In the words of Eric Greitens, there are three pillars of happiness: happiness of pleasure, gratitude and excellence. They behave as the fundamental primary colours that are situated at the crux of a wide spectrum of shades. Happiness of excellence, often derived from the profession we pursue or the purpose with which we define ourselves, is located at the top of this hierarchy. However, the question of which career path would allow you to achieve that excellence still pertains. How would one know if their chosen profession offers them the maximum satisfaction and that there doesn’t exist a more fitting alternative?
A recent survey shows that 39 per cent of people see their job as a key part of their identity. Therefore, to these nearly 3 billion people, fulfilment from their career isn’t merely the question of a generous paycheck, but rather the pursuit of a job that caters to their intelligence, expectations, competence and a sense of purpose.
The notion that passion for one’s work alone is enough to keep them at the pinnacle of fulfilment is a fallacy. Passion is merely a sense of motivation. It is perhaps what gets us out of bed every day. Although absolute satisfaction can never be achieved, due to humans’ insatiable desire to constantly strive for more, there are several other factors that can affect the gratification derived from a profession. These would include a positive environment, fair compensation, opportunities for growth, assimilation of one’s experiences and most importantly, a newfound sense of purpose.
Some may also believe that satisfaction derived from an occupation is merely an illusion. A false hope of contentment we cling to after being in the same industry for decades. We tell ourselves, “This is it. This is perhaps what I am meant to do.” However, the truth is that any career may feel tedious and leave one physically and emotionally fatigued at the end of the day. This is not the result of lack of proclivity to chase success or love for what you do, but rather constantly feeling trapped and doubting whether this career was the right choice.
Therefore, the question of what truly makes a job fulfilling still persists. Though the degree of contentment depends, to some extent, on one’s income, statistics show that only 20 per cent of employees who quit in 2022 did so primarily because of salary and benefits concerns. Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman and his colleague, Angus Deaton state that happiness only increases with income up to 75000 dollars. Contrarily, merely passion for a job cannot put food on the table. In a study conducted in 2023, it was observed that 71 per cent of employees reported that they would quit if offered a higher salary elsewhere, even if they felt less satisfied in that role.
Thus, there must exist a state of neutrality and moderation among these factors. One must choose a career that not only satisfies these two extremities but also embraces several other subtler elements such as flexibility, ability to constantly learn and grow, a healthy environment and a role that truly brings out the best in an individual.
Vanshika Vaid
XI-C1
