There is a prevalent opinion out there that the only happy people in the world are the ones who really, really love their jobs.
If you don’t love your job, you’re toiling away and losing your soul or something, one piece at a time, but for many people, a job isn’t something you have to love – it’s something you do every day so that you have the money and the opportunities to do things you do love.
You don’t need to love your career. You just need to be able to tolerate it so you can finance doing what you love.
by inunpopularopinion
That’s this guy’s opinion, anyway, so let’s read these 15 comments and see if his opinion is as unpopular as he thinks!
15. Make your choice!
I’ve always heard:
Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life
andDon’t do what you love, because you’ll never like it again
So what’s a person to choose?
14. If you do what you love for a job, you might not love it anymore.
Agreed. Even the things I love doing most: I would hate to make them into a career. I would hate to be forced to do my hobbies on a time crunch and to the specifications and quality that customers desire.
Instead, I have a job that I can tolerate. The people are nice. The atmosphere is fine. The hours, flexibility, benefits, and pay are decent. So putting up with the work itself allows me to live my life how I want. Nothing wrong with that.
13. There are downsides to everything.
If you own the business or can be an independent contractor, it’s more of the first, if you’re working hourly for someone, it’s the second. Nobody gives a shit if you enjoy what you’re doing when you’re being paid hourly.
It’s about output. If someone is offering $1000 to do a thing you love doing, they aren’t breathing down your neck every 20 mins to make sure you’re efficient. They will pay you when you finish the job. If you want money, you finish the job.
12. It’s about the people.
For me, the work matters less than the pay, benefits and the atmosphere.
I could find a job where the work is perfectly tailored to me in every way… but if the people there are toxic then the experience will be trash.
I don’t love the work that I do now, it’s a little mindless but my coworkers are fantastic. I look forward to seeing them every day.
11. That’s one way to put it.
I got into a job working with something I loved, and after 5 years I absolutely f*cking hate them. I used to be passionate about them, but now I don’t want anything to do with them.
Now I purchase and calculate material needs for custom boxes. Boxes.
I believe I’ll be able to do this for years and feel no discernible difference in feelings towards boxes, but it wouldn’t depress me to find out I hate boxes either.
10. It’s a hobby for a reason.
I stopped becoming motivated to have a career when I realized I don’t enjoy doing any of what I love for profit since it essentially becomes “doing your hobby on other people’s terms.”
I like having a job that pays the bills and simultaneously doesn’t care if I use red or green to do the line art on the picture I’m drawing.
9. Sounds like a dream job to me.
I never had a “passion”, and things I like to do are not profitable (nor do I like to do them so much I would want them to be my job!)
I had many jobs I disliked or hated. Today I have a job that is OK most times, and sometimes is interesting. It is very well paid and is a sure way for me to stay employed for as long as I want. I also work with cool people. What more can I ask for!?
No, I don’t wake up every morning excited to go to work; I think VERY few people do, and this “chase your passion” rhetoric is not healthy.
I say, find a job you don’t hate, do stuff you like on own time.
8. There’s hopefully an upside.
Ive been working covid crisis contracts with mandatory overtime, as a travel nurse. Honestly, it is grueling work often.
But, I’m making bank and plan to pay off a lot of debt and will be able to buy a pickup ive wanted for years to expand my woodworking hobby. Good luck to ya.
7. A sad state of affairs.
Meh, not a lot I’d love doing these days.
So work is pretty hollow and draining no matter what job it is.
6. It can stop being fun.
I tried turning loved hobbies into careers twice, and failed. I love cars, I love working on cars. I was a mechanic for ten years, but I’m not a plugs and wires guy. It stopped being fun, it turned into a nightmare some days.
I love cooking, started going to JC for it, worked in some restaurants, but once those tickets stack up it stopped being fun real fast. I’m currently a maintenance mechanic in a food production facility, never thought I’d do this.
But last year I did pretty well, have a pretty decent life. Guess that’s how this works out.
5. Nice work if you can get it.
I’ve found unlikely enjoyable jobs to be the best. Years ago, I worked as a warehouse clerk, just packing orders and then computer stuff like the labels and what not. Literally the most robot and mundane thing ever.
But I loved my coworkers who were always a few feet away, the schedule was perfect, and everyone including the boss had the “let’s get this over with and go home” vibe.
At the end of the day, you weren’t drained because autopilot and just talking through the day.It was pretty good.
4. Any job can suck your soul.
I don’t enjoy doing any of what I love for profit since it essentially becomes “doing your hobby on other people’s terms.”
Having worked in the entertainment industry for 12 years I can’t tell you how many creative people I’ve known including audio/video editors, animators, graphic designers, etc who all thought they were going to live out their dreams of letting their creative colors fly only to have the soul sucked out of them from monotonously following orders from the directors and execs who actually run the show to the point of changing careers entirely
3. I hope that’s true.
My job is hollow and the hobbies I once loved no longer bring me joy. My hobbies have become drinking and drugs to forget about having to work and waiting until I die.
I think having a job I care about would change things.
2. It’s ok it it’s all about the money.
only to have the soul sucked out of them from monotonously following orders from the directors and execs who actually run the show
That’s why I am going to school for a Biochem degree while I keep making music on the side. Cold hard logic to make money at work and drugged creativity to have fun with at home.
Just have to find a field you don’t mind being told what to do; I could sit in a lab following directions all day.
1. It’s not supposed to be, anyway.
Absolutely your work should not be your entire life.
I think I mostly agree – I think it would be terrible to actively hate your job, but if you’re fine with doing it to earn money, then good for you!
Share your opinion with us – unpopular or otherwise – down in the comments!
