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Topic: What is more important, career or happiness?
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BlueRoamer Knowflake Posts: 2959 From: Calm Blue Ocean, Calm Blue Ocean Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 29, 2007 07:58 PM
Do you choose a career where you earn a higher or income, or do you choose a career with sufficient income where you know you will have less hours, less stress, and less responsibility?What if you knew that you had certain strengths, and to not contribute them to a certain field would be a disservice to that field, and to society in general. But choosing this option would mean a life of greater stress, burden and demand. Must one put the needs of society above the needs of ones own happiness? IP: Logged |
Bluemoon Knowflake Posts: 4339 From: Stafford, VA USA Registered: Feb 2005
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posted August 29, 2007 08:02 PM
NO, you have to put happiness first. The Ideal situation is having a career you love. Money really can't buy happiness. It just makes misery look better. IP: Logged |
silverstone Knowflake Posts: 1935 From: Registered: Mar 2006
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posted August 29, 2007 10:24 PM
quote: What is more important, career or happiness?
Your happiness comes first. IP: Logged |
silverstone Knowflake Posts: 1935 From: Registered: Mar 2006
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posted August 29, 2007 10:31 PM
DPIP: Logged |
fayte.m Knowflake Posts: 7798 From: Registered: Mar 2005
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posted August 29, 2007 11:31 PM
H A P P I N E S S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------ "Heaven doesn't want me and Hell is afraid I'll take over and start a rehab for the damned!" ~Judgement Must Be Balanced With Compassion~ ~Do Not Seek Wealth From The Suffering, Or The Dire Needs Of Others~ ~Assumption Is The Bane Of Understanding~ ~ if you keep doing what you did, you'll keep getting what you got.~ Everything changes. Fear not the changes. }><}}}(*> <*){{{><{ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ IP: Logged |
fayte.m Knowflake Posts: 7798 From: Registered: Mar 2005
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posted August 29, 2007 11:45 PM
H A P P I N E S S a quickie Lexigram HE IS HAS HAPPINESS! HAPPENS IN A SNAP A HAPPINESS HEAP AS HE SHAPES HIS PHASE HE SHINES SHIP SHAPE IS HE IN HIS HAPPINESS! ------------------ "Heaven doesn't want me and Hell is afraid I'll take over and start a rehab for the damned!" ~Judgement Must Be Balanced With Compassion~ ~Do Not Seek Wealth From The Suffering, Or The Dire Needs Of Others~ ~Assumption Is The Bane Of Understanding~ ~ if you keep doing what you did, you'll keep getting what you got.~ Everything changes. Fear not the changes. }><}}}(*> <*){{{><{ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~
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silverstone Knowflake Posts: 1935 From: Registered: Mar 2006
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posted August 30, 2007 01:08 AM
Cool Lexi, Fayte~------------------ Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.... The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. ~Robert Frost IP: Logged |
BlueRoamer Knowflake Posts: 2959 From: Calm Blue Ocean, Calm Blue Ocean Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 30, 2007 01:16 AM
There is also the element of being challenged intellectually.....if I choose a career that I know will be much lower stress, I probably wont' be very challenged.....I might end up hating it and growing bored....I think ultimately even if I choose the more stressful career, the one I'm aiming for has so much variety, i will be able to find positions that are lower stress.IP: Logged |
Bluemoon Knowflake Posts: 4339 From: Stafford, VA USA Registered: Feb 2005
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posted August 30, 2007 12:02 PM
I know you need that high level of tension, Roamer. My kid works in the ER, as I know I have mentioned, before. He thrives on that, loves it {at least most of the time}. IP: Logged |
BlueRoamer Knowflake Posts: 2959 From: Calm Blue Ocean, Calm Blue Ocean Registered: Jun 2003
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posted August 30, 2007 02:39 PM
Yeah....I think if my work environment was too peaceful or not challenging enough I would not enjoy it....its all about finding a balance I guess!But ya i don't think i phrased this post right, its not really about career or happiness...its a lot more complex than that. A higher stress career can make one happier if they are full employing their faculties. BM I"m glad your son enjoys the work.....maybe he will become a nurse or even a doctor! IP: Logged |
thirteen Knowflake Posts: 961 From: Rochester Hills, MI USA Registered: May 2004
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posted August 30, 2007 03:13 PM
For what this worth, i work a job that is lesser than my capabilities. I compensated for the boredom with classes and other things. This will work for a while. I am bored now and i feel i have tapped out everything this job is going to give me. Here is the delima...i don't want to go back to a higher stress job. There is one in front of my face and i just don't want to. That is a catch 22 and i have yet to determine my next steps.IP: Logged |
Bluemoon Knowflake Posts: 4339 From: Stafford, VA USA Registered: Feb 2005
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posted August 30, 2007 08:34 PM
He is a nurse, Blueroamer. 2 years now. Working on his RN. IP: Logged |
jehovah81 Knowflake Posts: 70 From: auckland, new zealand Registered: May 2006
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posted September 04, 2007 08:28 AM
hey roamer, nice and simple here HAPPINESS yr career expands yr life it doesn't become yr life. but i hope yr enjoying wht ever u r doing in the mean time.J81.x IP: Logged |
RainbowDay Knowflake Posts: 85 From: Registered: Jun 2007
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posted September 04, 2007 02:00 PM
I'd say happiness, but in the job with less responsibility, less hours, less income - without enough intellectual stimulance, are you really happy? IP: Logged |
Dervish Knowflake Posts: 135 From: California Registered: Nov 2006
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posted September 05, 2007 01:35 AM
I'm of the mind that personal freedom allows society to benefit from the potential of individuals, and "society" exists more to foster that individuality than to demand submission of the individual to the anthill. Not being happy is a sign that something is wrong and needs to change. It's a type of pain. Sometimes we can endure pain and unhappiness, but it's for a greater personal reward later, at least if we're not masochists or what I consider insane (like the type who whip themselves because they believe it purifies them and makes them better people). And for more: http://www.backwoodshome.com/columns/wolfe060615.html One last thing...I proved myself a very good librarian as a volunteer. Many had promised to show up for a children's reading program and I was the ONLY one who did so, and given that, the program was NOT pleasant, but VERY hard work. But I kept my word and endured.
Afterwards, I quickly learned how to shelve books, repair them, etc. I was already well-versed in using a library. Everyone was impressed by my contribution. And then the boss said that we all had to pee in a cup. New policy. Short and sweet, many volunteers were grannies and great grannies that hadn't even gotten a traffic ticket in their life, and they certainly couldn't drive on their own dime to the next town (as we were told to do) and hold their bladder for the convenience of bureaucrats. To this, the director said he'd look into getting something that he could stick into our mouths and get our saliva for testing. My other arguments didn't phase him: I said we were volunteers, not employees, and he said it was policy because we might hurt ourselves. I pointed out that even someone intoxicated is unlikely to hurt themselves or anyone else. If they were THAT drunk, they'd be sent home anyway. He maintained it was policy. I pointed out that such a test was a violation of our 4rth and 5th amendment rights (unreasonable search and seizure and being forced to testify against one's self) and he said the Bill of Rights did not apply because it was a PRIVATE insurance company demanding it--even though the tax payers were still footing the bill for it. I came REAL close to taking the test and waiting to hear I was proven clean. I wanted him to KNOW that I wasn't on drugs and had nothing to hide. And THEN I was going to pee in another cup and throw it in the director's face. I'm serious. I was so insulted by his demand that had no real purpose than puritanical busybodiness. I, and other volunteers even more so, had proven our reliability and responsibility, and he was acting like we couldn't be trusted to do what we'd say we would do, and had been doing. Worse, they expected us--volunteers--to pay for the gas and more extra time to take the test (the insurance company or library/tax payers would pay for the test itself). As it is, I took the more mature approach and simply stopped volunteering. The upside of this is that I can claim to have never surrendered my bodily fluids for inspection, a claim not many in the "land of the pee" can claim. I wasn't the only one. The director lost at least half his volunteers over it. He seemed genuinely confused why were took it so personally, but he wouldn't back down on it. (And neither would we.) The way I see it, any business or other organization (or even person) needs to EARN our service, not take it for granted. If "society" can't treat us decently, then we have no debt of decency to give back to society. Oh, yeah, happiness is key. Challenge may be required for that, but it's irrelevant. Personal happiness is key, and anyone who wants MY service (as a volunteer or independent contractor) had best treat me right. But if they do so, I'll bend over backwards and go the extra mile for them. But I owe "society" nothing. This isn't one way, btw. If I want someone else's service, patronage, etc, I'll treat them right and decently. I don't go around with the attitude that others owe me anything anymore than I have the attitude that I owe others anything. I expect to earn my own way in life, but others have to earn their way, too. And if they want my respect and goodwill, then they need to show me those very same qualities, just as I'll show those qualities to them (until they show they're not willing to treat me with respect and goodwill--like I did to that library director until he metaphorically slapped me and others in the face as thanks for our hard work and dependability). IP: Logged |
Jessica Knowflake Posts: 30 From: Michigan, USA Registered: Aug 2007
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posted September 06, 2007 06:23 PM
Sorry i think a career that pays well is important.However, if i didn't enjoy one even though i made lots of money i.e. losing sleep long hours.. I would quit and try for one i would like...masseuse,teacher,counselor,lifeguard,dolphin therapistIP: Logged |