To love your job

Some time in the not very distant past, I came across a post online that said something to the effect of “What is it with Gen Z and wanting to love their jobs?”

At the time, I did not think or read much meaning into it, but I do recall nodding in agreement that it was a weird shift in our world that generation Z showed great interest in wanting to love their jobs.

I cannot speak for whoever made that post, I cannot also say what generation they were from but I can say that it definitely wasn't Gen Z. I have this show I watch almost every day, “The American Wife,” usually an episode or two daily and the more recent one I watched was centered around the idea of jobs and how people feel about it.

There was a generalization that was made by the lead character, Katie, along the lines that “everyone hates their jobs” until Greg, the husband to the lead character, disapproved of belief, being that he absolutely loved his job.

I was reminded of that very post I saw in the past, in which I shortly agreed with the idea that people shouldn't want to love their jobs.

Reflecting back on it, I can see how I was wrong and allowed myself to lean on a generalization.

In many ways, our world is going to shit. But in other ways, there are things we have to stop and appreciate. There are quite a number of things that people love and give their all to. So it would be a disturbing error that we would be programmed to believe that “loving our job” isn't what to obsess over, essentially giving off the idea that it's ok for people to be miserable at their jobs, as that's how it is supposed to be.

I think, sometimes, people even consider that being miserable at it would also lead to better outcomes in terms of outputs.

That is also a generalization that thankfully will be phasing out with Gen Z.

To love your job, absofuckinlutely, is something we ought to push for. When taking jobs, we aim to provide value and receive value in return. Pushing for a work environment that's filled with people actually passionate and loving what they do cannot go wrong.

Of course, artificial intelligence is a growing threat to many of these jobs, but while not fully transitioned, people should be encouraged to switch jobs when necessary, try new things until they can find that one that doesn't feel like a burden, but a responsibility anyone is happy to commit to.