Monday, October 15, 2001

A Job Defines A Person, Part II

What is this fervent notion that people should not be defined by their jobs?  [[Why do people hate being defined by their job?]]

This is such a deviant, outer-fringe missive that I cannot fathom why these people would think such things.  I am unable to think of any positive, optimistic reason that people would so fervently believe this.  Through logic and reason, the only conclusion I can arrive at is that these people must hate their jobs.  I can only surmise that perhaps these people have really shitty jobs.  Cleaning toilets for a living.  Specifically, cleaning other people’s toilets for a living.  Yes, that I can understand, wanting to emotionally distance oneself from those jobs.  Or perhaps they have jobs that are mediocre, if not outright shitty, which they still hate.  Corporate rat race and advertising and what not, trying feverishly to convince the public to buy crap that they do not need.

You must understand, back in high school, I did not understand why so many op-ed writers, in response to some particular claim, would always start wondering about the lifestyle habits, not to mention the sanity, of the person that made said claim... until now.

I was a teenager in the 1990s.  Believe me when I say this, we really truly did not encounter many lunatic extremists of either stripe, whether liberal or conservative.  We truly did not.  There were... maybe one or two, and they were spaced very far apart.  The vast majority of opinions I had read and heard were moderate.

Now I get it.  It is because the particular declaration was so shockingly bizarre, that some sort of bad event must have happened to them in their childhood formative years.  Something traumatic must have transgressed to shape their opinions thusly.  They could not possibly have arrived at this opinion though logic and reasoning.

Back in the 1990s, my coming of age years, I never did understand why some women, upon being fed up with some man's nasty disgusting opinion of how women should act sexually, she would then say something along the lines of, "if that's what you want, go find a prost."  It was meant as a witty retort, meant to diffuse her own frustration.  It was a sarcastic defense mechanism with the intention of recognizing the ludicrous disgustingness (and rightfully so) of the misogynistic opinion.

What about people who truly love their jobs, who chose their professions because these jobs reflected all their values that they want to strengthen in themselves, and on which they possibly wish more people would place emphasis???

Why are some people so hell-bent on making sure people are not defined by their jobs?  I am defined by my job.  I chose to go into science, because I want to find out all about the universe.  I chose to go into medicine because I care about people.  Also I like looking at people's innards.  So yes, I am defined by my job, and I will freely admit it.

Why do they want so badly for people not to be defined by their jobs?  Many people are in fact defined by their jobs and they are probably happy to admit it.  You know why?  Because they had the guts to do something good for themselves and follow their passion and their passion is for something very useful that contributes to society, that makes the world a better place.

A biomedical researcher who has broken some ground on a new cancer treatment.  You expect me to believe they are not defined by their job?

What if someone is a teacher, who inspires students to want to think critically, to examine, to analyze and grow their horizons?  You expect me to believe they are not defined by their job?

The guy who founded Habitat for Humanity.  You expect me to believe he is not defined by his job?

A quantum physics researcher, perhaps someone who works in string theory, who has unlocked some of the secrets of the universe.  You expect me to believe they are not defined by their job?

What about an investigative journalist, and I feel that this should include whistleblowers, .....to ask the tough questions, to demand answers?

A doctor who genuinely cares about their patients, who listens to their patients, whose patients have told them that they are a wonderful doctor that the patients feels they can trust and the patient knows the doctor will listen to them?  You expect me to believe they are not defined by their job?

A member of a symphony orchestra.  One of those Newberry award-winning authors.  A skilled painter or sculptor.  People who create, who give us a reason to live, a reason to appreciate life.

All these people have passion for their work.  They each chose their respective fields because it was a noble calling for them, it spoke to their souls, they are drawn to them.  You damn well better believe they are defined by their jobs, and they are happy to admit it.

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