative IMO. I personally couldn't bear the thought of doing some mundane job just to pay the bills, and spending most of my time doing it at that. Thankfully I have the opportunity to put my skills and interests to good use.
 
#33 ·
If I love the job I unintentionally sacrifice the rest of my life for the job (and some cash). The job/career has to be 'good enough' for my own sake. There is a sweet spot: Do as little as I can, for as much as possible and have enough to do to not get permanently bored. Take advantage of everything the employer has to offer. Find loopholes -> use them.
 
#37 ·
There is a sweet spot: Do as little as I can, for as much as possible and have enough to do to not get permanently bored. Take advantage of everything the employer has to offer. Find loopholes -> use them.
Amen to this! Haha. I have that now and I am getting spoiled.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Chose the second one. I don't expect to be personally fulfilled in work; I will pursue that in my private time with hobbies and whatnot. If I happen to find what I love, then needless to say that would be a nice thing.
 
#38 ·
The whole "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" thing sounds nice, but you should probably do what you're good at instead, so you won't starve.

As for me, I couldn't do a job I hated (not for any length of time), but I could begrudgingly "put up with it" if I merely dislike it. Happiness comes from your personal life.

Good on those who can get the best of both worlds though.
 
#43 ·
what's my purpose?



This post means a lot to me because I am ENFP, my boyfriend of 4 years is ISFP, and we have struggled with this problem for our entire lives. He has the same opinion as the guy you mentioned, and so did I, up until a few days ago..

I would like to believe that I have finally come out of my clouded judgement and realized that my job does not identify me at all. We were all questioned while growing up, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" instead of "who do you want to be?" and because of that, I was searching for the ultimate career that would supposedly solve all my problems. My job meant so much to me that it was making me depressed...as an ENFP, I have a lot of interests and can feel passionate about a lot of things so was worried I would never find ONE job that I would be satisfied enough to stay in for the rest of my life. I probably gave my boyfriend some pressure too.

Now, I can finally see that I was not living my life, and that I was living around a socially constructed concept that isn't even true...I can finally see now what my purpose is, and it is to just enjoy as much of it as possible, and help others enjoy theirs as well. Isn't the desire for happiness what drives us, ultimately? We buy cars and nice clothes, but essentially we are buying happiness..we buy emotions.

I've always loved blogging and in January 2017, I started a new one during this whole identity crisis to help others find happiness in their daily lives. It gave me more purpose, more joy in my life. At first, I thought I wanted to become a blogger because isn't it a dream to have your passion be your job?? But realized also a few days ago that I did NOT want my passion to ever become my only income generator. I lost all will to write after I started thinking about it as such. All I want in my life, all I've ever wanted was to connect with other people around the world. I see all of us as one and we are all essentially made of the same particles. We are only different from each other because we think we are.

So far, I probably have no readers, and I don't like to share it with people I know, but if anyone is interested in connecting with me, just another soul in this world, then I'd love to hear from you. I think the world could use your positivity and we can work together from across the globe to spread it.

I hope I made sense!

As for my current job, I truly enjoy the work. I get to meet new people everyday, I get to travel occasionally, my coworkers are great, and I get paid a good salary. It didn't feel fulfilling enough before but now that I'm detached from the title "hotel sales manager", and I can see the individual parts of my job, it really is quite ideal for my personality.
 
#51 ·
This post means a lot to me because I am ENFP, my boyfriend of 4 years is ISFP, and we have struggled with this problem for our entire lives. He has the same opinion as the guy you mentioned, and so did I, up until a few days ago..

I would like to believe that I have finally come out of my clouded judgement and realized that my job does not identify me at all. We were all questioned while growing up, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" instead of "who do you want to be?" and because of that, I was searching for the ultimate career that would supposedly solve all my problems. My job meant so much to me that it was making me depressed...as an ENFP, I have a lot of interests and can feel passionate about a lot of things so was worried I would never find ONE job that I would be satisfied enough to stay in for the rest of my life. I probably gave my boyfriend some pressure too.

Now, I can finally see that I was not living my life, and that I was living around a socially constructed concept that isn't even true...I can finally see now what my purpose is, and it is to just enjoy as much of it as possible, and help others enjoy theirs as well. Isn't the desire for happiness what drives us, ultimately? We buy cars and nice clothes, but essentially we are buying happiness..we buy emotions.

I've always loved blogging and in January 2017, I started a new one during this whole identity crisis to help others find happiness in their daily lives. It gave me more purpose, more joy in my life. At first, I thought I wanted to become a blogger because isn't it a dream to have your passion be your job?? But realized also a few days ago that I did NOT want my passion to ever become my only income generator. I lost all will to write after I started thinking about it as such. All I want in my life, all I've ever wanted was to connect with other people around the world. I see all of us as one and we are all essentially made of the same particles. We are only different from each other because we think we are.

So far, I probably have no readers, and I don't like to share it with people I know, but if anyone is interested in connecting with me, just another soul in this world, then I'd love to hear from you. I think the world could use your positivity and we can work together from across the globe to spread it.

I hope I made sense!

As for my current job, I truly enjoy the work. I get to meet new people everyday, I get to travel occasionally, my coworkers are great, and I get paid a good salary. It didn't feel fulfilling enough before but now that I'm detached from the title "hotel sales manager", and I can see the individual parts of my job, it really is quite ideal for my personality.
Hey! You can PM me your blog address if you want, I’d be interested in reading it. And if you want I can PM you mine too! It’s an ENFP blog on Tumblr :)
 
#44 ·
Had an interesting discussion today about this. Someone was talking how they couldn't be happy doing a job they didn't love. The guy was ISFP and I told him that I, personally, don't need to love my job. In the end, money is the most important thing to me. I can do what I love doing on my own time. So, what about you all?
My time being spend during my job, and during outside of my job time, for me is equally as much as my time as I am just as alive the one minute as the other. Therefore, for me to want to spend my time as best as possible, I need to foremost need to find activities to do I enjoy doing, and therefore, since my job takes most of my time of all my activities, I see at as essential importance that time is being spend well (fun wise, or at least to some kind of enjoyment).

In other words: why try to make as much as money possible (to 'buy' better moments with your [free] time) if that only ends of not enjoying a huge amount of your time? If I would make such kind of money, then first thing I want to 'buy' to be better [time spent] is a better job, as in one I enjoy more. So I would not take a job for money over a job I would actually enjoy [more] for lesser money, because otherwise it will cost me a great lot of my time I could have potentially enjoyed much more.
 
#46 ·
I can deal with jobs I don't love, I've never had one I loved but having a job that sucks is a beat down. It was fine until last February but some policy changes made it a very stressful daily litmus test. We're all stressed out now doing techie work we're not trained for & software measures our productivity time & how many minutes we're logged in, etc. But it only sucks until Oct 30 & then I retire & get my life back. This is what happens when bean counters/accountants replace managers as CEOs. The new guy says training & customer service is a waste of money. Yeah we'll see what that insanity does to stock prices in a year. Ok, got that off my chest. If I ever did find a job I loved I would probably live longer but I'd be close to homeless. The more enjoyable the job, the less it seems to pay. At least for me.
 
#49 ·
Nah, I'm happy so long as I've got a desk fan, can listen to music, browse the occasional non-work related article, don't have to stand up all the time, get free coffee, don't have toxic co-workers, don't have to deal with the public too much, aren't being micromanaged, and things aren't stressful all the time.

Actually, that kinda sounds like a long list. Good thing I am where I am, then.
 
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