To me all of those identities - career, religion, philosophy, etc. can be categorized into one identity - poser. Not that it doesn't serve a functional purpose, but to identify with it is pointless. I'm a philosopher, I'm a theologian, I'm a scientist, a Jehovah's Witness, an ex-Jehovah's Witness, it's just a game we play. I say go with the old fashioned way - introduce yourself by telling your name, and then get to know people by talking and doing things. I suppose if we wanted to use harsh language, we could also call such behavior being an identity wanker..
Your career is not who u are?
by breeze 19 Replies latest jw experiences
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Sargon
MY two cents:
Whereas one's job doesn't make you who you are, it is certainly a large indicator. One's choice of career shows alot about a person's character. Your career tells more about you than your shoe size does.
And breeze, if I saw you burrowing in the mud eating worms... i'd guess you were a lawyer.
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LeslieV
Well I think that when it is all said and done...most people will not remember what we did for a living they will remember who we are and the kind of person that we are. I tell everyone that what I do for a living is not my identity. It is a part of me, but the most important part of my life is my relationships with others. Just my two cents.
Leslie
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animal
In my job, in an engineering out-sourcing company, we do whatever work comes in. We are basically "do it all" type of guys, thats why we were hired. Since October, 2 of us were sent to work in-house out of state, to bust ass and get this job done. We are winding it up in January, no biggy.
Yesterday, when I stopped into work to say hello, the big boss told me how much good we are doing for them, for the company. He said we are now the guys they can send anywhere to "get the job done".
So here I was, thinking I was just another drafter-type. I came home with a renewed feeling of carreer, which makes all the travel time worth it.
Bottom line... your carreer is what you make it, nothing more, nothing less.
Animal
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ThiChi
Ballistic made a very powerful point. I would reconsider his post. Esoteric principles are in play here.
Another angle: If we wear labels ( I am ____ fill in the blank, because ______ fill in the blank) we will need to defend them because there are always persons/society that will attack the labels you wear . If we do not wear labels, there is no need to defend them.
Edited by - thichi on 26 December 2002 15:19:5
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jgnat
Whatever I am doing, I am going to have fun doing it. I had just as much fun in my cleaning lady days as I do now. Sometimes I put in too many hours because my work is just too darn interesting to walk away. A couple of years ago, our Deputy Minister impulsively sent out one of those upbeat career quotes, suggesting that bosses should treat their employees like volunteers. People should be regularly reminded of the valuable contribution they are making to the organization, rather than simply handed a paycheque. I understood her sentiment, and agreed with it. But boy, did it set off a firestorm! The staff were furious that our DM thought they should work for "free". The original message was lost in the furore. Some of the people I work with are miserable. They hate their job, yet fear uncertainty. They tell me they are trapped. Trapped animals and trapped people can be nasty and unpredictable. Trapped in their own mind, in my opinion. Hey, if you hate what you are doing 8 hours of your day, every day, risk a little uncertainty and try something else!
Does my career define who I am? No. Can people tell a lot about me by the way I approach my career and my life? Yes!
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Carmel
"You are what you eat."
caveman of the materialist class
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breeze
thichi
OK...example......mensa person working in a burger joint to earn money to get more college education.......now is he wearing the correct label...??
Please don't label me, because there isn't one that fits...
That is the point.....your career is not who you are.....most people are many things but the fact that you are a used car saleman and a dub....isn't the correct identification....
I am not so sure if I hadn't been fired a couple of times in my life that I would get it either....give life time enough to crap down your neck a few times and then you will get it better.....
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ballistic
Breeze, I was not saying the answer was black and white. I, for instance, have had many jobs including toilet cleaner earning minimum wage, to IT professional on moderate wage as I am now. But I think your career (or employment) forms part of the picture.
I was not disagreeing with you entirely, however, if you ask me who I am now, I would probably include my profession as well as telling you other things. Indeed, the 'rags to rishes' story itself may make up part of "who you are", it being your journey through life.
Surely there are other dependancies such as how strongly ones career featured in one's own life. A workaholic will no doubt associate their character with their work more so than one who is unemployed,to use an extreme example.
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ThiChi
"OK...example......mensa person working in a burger joint to earn money to get more college education.......now is he wearing the correct label...??"
If he himself carries no labels, then it does not matter because there is no label to defend. It is only when you carry a label that then you must defend it. Why should "their" opinion be worth more than your own opinion of yourself? When an enlighten person realizes this, there is freedom on many levels.
Another thought:
When furniture is covering a intricate floor rug, we miss many of the designs the rug has to offer. Only when we remove the furniture can we see the design in its fullness.
Same with life. Only when we realize that life is not only one aspect (like a job) of our experience, but a bigger picture that tells the whole story of what we are, only then can we is its fullness.
Like the intricate rug, sometimes we must remove the blockage to truly see all of life.
Edited by - thichi on 26 December 2002 18:38:18