The Fruit of Work is the Work Itself (But May Be More)

The Best Way to Get Promoted

“Big jobs usually go to the men [or women] who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jobs come in all shapes and sizes, from the night-shift janitor to the accountant to the CEO. All jobs are useful for society (otherwise, they wouldn’t be paid!), and everyone working should be treated with dignity and respect. At the same time, there are undoubtedly different levels of responsibility between jobs.

A janitor’s work is equally as important as the CEO’s job, though they require a different skill set. Also, each job has the potential to be equally rewarding depending on your attitude (that’s Stoicism).

Meaningful Work

A janitor can take just as much meaning from their job as anyone else, and many take enough contentment from that work to last a lifetime.

At the same time, many wish to progress to higher roles. Many dream of being “the guy” that’s leading, or is at least able to manage more work and responsibility. We mustn’t quench that thirst in our contentment; rather, we must have both.

In fact, dopamine release (the happiness hormone) is caused by improving on something. That improvement doesn’t necessarily mean taking on a bigger job. It could be, for example, improving the quality of work in whatever job you have now. There are also other ways to progress in life other than our work - our family life, our community engagement, our fitness, etc.